: Chapter 3

When the man stands, I forget how to breathe.

He’s big. Like really big. Taller than… I don’t know. Way taller than my five and half feet. Taller than Lee- Leland’s six-foot frame. And his muscles…

I wet my lips.

His biceps fill out the material of his sleeves, making the shirt look nearly uncomfortable.

My heart rate picks up even more when he takes one step forward.

I don’t know if I’m more scared of what he might do, or of the fact that he let go of his sister’s arm. Because she looks like she wants to kill Leland––and me––with her bare hands.

“Leland,” the man sighs, and I feel his voice skim across every inch of my exposed skin. “You’re even dumber than I thought. And that’s saying a lot. I know you’re not sleeping around on my sister and blaming her for it.” He pauses. “With me standing right here.”

“We…” I try to say, but trail off, because no one is listening to me.

For my own sake, I want them to know that we never slept together. But it’s not like that really makes a difference here because sex or not, his wife has every reason to be furious at him.

Lee takes a step away from his brother-in-law. “This has nothing to do with you, man.” Fear vibrates through his voice. “This is between me and Aspen.”

The big man is shaking his head before Lee finishes. “That’s where you’re wrong. This has everything to do with me, because you just fucked with my family.” His tone deepens to a growl on the last two words.

The gravity of the tone sinks into my stomach.

I don’t know who these people are, but this situation suddenly feels dangerous. Like more dangerous than a divorce with an angry wife.

I shuffle another step away from Lee, glancing over at my friend Mandi, who is still sitting, stunned.

Aspen takes a step forward to stand next to her brother. “I don’t know where you put your wedding ring, but you might as well leave it off. Because we’re over.”

“Good!” Leland tosses his hands up, moving backwards. “I don’t want anything to do with your messed up family and the shit––”

“LEAVE!” The big man’s bellow startles a squeak out of me. And I drop my eyes to the lasagna trembling in my grip before I can catch anyone looking at me.

I don’t remember the last time I heard someone raise their voice like that, in an aggressive yell, but it made my pulse spike.

I hear Leland’s feet scramble on the tiled floor as he hurries back down the hallway. My dignity and ride fleeing at the same time.

The siblings say something to each other, but the blood rushing through my veins is making my hearing fuzzy.

I want to be somewhere else.

I’d love to be anywhere else.

“I’m so sorry.” Mandi’s voice breaks into my bubble of self-pity.

I don’t know what she has to be sorry about. Mandi’s the only innocent party here.

“No, I’m sorry,” Aspen’s tone is falsely calm. “If my soon to be ex-husband wasn’t such a piece of shit, he never would’ve fucked your friend in the first place.”

Footsteps click across the floor, and I’m trying to muster the nerve to look up and blurt out the truth, when a shoulder roughly bumps into mine.

Even with her angry energy, I hadn’t actually expected the woman to touch me, so I wasn’t ready. And with my arms already shaking from exertion, I watch the pan slip from my grip, landing on the floor, an inch in front of my toes, with a loud crack. The heavy ceramic, splitting where it met the hard surface, lasagna slopping out of the broken side, spreading across the floor.

I shuffle back, as the tears that had been threatening, start to well in my eyes.

Not the food!

“Apologies for the mess.” The man’s deep voice drags my attention up. I expect him to be looking at Mandi, but he’s staring at me.

His gaze holds mine for one thunderous heartbeat, his golden, lion-like eyes drilling into me, before he dips his chin and strides past.