Chapter 6
Chassie
“Honey, I’m home!”
A hand sweeps around my waist as I turn to take off my shoes, making me squeak in surprise.
“Been waiting all day for you to get home.” Preacher’s gruff voice is at my ear. So are his lips. I’m instantly caught with a case of flutters. After last night, my opinion about him has changed. He’s not the misogynistic pig I assumed him to be. In fact, he’s so much fun to be around.
“Pity,” I say, turning in his arms. “I was kind of hoping for the same greeting as yesterday.” Him in my shower, all lathered up and sexy, giving me quite the show.
The urge to kiss him is so strong. I want to lean up onto my toes and press my lips to that crooked grin.
“I’ll be happy to never disappoint again.” He winks. “Do you know how impossible you’re making it not to kiss you right now?”
I’m about to tell him to do it, my body ready to surrender, but I’m interrupted by a knock on the door. Talk about terrible timing.
“I need to get that.” It’s probably the mailman delivering a package.
His groan has me smiling as I turn to open it.
“Dusty?” It’s a different man in uniform. Not as fun as the kind that brings me boxes. “What are you doing here?”
He’s standing on my front porch looking worse than I’ve ever seen him.
“You won’t answer your phone or let me explain. We need to talk, Chass. You can’t flush twelve years down the toilet without at least having a conversation with me.”
As I recall, he was the one who broke up with me first. Multiple times. If he wants to blame anyone, it should be himself.
Preacher steps behind me, and Dusty’s eyes shift up, narrowing into a sharp glare.
“Who the fuck are you?”
“He’s a friend, and I’m busy, Dusty, so now is not a good time.”
“A friend? Looks like you’re hanging out with the wrong crowd, Chass.” He scowls down at me, clenching his jaw. “You’re one of those Savage fuckers. Why the hell are you in my girl’s apartment?”
He has some nerve. I’m no longer his girl. If he wanted me to be his, he shouldn’t have been fucking other women.
“The only fucker I see is you,” Preacher sneers. “Now, you heard her. You need to run along cause we’re busy.”
Dusty stands to his full height, locking his wide shoulders like he’s about to square off with the guy. He’s still not as big as Preacher, but with that gun holstered on his hip, he’s just as intimidating.
“Maybe you should step outside and say that to my face.”
“I just said it to your face.” Preacher grips my waist as if he’s holding himself back.
“But if you need me to repeat myself, I will.” He goes to shift around me, but I block him with my body.
The last thing I need is for these two men to be in a fist fight.
Preacher would be arrested for assaulting an officer.
And my neighbors will call the landlord on me.
“You need to leave, Dusty. Now.”
“Not until you agree to talk to me.”
“You heard her,” Preacher says. “Take a hike, donut boy.”
I’d laugh if it weren’t for the vein about to burst in the side of Dusty’s neck.
“If you’d like to spend a night in jail, I’d be happy to show you what your future looks like, you fucking thug.”
Preacher steps forward and I stick my butt back to fend him off.
I almost gasp when I feel his hard length against me.
That thick dick is pressed between the split of my cheeks.
My scrubs are barely a barrier. He yanks me to him, and Dusty’s eyes shift to where we’re adjoined.
His nostrils flaring with more anger. If I don’t do something, he really will take Preacher to jail.
“Come. I’ll walk you to your car and we can chat. You…” I turn to the big man who’s glaring at my ex. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.”
“You heard her. Stay put, dog.”
“No, please.” I grip Preacher’s chest, keeping him from lunging forward. He’s liable to kill Dusty if I let him go. “Please don’t do this.” His amber eyes shift down to mine and those burning flames simmer slightly, cooling as I plead with him. “I’m going to go talk to him, and I’ll be right back.”
His hand comes up, gripping my cheek and I lean into his touch, turning my head and kissing the center of his palm. That seems to do the trick, settling him enough to let me go.
“I’ll go start dinner,” he says, then looks up to Dusty. I’ve never seen a glare with so much warning in my life. “You hurt her, I’ll hurt you. The kind of pain that lasts an eternity.”
“And if you threaten me, I’ll arrest you.”
I grab Dusty’s arm and start yanking him towards the parking lot. I’ve never been so annoyed in all my life.
“What the fuck, Chass? Are you dating that guy?”
“No,” I tell him. I don’t know what’s going on with Preacher. We have a bet going, but after last night, it feels like something could be happening between us. “He’s staying here while Cage is out of town to keep an eye on things.”
“You wouldn’t need a fucking bodyguard if you didn’t associate with criminals. I should arrest that fucker’s ass. He threatened me.”
“And you threatened him first. Now, what do you want?” I’m ready for this conversation to be over and to get back inside. Dusty has ruined my entire mood. I was excited to get home and see Preacher, but now, I’m breaking up fights and fending off exes.
“We need to talk, Chass. Things can’t end like this.”
“Things were already over. You were the one who wanted to break up. Remember? You needed more time. You didn’t want to feel pressured into marriage or feel guilty about not spending time with me.
” Funny how he’s managed to make time for all the single ladies around town.
“What you really wanted is to be able to date.” I don’t even fault him for it anymore.
After last night, I realize I should be exploring things too.
“I knew Miranda was going to rat me out. Kollette meant nothing. It was just sex. Believe me. I don’t have feelings for her or anyone else. I love you.”
Kollette. It was Kollette that he hooked up with. But she’s always been cruel to me. He told me he thought she was a bitch. How could he do that?
“I’m done, Rockland. Don’t ever contact me again. It’s over.”
I go to turn but am yanked back.
“What the fuck? Why? I just told you it meant nothing. And it helped me realize that you’re the one I want. I want to be with you, Chass. Only you from here on out.”
There isn’t a single apology in anything he just said. No I’m sorry for hurting you. No I’m sorry for lying. No I’m sorry for fucking the one girl I should never have even looked twice at. There’s nothing. No apology. No regret. No fucking shame for his actions.
It suddenly feels like I wasted all those years.
For years, I believed his lies. Believed we were going to walk down the aisle together and start a family.
I wasted all that time when I could’ve been out exploring other relationships.
I could’ve been dating and having fun. But I was hooked onto the end of his lie and couldn’t see the truth.
Now I know. He doesn’t love me. Someone who loved me wouldn’t need to go out and date other women to know that.
“I don’t love you anymore, Dust. I’m sorry.” At least one of us can say the truth out loud. “While you were off ‘working’ and trying to figure out whether you wanted to be with me, I realized I don’t want to be with you. It’s over, and it’s time for us to move on.”
I’m shocked by the relief I feel in saying those words. It feels like a weight has been lifted from my soul. Like the chains have finally been broken and I’m free.
“Twelve years, Chass. You can’t throw away twelve years over that lowlife criminal. He’s only using you. And once he gets what he wants, he’ll be off fucking other women. Just you wait and see.”
That brutal truth slaps me hard across the face. All those women are waiting for Preacher to return. The sweetbutts can’t wait to beg for his attention. I’m fooling myself to think he wants to be tied down in a committed relationship when he has so many to enjoy whenever he gets the urge.
“This isn’t about him, Dusty. This is about me knowing that I don’t want this.”
If I could have a spark with someone else, one that burns hotter than anything I ever had with Dusty, then I know I’m making the right decision by walking away.
“Goodbye,” I tell him, hearing the resolution in my voice. “Stay safe, okay?” In spite of everything, I’ll always be thankful he was my first. But my best friend is gone. He’s grown into a man I don’t even like.
I turn, walking back inside before he tries to stop me again. It’s over. For good this time.
“You okay, babe?”
Preacher’s gruff voice has me looking up. A tear slides down my cheek at the same moment he pulls me to his chest. I’m not sad over losing my boyfriend. I’m sad over losing my friend.
“I’m sorry.” He squeezes me close. “I didn’t mean to cause problems for you. I should’ve stayed out of it.”
Another apology. This man knows how to own his wrongs. Dusty Rockland couldn’t even apologize for betraying me. For that, I will never forgive him.
“You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s him that’s the problem.”
“Come.” He guides me to the couch. “Tell me what’s going on.”
I tell him everything. The start, the middle, the up-and-down roller coaster that I’ve been on for twelve years, and then, the final betrayal. That one makes me question our entire friendship.
“I just never thought he’d do something to hurt me. We started as best friends, and I always thought he would have my back. But sleeping with Kollette, that just felt so callous. I never would’ve hurt him like that.”
Preacher lifts my chin, touching me so gently. For such a dominant man, he has such a gentle touch.
“It’s like what King told me, babe. Sometimes it’s out of the pain that we can find something special. Your eyes are open now, and you know what you want. You also know that you deserve better. Now, you won’t settle for less than incredible.”
I want him. That’s what I want.
There’s no denying how I’m feeling for this man.
It’d be impossible not to have feelings for him.
He’s funny, handsome, kind, and willing to own up to his mistakes.
All of the facets of his personality make him special.
And the way he looks at me makes me feel special.
Dusty never looked at me this way. Not even at the start of it all.
“Hey!” Payton enters the room with a concerned look. “Is everything okay?”
I’m not really sure if everything is okay. I’m falling in love with a man who may actually be capable of breaking my heart.