Ian wasn’t picking up my calls. I didn’t want to panic, but what the fuck was going on? I paced my room, the phone pressed to my ear as I listened to the ringing on the other end. Before his stupid voicemail came up, I ended the call. Becca’s name flashed on my screen as I was about to redial Ian’s number. She had talked about getting freaky with Ian tonight. Given his recent withdrawal, I was down for it as long as we didn’t go too far.
I sent her a text and called my boyfriend. He picked on the first ring. For the first few seconds, I was too stunned to say a word.
“Beth,” he started.
“Baby.” I sat on the bed, my hand placed between my legs. Emotions swelled inside me, mostly fear, and my eyes found the ceiling as tears gathered in them. “You didn’t call or text me. I missed you, baby.”
“I need to tell you something.”
“Are you back?”
“That’s not what this is about. I need to—”
“Where are you? I could come over.”
“You are not listening to me, Beth. I need to tell you something.” The tone of his voice made me quiet. “I’m breaking up with you.”
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Five.
“What?” I whispered into the phone, refusing to believe what my boyfriend of five years was saying. “Baby. Ian, we can work this out—”
“I’m sorry, it’s really over, Beth,” he said.
Ian’s crisp voice washed through me like ice on a rainy day. There was none of that kindness when he approached me in college and asked me to join him for coffee.
I sniffed and wiped the tears rolling down my cheeks. He couldn’t mean this. Where was that wristwatch? I would show him his gift, and we would play around. This was a mistake.
“I’ll come over.”
“No.”
Without thinking, I hurried to my closet and pulled out my favorite dress: a red, backless design that stopped at my mid-thighs. Ian must be saying this because of my reaction to sex before his last trip.
“I’m on my way, Ian. We can fix this. We can fix us.”
“There’s nothing to fix.”
“Then why are we breaking up?” Silence met my ear because there was nothing for him to say. “I’ll come over, and we’ll talk.”
“Don’t come over. I’m out of town. I left.”
I shook my head fast. No, he was lying. The call ended before I could say another word. My phone slipped from my grasp, and I crumbled to the floor. Ian was lying. My baby wouldn’t do that to me.
Our future was certain. We would get married, have three kids as planned, and tour the world when they were old enough to live independently. Yes, that was the plan.
With this in mind, I wiped my tears and rushed to the bathroom for a shave and a warm bath to refresh my thoughts. It was because of the sex, wasn’t it? That was no problem. We would fuck until he couldn’t get enough of me. I exited the shower, dried my body, and put on light makeup. Staring into my closet, I wondered if I was about to do the right thing. We wouldn’t have had this issue if he loved me like he claimed.
Was it because I shouted at him?
Ian was a high-paid model who traveled often and was around weird people. After his last trip, he came home wanting to explore unusual fantasies with me. I refused, and we spent the night on opposite sides of the bed. We made up before he left. I mean, he kissed me, and I let him go down on me. I pushed those thoughts out of my mind and pulled out a red thong to match the color of my outfit. I didn’t require a bra for the dress.
Dressed, I sprayed perfume on my pulse points and slipped my feet into four-inches stiletto heels. After one look at the mirror and my bright red lipstick, I skipped out of my house. I flagged a taxi down and, on my way there, I dialed Ian’s number a few times.
He never answered.
How could he break up with me a few days before his thirtieth birthday?
God, I couldn’t lose him. This was my fault. I shouldn’t have complained when he tried introducing a butt plug to our poor sexual life. While we waited for our wedding night, we explored other areas. But his sexual appetite had only grown bigger by the day.
The cab slowed down in front of a tall apartment. Ian’s flat was on the fourth floor. I paid the driver and hurried out, ignoring the greetings from the security. Somehow, I got to his floor in one piece. But my hand shook as I reached for his door. I knocked three times, but there was no response.
Thank God I brought my keys. I tried the lock, and it gave way easily. I stepped into the dark room and flipped on the lights. The place smelled like Ian and something else. It was neater than I would expect from Ian. I checked the rooms, opening and closing doors to be sure he was not hiding somewhere. On getting to his bedroom door, I delayed to open it. Finally, I did. Also empty. Going further inside, I sat on the bed. Did he really mean it when he said we were over?
I dialed his number for the fifth time tonight, and this time, it wasn’t reachable. So, what? Was he going to break up with me without even collecting his keys? I stood up, intending to return later when something on the floor caught my eye. It looked like a diamond stuck in the rug. Squatting, I pulled out the earring under the bed—a diamond earring.
Holding it up, the lights caught the diamond in the earring, and my heart skipped. I didn’t own a diamond earring. I charged for his closet, not knowing what I was looking for. Ian’s clothes were on one side. On another side was a dress on the hanger. I removed it.
It wasn’t mine.
My mind filled with distinct possibilities that I didn’t want to consider. He was breaking up with me for another woman? I called him again, leaving him so many messages and curses. Not knowing what else to do, I checked his Instägram. He loved posting on his Instägram story. Ian was the type of man you could get an update on his life from his social media posts. I was the opposite, but I never complained. Life was about balance.
I gulped when I noticed his onlinē status. If he was onlinē, why didn’t he answer his calls?
The next thing I checked was his story. His story started with pictures of only him, and then it rolled on to show photos of him with a group of friends. I recognized none of them, but they looked like they were on a ship. Okay. That wasn’t totally abnormal. Ian loved parties. He used to say they were a fun and easy way to grow his connections.
Becca and Fumi would agree. Parties were rich people’s excuse to get out of their boring routines. They always dragged me along to as many as they could. Thank God for Mr. Parker and my promotion to his assistant, I would have been partying all weekend. Now, I had good reasons to avoid them.
The next picture shocked me. My phone nearly rolled to the ground, but my quick reflexes saved me. I dropped the phone on the dresser to avoid it falling and tapped on the video.
It was a video of Ian and another girl. She was grinding her ass all over his crotch. It was evident from the tent in his pants that he loved the experience. That should have made me stop checking the string of pictures, but I continued swiping, maybe because I was still in denial. He would never cheat on me.
Ian could be annoying, but he was faithful.
The next video showed that everything I believed was a lie. There was my boyfriend kissing another girl while ‘his friends’ cheered him on. How could he? I stared at myself in the mirror. Tears rained down my cheeks, smearing my mascara, and I hurriedly wiped it off. I could not cry because of a cheater. I was better off without him. But the ache in my chest didn’t subside as I told myself this. I loved this man.
Without thinking, I got a pair of scissors and ripped the dress I pulled out of his closet, leaving the pieces on the bed so they would know I was here. The next thing I found was a bat. There was nothing of importance to break, so I raided his wristwatch safe and emptied all of them to the ground. The ones that could be smashed, I smashed. My anger was poured into every hit. I didn’t know when I moved on to the mirror, smashing it into a million pieces. It helped a little. Taking a deep breath, I found my way to the bathroom to clean up. I opened his drawer and scoffed.
My makeup bag was gone. I always kept a bag for when I slept over so I could leave to work from here without worrying about my looks. I opened the last drawer and saw a pink makeup bag. Was she living here? For how long? He told me I couldn’t come over because he was sick, and I might get what he had.
Liar.
I yanked her bag out of the drawer, and a bitter smile twisted my lips. She was using Mac products. Those had to be expensive. Her foundation was a different shade from mine, but I could make do with the other things. I used her wipes and makeup to fix my face. When I was done, I used her purple lipstick to write on the mirror.
You are dating a psycho. Have fun with the loser while you still can.
As I stared at those words on the mirror, I almost cried again, but I put on my big girl panties and raced out of his place. Downstairs, the chilly air bit into my skin. I should have come with a jacket. I raised my hand to flag down a cab, but they all rushed past me.
Minutes later, I was still standing in front of his apartment. A cab slowed a few feet away from me, and I rushed to it. I tried to open the backdoor at the same time another person touched the knob. Our hands met, and I jerked back.
“Sorry, miss. This one is for me,” he said. His voice was smooth to the ears. So was Ian’s. These men all sounded the same. I scoffed, and he chuckled. What could be funny? He opened the door for me. “We could share if you’re going my way.”
“I’m not going your way,” I spat out.
This time, I looked at him and wished I didn’t. His lips lifted in an arrogant smirk as I craned my neck to get a look at his face shielded by his baseball cap. Wisps of blonde hair peeked out from a cap that hid his eyes from my view.
The driver honked, and I jumped back. The guy laughed again. Could he possibly tell me what was so funny? Did I look like a clown to him? If anyone looked like a clown, it was him. Who wore a baseball hat over an expensive-looking suit? And was he wearing sneakers? Ugh. No sense of style or taste. He was a walking fashion disaster. Becca would rate him two, and that was because he looked like he could be handsome.
“It’s alright. You can take this one, and I’ll get the next one. I have all night,” he said. I clicked my tongue to let him know his gesture wasn’t appreciated. Men were scum led by their dicks. But he wasn’t listening to me. I slid into the backseat because I was not about to spend another hour out here in this cold. He moved toward the passenger side, and his head poked through the window. “Take her wherever she wants. On me.”
I didn’t process the stranger’s words until the car had gone a few yards. At the traffic light, I asked the driver, “Did he… did he pay for me?”
“Yeah, he also left me a tip.”
Oh, shit.
“Very well then, take me to the best club you know.”
Lights swirled in the club, hitting my face as I tried to find my way to the bar. The only good thing Ian did was break up with me on a Friday night. I could party my sorrows away. Too bad my best friends were busy with their men to join me in this adventure. I hadn’t told them. I couldn’t tell them. Not now, not yet, not when they were thinking Ian would propose to me on his birthday. Why would he ask my best friend for my ring size if he had no plans for us? That was plain cruelty. Wickedness at its peak. Good thing I broke his key in the keyhole before leaving. He could start his new life with her by changing his locks.Again, I pushed thoughts of him out of my mind and strolled to the bar. The bartender flashed me a smile, and I leaned over, so my boobs were more visible to him. Becca would scream if she saw me right now. Fumi would probably faint. But I was in slut mode. I wanted to bring out the bad girl in me. The bad girl Ian and responsibilities tamed. My nipples strained a
The ride to his place was a blur. I didn’t recall our conversation before settling for our current destination. The car stopped, and he picked me up. My legs circled his waist, and my teeth sank into his neck, wanting more of his taste. He tasted like rich whiskey. People’s voices rang out and faded around us. If I had paid any attention, I might have noticed the unusual setting of his house. We entered the elevator, and he still wouldn’t let me down, not that I wanted him to. Once the elevator slid open and we were alone in the hallway, he became feral. He dropped me to the floor, grabbed my wrists above my head, and pinned me to the wall. I couldn’t protest when he shoved a hand into my panties and cupped my pussy. Until now, I didn’t know what I was missing. My back arched as a finger slipped into my folds. I was so slippery wet that the sound of his finger pushing in and out echoed through the walls. His lips covered mine to steal my moans and cries. When he pulled back, it
A headache woke me up, followed by the sound of running water. I pressed a pillow to my face, begging the sound to stop.Who was in my bathroom?Becca and Fumi, as crazy as they were, knew better than to walk into my room when I was asleep. My hand reached for the phone that should be on the nightstand but connected with something else.I pulled the pillow down. There was a glass of water and some pills on the stool. A stool? I didn’t have a stool by my bed. I sat up.Where the hell was I?The ache between my legs brought back some memories. I hid my face in my palms and groaned. I slept with a stranger.A stranger fucked me, and I loved it. I… I wanted more. I craved him like a drug.God. I banged the side of my head as the other memories trickled in. That bastard, Ian. Waylen made so good on his promise, though. I was done with Ian. The objects in my vision danced. But I managed to get the
WAYLENI fucked up.The first mistake was tailing Beth to the club. The second was fucking her. But the worst of all was breaking all the goddamn rules.I fucked a human in Indiana.What was I thinking? I pushed that image of her out of my mind, putting the anger of that scenario into the current situation. If I had been home, I might have been able to prevent this from happening. But it was too late.“Where were you?” I yelled at the man standing a few feet away from me.The windows and door shook from the force of my voice. Len, my wolf, was close to the surface and wasn’t as logical or forgiving as I was. I gripped the top of the chair so hard my claws sank into it.Silence followed my question, and I cocked my head slightly, giving Jaxon, the bastard assigned to watch my father, a chance to explain before I separated his head from his neck.Fear reeked off him like a foul
It was a little past 4 pm when I woke up. There were already tons of messages from my mom to confirm that I would be in attendance, as if I had a choice. Putting on my best dress, I stood in front of the mirror and frowned. There was a mark on my neck. Granted, I had hickeys from where that bastard bit me. But this one looked different. It looked like a half-moon.What the hell?I retrieved a piece of wipe from the pack and rubbed hard at the spot, expecting the mark to go away. But it stayed. The skin around that area grew redder from scratching it. I chose to ignore it for today and move on with my life. After applying makeup and curling my hair, I was ready to go. My dress was nothing like that of yesterday. Maybe that was what drew Waylen to me. Was that his real name? Or something he used to attract girls to him?What kind of name was that, anyway? That was my first red flag, but I ignored it. My fault.My first stop was the store t
WAYLENBeth’s face paled as soon as she heard the click behind her. The click that signified I had locked the door, and she was alone with me. The one thing she had tried to avoid.Her heart drummed faster against her ribcage. As much as she tried to hide her fear behind that tough exterior, I could still smell it. It was almost as addictive as the smell of her arousal, and it drew me in. Len growled inside me. We wanted out, to be buried in her pussy, with our teeth deep in her neck. That was the only time he ever calmed down. The first time, actually. She had so much power over us, and she didn’t know it. I intended to keep it that way.Caging her between the sink and my stiff body, I placed my hands on each side of her hips. This position revealed the height difference and showed how easy it would be to bend her over the sink. Len liked that idea. This was his fucking fault. I was supposed to stay far away from her, but he was obsessed with her. Sta
“Let me get this straight,” Becca yelled. I flinched, my fingers sinking into my ears to save my poor eardrums. She towered over me like a mother about to discipline her child. It wasn’t so often she was this serious, and I didn’t need this side of her today. “You broke up with Ian, and now you have a new boyfriend?” Fumi sat across from me on the couch in my living room. She crossed her legs, her brows hidden under her bangs. “I mean, yeah.” Maybe I shouldn’t have lied about having a new boyfriend, but what did they expect me to say when they appeared stunned at the news? “We fell out of love, and he moved on. I decided to do the same, girls.” Becca slowly lowered herself to the couch I was seated. Her face was as white as a sheet. She couldn’t believe it. I also couldn’t. God forbid I let someone like Waylen be my boyfriend. But the lie had slipped from my lips before I could think twice about it. “I don’t understand,” she murmured
On Monday morning, I arrived at the company with Mom’s voice lingering in my head. Lynn wasn’t bullshitting me. She told Mom, and now my ever-nosy, curious, overly caring mother wants to meet my new boyfriend. I would have cussed Lynn out if she weren’t my baby sister.Joe met me at the door. He wasn’t his usual cheerful self, and Lord knew I needed someone to rant to about Waylen. If the girls knew for real that I was still single, they would try to hook me up with someone. Mom was the worst. She only met Ian a few times but had high hopes. At my age, she was already married. I didn’t want to hear that story again. It was why I never let Ian around her often. That way, she couldn’t whisper marriage into his ears.“What’s up?” I asked, nudging Joe. He knew I had broken up with Ian. That was the story I was rolling with. The idiot called my ex didn’t have the decency to block me from viewing his Instägram