Chapter 40
CHAPTER 40
MARLOW
I slid into the driver’s seat, still feeling the disappointment of having my plans canceled. I was looking forward to blowing off some steam after a long week at work. But as I started the engine and began my drive home, my thoughts kept drifting back to Spencer. Despite our recent tension, today felt like a step in the right direction. Maybe we could finally put the past behind us and move forward as colleagues, if not friends.
That meant no more sex. That would just confuse matters.
I started the car and pulled out of the parking spot. Evening rush hour traffic was no joke, but that was a good thing. It wasn’t like I had any plans. Rhett and I would probably order pizza and sit around watching movies. I sat in traffic thinking about what kind of pizza I wanted and what movie we would watch. Since it didn’t look like my car was going to be moving anywhere anytime soon, I pulled out my phone and opened the food delivery app.
I had been craving a nice dinner with wine and good conversation, but now that I was scanning the menu, I was craving pizza with a perfectly golden crust. I wanted pepperoni, but I knew Rhett would want supreme.
The movie selection would be an intense debate between me and Rhett. I was going to want a chick flick and he was going to want some action film. As usual, we would eventually settle on a classic action movie, with explosions and car chases playing out on the TV screen. There would of course be a hot hero to entertain me, and Rhett would drool over the sexy heroine that would undoubtedly be scantily clad and a bit of a badass.
I finally picked a pizza place and placed an order for a large supreme pizza. I added breadsticks and soda and decided to splurge on the cinnamon rolls for dessert. Rhett would be happy with that choice. Traffic started to move. I put my phone back in the holder and focused on the line of cars in front and beside me. The usual honking of horns and people trying to squeeze in at the last minute and those trying to merge with the next lane made the journey seem longer than usual. I couldn’t wait to get home and unwind. After the drive, I decided it might be for the best that my plans had fallen through. Quality time with my brother was just what I needed. I couldn’t wait to kick off my heels and put on my sweats. Maybe I would even take a hot bath.
Did that mean I was old? I was looking forward to spending a Friday night at home instead of out with my friends. “Oh well,” I muttered to myself.
I enjoyed my life. I didn’t have to be out every night. I had a beautiful home. I worked hard for what I had and sometimes it felt like I didn’t get to enjoy it all that much because I worked so much. By the time I made it home, I remembered I skipped lunch in anticipation of my dinner out.
“I should have ordered two pizzas.”
As I rode the elevator up to my apartment, I let out a long breath and leaned my head against the wall, ready to unwind. My phone rang, the sound echoing around the small space. I pulled it out and saw Spencer’s name flash on the screen. My heart skipped a beat, worried that something might be wrong.
“Spencer? Is everything okay?” I answered quickly.
He hesitated before speaking. “I was just calling to say I was going to ask you to dinner earlier, but I thought it was too soon. After how much of a dick I’ve been. But I wanted you to at least know that I wanted to ask.”
He sounded sincere and it meant everything to me. “Thank you, Spencer. For thinking of it.” The warmth of his words brought a smile to my face. “I like you better when you act like a normal person like this.”
He sighed. “I told you I’m fucked up. There’s been a lot on my plate, and I got my priorities a little mixed up.”
The elevator dinged, the door sliding open. I stepped out and started down the hall. “I think we all experience that feeling sometimes,” I said. “Is there anything I can do?”
“You can keep being the amazing person you are,” he replied.
I couldn’t help but smile. This was the Spencer I knew.
But my smile vanished as soon as I opened my front door and stepped into a nightmare. I froze. A part of my brain was telling me I wasn’t seeing what I thought. It had to be a terrible dream. I looked down to make sure I actually had clothes on. The smell of garlic filled the air. Would I be able to smell if this was a dream?
I didn’t think so, which meant this was real. This was actually happening. I held my phone to my ear and stood in the doorway and stared.
Dakota was in my apartment. He was standing in my kitchen, drinking my wine, and cooking on my stove. Rhett was sitting at the island with his crutches propped up nearby, laughing at something Dakota just said.
This couldn’t be happening.
Dakota stirred a pot with one of my wooden spoons. If anyone else would have walked in on the scene, they would think Dakota lived here and had cooked dinner a hundred times in my kitchen.
But he didn’t live here. He’d never been in my apartment. I didn’t even want him to know where it was.
“Marlow?” Spencer said my name, but I couldn’t answer him. I didn’t know what to say. All I wanted to do was tear my eyes out.
The moment they saw me, Rhett’s face turned pale. He looked at me with the same surprise and shock I felt. What I didn’t see on his expression was the betrayal I felt seeing my brother inviting the enemy into my home.
“Oh shit,” Rhett muttered, his eyes wide with guilt.
“You motherfucker,” I said, seething.
My pulse pounded. Anger and betrayal flooded my system. My hands were shaking. My legs felt like lead. I couldn’t move. My mind refused to accept the scene.
“Is everything okay?” Spencer’s voice came through the phone, filled with concern. “Marlow, please, what’s going on? Am I the motherfucker? I said I was sorry.”
Dakota turned, his face lighting up when he saw me. “Marlow!” He abandoned whatever he was cooking, put down the spoon, and hurried over to greet me. “You look amazing! I’ve been thinking about you so much.”
He grabbed my shoulders and kissed my cheek. Again, I stood as still as a statue.
“Hi, babe.” He smiled.
“What are you doing here?” I managed to ask.
“I’m so sorry for everything, for how I behaved,” he said, still holding my shoulders. “I wish I could take it all back. I’ve never been as happy as I was when I was with you.”
Rhett hobbled over on his crutches, looking mortified. He knew he was busted. “You said you’d be out late.”
“Is that Rhett?” Spencer asked. “Are you okay? Is Dakota there? That motherfucker.”
“No,” I breathed into the phone. “I’m not okay at all.”
“I’m coming over,” Spencer said, his tone hard. “Stay on the phone. Don’t hang up. I’m coming!”
Dakota continued to look at me with a big smile. “I’m here for you,” he said. “I love you. I want to make things right, Marlow. I want us to be a family, to have kids. You make me a better man. You are the one that got away, but I’m not letting you get away from me. We’re supposed to be together. Forever.”
I couldn’t speak. My mind was racing, trying to make sense of this nightmare. I was shaking uncontrollably.
“You need to give her some space, man,” Rhett pleaded with Dakota. “Back off.”
“She’s fine,” Dakota said. “We have a lot to talk about. We love each other. We had a little hitch in our relationship, but we are always going to be together. You still love me, don’t you?”
I blinked, trying to understand what was happening. Was he drunk?
“Dude, for real,” Rhett said, using one of his crutches to try and push Dakota away from me.
“Who’s on the phone?” Dakota asked, seemingly just realizing I was holding the phone to my ear. “Is that Kyla?” His eyes narrowed. “Hang up, that bitch is always trying to fill your head with nonsense. She’s never liked me. She doesn’t want you happy. She wants you to be miserable like she is. She’s the one that encouraged you to work more.”
I stood there, feeling like the ground had fallen out from under me. Dakota’s words washed over me like raw sewage. His declarations of love and commitment sounded like threats. The air we shared in the room felt thick, suffocating me as I struggled to process what was happening.
Spencer’s voice on the phone was my lifeline in the chaos of the moment. “Marlow, are you still there?” he asked urgently. “I’m almost at your building. Just hold on a little longer.”
Dakota’s intensity was unnerving, his grip on my shoulders tightening as if he could physically force me to take him back.
Rhett pushed closer to me, trying to get some space between me and Dakota. “That’s enough, man. I think you should go.”
The tension in the room escalated. Dakota’s eyes never left mine. Disgusted, I managed to shake his hands off me and I slipped behind the kitchen island, effectively putting a barrier between us. My heart pounded in my chest as I focused on Spencer’s voice, trying to stay calm.
“I’m four minutes away,” he assured me. “Hang on.”
The sounds of car horns honking in the background suggested he was speeding. His presence on the line was the only thing keeping me steady. Dakota kept talking, his words a jumble of apologies and demands. He showered me with compliments, telling me how beautiful I was, and he loved the apartment. He wanted to move in.
He had to be suffering from some kind of psychosis, which didn’t bode well for me or this situation. He wasn’t in his right mind.
“How could you bring him here, Rhett?” I asked, feeling deeply betrayed. “This is my fucking home.”
Rhett looked guilty and sad. I saw the regret, but he could shove that regret right up his ass. “I’m sorry, Marlow. I didn’t think?—”
“You’re damn right you didn’t think,” I spat. “Do you have brain damage from the accident?”
“Who’s on the phone?” Dakota demanded again, stepping closer.
“None of your business,” I snapped, my anger rising. “You need to leave. This is my home. You are not welcome. Get the fuck out!”
Dakota’s eyes blazed with anger. “I’m not going anywhere until we talk this out. You’ve been dodging me for months and you owe me a chance to talk.”
“If you don’t kick him in the balls,” Spencer growled in my ear, “I will.”
Dakota advanced, and Rhett tried to intervene. Dakota pushed him aside, causing him to stumble. The situation was spiraling out of control. Panic rose in my chest. I tried to keep my distance, but Dakota was relentless.
“Please, Dakota,” I pleaded. “Just go.”
“I’m almost there,” Spencer said, his voice a lifeline.
“Hurry,” I whispered, not trusting the situation to stay calm.
“Dakota, you heard her,” Rhett said. “I invited you over to hang out. This is way beyond what’s okay. I might not be able to do much, but don’t think I won’t hesitate to use my crutches to push your ass out of here.”
“He should have never been allowed in here,” I snapped.
“Well, I’m here now, baby,” Dakota said, grinning with too many teeth.