Page 52 of Play With Me
He moves to the minibar in the corner and pours himself a drink. “I realize I overreacted last weekend,” he says with his back to me.
Letting out a very unladylike snort, I reply, “You think?”
His shoulders tense, body stiff as he moves to sit. “I’ve been thinking a lot this week, actually.” He sips his bourbon, eyes incalculable as he struggles with what to say next. “I ended things with Kate last night.”
A bomb explodes beneath my rib cage, the shrapnel cutting my insides to pieces. I can’t breathe. Can’t speak. I can’t even move.
Mick’s jadeite orbs lift from the desk to mine, the barest hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth. “I’m sorry it took so long, tiny dancer.”
The admission breaks the dam holding back the tears that line my eyes. It’s everything I’ve wanted to hear for years. Everything I’ve dreamed of so many sleepless nights.
Yet, my mind immediately thinks of Anders, my rough and unrefined detective, who is currently on his way to fetch me a bagel sandwich from my favorite shop ten blocks away—just because I mentioned I was craving one.
Mick sets his drink on the smooth surface of the imported Italian walnut. He reaches over to wipe a stray tear off my face and the contact of his skin on mine causes me to pull back suddenly. “Say something, Mellie.”
“No…” I hear myself whisper.
His brows furrow, lips turning down as he leans back in his chair. “No?”
“Mick, it’s…it’s too late.” Angrily, I wipe the tears as they fall, biting the inside of my cheek to stop them. “Why would you do this? Why now?”
“Because it’s been long overdue–”
“No! No, you don’t get todothat! You just threw a party to celebrate your anniversary! You’ve shown no intention of leaving her, Mick. I know you. You would have at least talked to me about it. So whynow?”
“Mellie…”
“Are you reallythatthreatened by him?” My voice rises angrily. “I finally choose to be happy, and you can’t stand that it’s with another man, can you?”
“I think we both know that isn’t going to last, Carmela,” he states flatly. “But if you need to hear me say it, then yes, I hated walking into the house I bought to see you wrapped around another man.”
“You didn’t care this much when it was Luca.”
“You don’t look at Luca like you look at Brooks!” he cries, voice cracking on Anders’ surname. “You used to look at me that way, Mellie. That’s how I knew I was losing you. And I can’t. Lose. You.”
“Why? What does it matter anymore?” I shrug. “You haven’t had me in a long time. Not really. Sure, we sleep together occasionally, but you haven’t truly had me for years, Mick. Why can’t you let me be happy?”
“Do you think you’ll be happy when Brooks has to go back to California? Have you two spoken about that? Because if you think you’re moving to the other side of the country with my daughter, you’re mistaken.” All the loving emotion drains from his face, replaced quickly by rage.
It’s a reminder that he doesn’t really love me. He just wants to control me.
Before I can answer, my phone rings. Glancing down, I see Lenni’s face on my screen. I hit the bigred reject button. She’s probably just letting me know she got Maya.
“Do I need to remind you again that your name isn’t on her birth certificate?”
“All it takes is a simple DNA test, Mellie. Whether I gave up my rights or not, I’ll fight you for custody,” he sneers.
“I hate you!” I snarl. “You cannot control me, Mick!”
The phone goes off. It’s Lenni again.
That’s unusual.
Picking it up, I take the call. “Hey, everything okay?”
“No. It’s not.” Lenni’s frantic, igniting every nerve in my body with panic. My eyes snap to Mick’s questioning ones. “The school said Maya has already been picked up. Someone said they saw her talking to a guy, and she got into a blacked-out sedan with him.”
Bolting upright, I grab my jacket from the back of my chair and yank it on. “What do you mean she got into a car with a man? Did they pull up the security footage?”