Chapter 38
Thirty-Eight
River
The strangest thing about ending a chapter of your life and beginning a new one is—
Paperwork.
No grand gestures or dramatic ballroom entrances by my prince. No dancing or mysterious women breaking into apartments.
Just…
My signature on a bunch of paperwork to terminate my lease.
“I’m a fun date,” I say the next day. My tone dry as I scribble my signature on the final paperwork then pick up the stack, tapping the edges to straighten them.
Thorn chuckles, tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. “I’m just happy to spend time with you, little hen.”
“Because you’re worried about what Angela said?”
His eyes hold mine. “Until this shit is done, I’ll be worried.” He touches my cheek. “But mostly, I just like being with you, no matter what we’re doing.”
I smile at him then at the woman who comes back into the office to check on us, passing her the completed packet.
It’s peaceful. Perfect.
At least until Thorn and I have a brief battle of wills when it comes to paying the termination fee.
But when I look at him and say, “I need to do this,” he relents.
It’s dumb, battling with a billionaire over a few thousand dollars. That’s nothing to him and a chunk of my savings to me.
But this is my life, my choice to move forward with him.
So, I need to be the one to close this chapter.
And him understanding that makes me love him even more.
We walk out of the leasing office, our fingers interlaced, my heart happy. One more quick pitstop to grab a few important documents (and my immersion blender) and we’ll be back in the safety of the penthouse.
The black SUV with Pascal’s security guys is parked in my spot and though he didn’t say it when I asked if I could take care of this today (before I paid for another month’s rent in a place I wasn’t staying at), I know it’s a strain to keep an eye on us out in the open like this.
There are too many other things at work behind the scenes.
But they all made time for me to do this today.
God, I love my family.
So, no dallying with the paperwork. Getting in and grabbing my important documents. And the immersion blender. Then leaving the rest to the movers I allowed Thorn hire.
“Come on,” I say softly. “Let’s finish this.”
The summer sunshine is hot already as we walk along the path toward my building. It’s going to be a scorcher today, one of those where the nights don’t cool down and the heat just sits oppressively in the air.
But right now, it’s beautiful.
“River!”
I freeze and see Stephanie waving at me.
Thorn tenses as she rushes over and tugs me slightly, positioning his body between hers and mine.
Have I said I love this man?
“River,” Stephanie says breathlessly, coming to a stop. “How are you? I haven’t seen you around in a while and got worried—” The words come in a rush. “Anyway, I’m glad to see you.” Her eyes flick down the path, back to us. “Were you in the leasing office? Are you two moving in together?”
I frown.
“Or moving out?” she asks, the question tinged with a hint of hysteria. “Are you moving out, River?”
Yeah, no.
“Good to see you, Stephanie.” I start forward. “I’ll talk to you soon.”
“I don’t like her,” Thorn mutters as we take the stairs up to my apartment.
“Me neither,” I whisper back as I unlock the door and we move inside.
I shove the prickly feeling Stephanie gave me aside and focus on the space.
It’s strange.
Because my apartment looks exactly the same…and yet, it feels completely wrong. Too small. Too sad. Too…
Wrong.
It’s evidence of a small life. Not a life worth living.
I snag my door chair—the one I spent years shoving under the knob to keep my monsters at bay, and bring it to the table, sliding it into its rightful spot.
“You knew,” I murmur, smoothing my hand over the worn wood. “You knew what I used it for.”
“Yes,” he says gently.
And God, the irony of me spending years hiding from a monster while Thorn believed he was one is not lost on me.
But I’m done letting monsters rule my life.
We’ll take down the Lyons.
And we’re going to fucking live.
I kiss him and I do it long and wet and hot. “I love you.”
He touches my cheek. “You’re my heart, little hen.”
One more moment in his arms, one more moment to thank my lucky stars that I got here. Then I focus, snagging my passport and birth certificate, my divorce decree and my social security card. Thorn grabs my immersion blender from the shelf and I debate whether or not I need my juicer too.
He grabs it and I bite back a smile as we head out, lock up, and hit the path.
And that’s when Stephanie calls my name again.
“River! Wait!”
She rushes toward me and…
“No,” I hiss. “Fuck no.”
“What is it?” Thorn asks.
“No,” I snap. “You are not fucking here!”
“You always were so emotional, River.” Preston smirks. “I guess some things never change.”
“Little hen?” Thorn asks, pulling me into his side, tucking me close.
“It’s Preston. M-my ex-husband,” I manage to add, my heart pounding, my head spinning, my knees shaking.
Thorn shoves me behind him, and…
Suddenly, my head clears. That old fear loosens its stranglehold on my feeling.
I step forward so I’m at Thorn’s side, ask, “Why are you here?”
Preston’s eyes go cold at my tone—sharp and disrespectful, two things he hates in equal measure—but he just smiles and says silkily, “We need to talk, baby.”
“We’re divorced,” I remind him. “There’s no reason for us to talk about anything.”
Those eyes stay cold, but his smile widens. And it’s the same as before—charming on the surface, disturbing underneath. “Come on, baby,” he cajoles. “It’ll just take a minute.”
Stephanie shifts uncomfortably beside him…and the final pieces snap into place.
I turn to her. “You were watching me for him?”
No reply. But her eyes slide to the side, and…I suppose that’s answer enough.
Damn. “You know he’s abusive, right?”
Her gaze shifts back, and that’s answer enough too. She knows and doesn’t care or doesn’t believe it or doesn’t want to leave him.
“Baby, don’t be like that,” Preston cajoles. “You know it was all a misunderstanding.”
“Are you talking to me or your girlfriend?” I ask dryly.
Stephanie jerks, but it’s Preston who moves, taking a step toward me, fisting his hand.
Thorn shifts, his arm going around my waist, but he doesn’t pull me behind him. Instead, he stays by my side and trusts me to handle it.
And as I look at the man in front of me, beautiful and polished and once everything I thought I wanted—and all I deserved—I feel…nothing.
Preston has no power over me.
Not any longer.
This man, who taught me to fear.
This man, who convinced me I was weak.
This man, who made me small…
He’s nothing.
I laugh at the realization and his eyes darken.
But I’ve got this.
Because I’m not weak and I’m not a victim any longer, and because…
I’m not alone.
I won’t ever be alone again.
“For the record, Preston, there will never be anything for us to talk about.” I glance up at Thorn. “Let’s go.”
His eyes pierce into mine—then they shift to shoot daggers at Preston—but he just nods and we move toward the SUV.
I gasp when fingers wrap around my arm and I’m jerked roughly out of Thorn’s hold.
Thorn turns with me but I’m already moving.
I lift my knee…
And drive it right into Preston’s balls.
“Don’t you ever touch me again, asshole.”
He groans and drops to the ground, hands clutched to his pelvis.
I snort and look down at him. “Do you know what the saddest part of this whole spectacle is?” I ask as I step over his writhing body. “It’s that somehow you still think you matter.”
Then, not bothering to waste another moment on this man, I keep walking.
A moment later, a hand settles on my lower back, and Thorn’s laughing voice drifts to my ears. “Fuck, little hen, remind me to not make you mad.”
I gape at him.
Then, unbidden, laughter rises in me too.
Because we’ve faced monsters and we’re still here.
Because we’re looking forward.
And because assholes like Preston don’t matter anymore.
“As long as you keep my immersion blender safe then you’ll be safe.”
He grins and kisses me…then holds up my safe-and-sound handheld blender.
“So noted, sweetheart.”