The Lone Wolf Read online

  “I don’t know… Did she expect you to do anything?”

  No, but it was awkward. She’d changed the entire dynamic of the relationship when she dropped that bomb. We were just two people together because we had to be. We’d become friends and lovers in the process…but love was never supposed to be in the mix.

  Kent leaned against the counter as he examined my face. “Maverick?”

  “What?”

  “You didn’t answer my question.”

  “No. Because it’s a stupid question.”

  He leaned back then turned his face toward the mirror against the bar. He drank from his glass and let the hostility subside between us.

  The silence made me feel worse. The alcohol made me feel worse. Everything made me feel worse.

  After a long period of tension, Kent spoke again. “I can tell this is bothering you. You’ve never been much of a talker, but I can read you pretty well. Whatever happened with Arwen is killing you inside. We both know it. I suggest you make it right.”

  I pushed my empty glass to the edge of the counter and got the bartender to refill my drink. I pulled it back toward me and took a sip. A haze was constantly over my eyes, like I’d just woken up and couldn’t fully gain consciousness. I’d been exhausted since the day she left, even though I hadn’t done anything. “After she told me how she felt, I was an ass to her. I ignored her.”

  Kent stared into his glass.

  “Then…I picked up a couple of girls and slept with them.”

  He slowly turned his head back to me. “That’s pretty cold, man…”

  “What was I supposed to do? I’m not interested in that kind of relationship. That’s obvious.”

  “Maybe it wasn’t obvious to her.”

  I kept my eyes on my glass.

  “So, she left when she caught you?”

  “She didn’t catch me. I wasn’t exactly hiding it…”

  “Wow.” He shook his head. “You tell someone you’re in love with them, and then they bring someone home right in front of you. I’m not a touchy-feely kind of guy, but that would suck.”

  My fingers gripped the glass tighter.

  “Then she just left?”

  “Gave me divorce papers the next morning. She packed up her stuff and left.”

  “And that’s it?” he asked. “You guys are officially over?”

  “No…I haven’t signed the papers yet.”

  “Hmm…” He took a drink then set the glass on the counter. “Why not?”

  I shrugged.

  “Did she take half of everything?”

  I wished she’d been greedy. It would make it easier to let her go. “No…she didn’t take anything.”

  “What?” he asked incredulously. “She’s entitled to half your estate, but she didn’t ask for anything?”

  “Except her car and a few thousand euros.”

  Kent continued to stare at me in disbelief, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “Shit…she really does love you.”

  The only thing she wanted was me. When she couldn’t have that, she left. She didn’t want to be part of my life anymore. She wanted to move on like our marriage had never happened. I pushed away my glass because I wouldn’t be able to drive home if I had any more.

  “And you don’t love her?”

  I stared at my own expression in the mirror, my eyes almost the same color as my scotch.

  “You can see it in two different ways,” Kent said. “If she doesn’t mean anything to you, you got yourself out of a bogus marriage and you have your life back. But if she does mean something to you…you fucked that up pretty badly.”

  When she threw the divorce papers at me, I hadn’t been expecting such a venomous reaction. I knew she would be angry, but I didn’t expect her to pack up her shit and leave. She wasn’t doing it for a production. She actually wanted to get away from me because being my wife was unbearable to her.

  I’d never anticipated the consequences of my actions.

  I’d tried to stop her, but she wouldn’t change her mind.

  My father was still out there, but if he hadn’t done anything by now, maybe he never would.

  That meant Arwen really didn’t need me for anything.

  That should make me feel relieved…but relief was the last thing I felt.

  “Yeah… I did fuck up.”

  It was almost ten when I arrived at her doorstep. The lights were off, so she was probably in bed already. I raised my fist and tapped my knuckles against the wooden door. I could break through her lock if I wanted to, but pissing her off right away wasn’t the best idea.

  Especially since she was already pissed off.

  Heavy footsteps sounded, and then the door opened.

  A half-naked man looked at me, wearing nothing but his black boxers. He was built like a brick house with a hard jaw that no doubt attracted the ladies. With green eyes and a well-structured face, he was a handsome guy. He looked at me with hostility, like he didn’t appreciate my visit at this late hour. “Can I help you?”

  I was blindsided by his appearance, by his square pecs and tight stomach. With tanned skin like mine, his looks rivaled my own. I’d been replaced so easily, with a man just as good-looking. He may not be rich, but he fulfilled her needs just as well.

  He tilted his head slightly and kept looking at me. “I said, can I help you?”

  My eyes flicked past his shoulder, and I saw Arwen in the kitchen, wearing his t-shirt with her hair pulled over her shoulder. Her blue eyes were locked on mine, her face indifferent to the events that had just unfolded. She had no idea I would stop by at this time of night, but she didn’t seem to care that she’d been caught with a lover.

  My eyes turned back to his. “I want to speak to Arwen.”

  The guy kept one hand on the door and turned to Arwen. “You want to talk to this guy?”

  “No.” She brought the glass of water to her lips and took a drink.

  He turned back to me. “You heard her. Goodbye.”

  My heart raced as I looked at the scene before me. I’d assumed Arwen was sleeping alone every night, thinking about me. But she was already sleeping around and adding notches to her bedpost. She’d already moved on. “Arwen…”

  The guy pressed a hand to my chest. “She said no—”

  I grabbed his wrist and twisted it down within an instant. “Touch me again, and see what happens.”

  She slammed her water glass down then came to the door. “Brandon, give me a second.” She grabbed his arm and pulled him away, keeping us separated from each other. Blanketed by his t-shirt, she opened the front door then came face-to-face with me. “Did you bring the papers?”

  I came empty-handed—and she knew it.

  Her eyes focused on mine, growing more hostile as the seconds trickled by.

  I’d come here because I’d had too much to drink. It was an impulsive decision. Now I wished I’d just gone home so I wouldn’t have to see that gray t-shirt drown her petite frame. I wouldn’t have to smell his cologne on her skin. I wouldn’t have to wonder how long she’d been sleeping with him.

  “Maverick.” She raised her voice. “Unless you have the papers, you have no business being here. Leave.”

  I should walk away, but I didn’t. Rage pounded in my veins, along with an overwhelming sense of jealousy. “Arwen, I’m sorry.” I forced the words out even though it was difficult to say them. Knowing she was already sleeping around gave me a sense of urgency I never would have predicted. I never apologized for my actions, even if I was in the wrong. In my eyes, every decision I made was justifiable. But when I saw my life fall apart right before my eyes, I had to do something.

  “You’re sorry?” She cocked her head as well as her eyebrow. Her arms crossed over her chest, and her mood turned even fouler. “What exactly are you sorry about? For being such a coward? For fucking someone else? For fucking two women? For not facing me like a man and having a big-boy conversation?” She stepped closer to me, as if she wanted to slap me li
ke she did before. “I don’t want your apology, Maverick. I just want you to disappear.” She grabbed the door and started to shut it in my face.

  I grabbed the wood and pushed it back. “I know I didn’t handle that situation very well. You dropped a bomb on me—”

  “Stop making excuses. You knew I loved you. It was so fucking obvious, Maverick. Don’t pretend like you had no idea. All of this happened because you have no idea how to accept someone’s love.” She poked her finger into my chest. “You turned into a coward. I told you I loved you, and you hurt me in the worst way possible. You used to be the man I trusted more than anyone else. Now I realize you’re just weak.”

  I was taking punches to the stomach, one fist after another. “I didn’t handle it very well…”

  “No, you didn’t. Now we’re done.”

  “I said I was sorry.”

  “So?” she snapped. “You cheated on me, Maverick. You don’t just apologize and make it better.”

  “I didn’t cheat on you—”

  She held up her left hand where her wedding ring still sat on her finger. “We were married, Maverick. It was you and me. We had something special. You’re telling me that you regularly bed women without a condom? You take the same girl to bed every night? You risk your life to save someone? No. We were married, Maverick. We were actually husband and wife. Instead of having a fight and sleeping in separate beds for a couple of nights, you took it too far. You did something you can never take back. I forgive you because you did so much for me. But I don’t want you back.”

  My entire body stilled when I heard her decision. She was so repulsed by me that she didn’t want me, not even my money or my looks. I was nothing to her, just another man who didn’t deserve her love.

  She pulled the ring off her finger and threw it at my chest.

  It bounced off my frame and landed on the ground between my shoes.

  “Goodbye, Maverick.” She walked inside then slammed the door in my face.

  I looked at the diamond ring on the ground. It was the first time I’d ever seen it without her finger slipped through the band. She slept with it on, showered with it on. She had never taken it off since the day I gave it to her.

  But now it was lying on the floor…like a piece of trash.

  5

  Arwen

  Brandon buttoned his jeans then pulled his t-shirt over his head, covering his muscled frame with a layer of cotton. His hair was messy from rolling around in my bed all night long, and there was still a sleepy look in his eyes. He walked to the counter and picked up his mug of coffee to take a drink. “So…I didn’t realize you were married.”

  He hadn’t mentioned Maverick last night. We went back to bed and pretended it didn’t happen. But now he’d had a change of heart. “Was married.” I was wearing my wedding ring when Brandon approached me after the show. He was with a few associates who complimented me backstage. After flirting back and forth, he invited me out for a drink—and I said yes. He didn’t seem to care about my commitment then.

  “It doesn’t seem like you’re divorced.”

  “We got divorced the second he cheated on me.”

  He set his mug down and kept looking at me.

  I poured myself my own cup of coffee. “I’d rather not talk about it, if that’s okay.”

  He was tall and handsome, reminding me of Maverick in a couple of ways. He filled out a suit well and had a nice package. He was a good kisser and a better lover. I didn’t compare him to Maverick once because I’d blocked him out of my head for good. Brandon had the prettiest green eyes and light brown hair. He was so pretty that it seemed like he would be married or have someone waiting at home for him. “Fair enough.”

  “Well, last night was fun…” But now it was over, and I wanted him to leave. I’d gotten a new job as a waitress at a bar just a few blocks from my house. It wasn’t the ideal occupation, but it had flexible hours, which was exactly what I needed if I wanted to keep singing. I would never be able to afford anything more than this apartment, but that was okay with me. At least I had a car.

  “It was.” He ran his fingers through his short hair, looking sexy without even trying. “I’d like to do it again.”

  It was the polite exchange lovers always had the morning after. “Me too.” I stepped away and prepared to walk him to the front door.

  “But I actually want to do it again.”

  I stopped and turned around.

  He walked around the corner and came toward me. “Let’s have dinner tomorrow night.”

  “You can’t be serious,” I said with a chuckle. “My dumbass husband came to the door last night, and you want to keep seeing me?”

  “Why not? I’m not scared of him.”

  He should be.

  “And it’s ex-husband, right?”

  “Yeah…” It would take a while for me to get used to that.

  He lingered in front of the door. “So?”

  “I’m not looking for anything serious right now.”

  “I didn’t realize eating was so serious.” His arms circled my waist, and he pulled me close. “Come on, we’ll have a nice meal, share a bottle of wine…and then we’ll have hot sex. What else would you rather be doing?”

  Images of my life with Maverick came back to me. We had dinner together at the same time every night. Then we went to bed, talked a bit, or watched TV. Then he took a shower, and we ground together underneath the sheets. It was so simple and domestic…but it was beautiful. I shook the thought away and focused on the new man in my life. “As long as it doesn’t get serious, I’m in.”

  “Good.” He smiled then kissed me. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  It took me a while to get used to not wearing my ring. There were instances when I would suddenly panic because it seemed like it had fallen off my finger and hit the floor. But then I remembered I hadn’t been wearing it in the first place.

  I wondered what Maverick did with it.

  When he came to my apartment, he apologized for what he did. But that offer felt so meaningless. An apology didn’t change the past; it didn’t fix my broken heart. It didn’t change anything. It was pointless. Our relationship as we knew it died the moment he walked up the stairs with those two women. There was nothing left to talk about.

  I wanted a divorce.

  I wanted to fall in love with the right man.

  I was stupid for thinking it was Maverick.

  I performed at the opera that night, but my lungs weren’t as powerful as they used to be. A little piece of me died when Maverick hurt me, and I couldn’t regain my former strength. There was no drive to be the best I could be. The last time I sang my heart out, it chased my husband into the arms of someone else.

  I finished my performance then returned backstage to pull the pins out of my hair and wipe away my ridiculously bright lipstick. I balled up the tissue and tossed it in the bin before I ran my fingers through my curls and tried to smooth out my strands. My car was parked in the front rather than the back because there was no one looking out for me anymore.

  I was on my own.

  I was just about to rise to my feet when I felt a stare in the mirror. Two chocolate-colored eyes looked into mine, intense and apologetic at the same time. In his grasp was a single red rose.

  After Maverick had hurt me, I couldn’t look at him the same. When he used to surprise me at the opera, butterflies soared in my stomach. My smile couldn’t be contained because it became bigger with every passing second. Such joy would grip me because he was the person I looked forward to seeing the most.

  All of that was gone.

  I stared at him in the mirror and didn’t rise to my feet. “Again, I don’t see any papers…”

  He walked to my side and placed the single rose on my desk.

  When he was close to me, I could smell his cologne. The scent immediately brought me back to the memories of his sheets. They smelled just like him, with a touch of laundry detergent. I rose to my feet and ignored the
gift he’d brought. “I have a phone. You could call.”

  “You never answer my calls.”

  “Still would save you a lot of time.” I moved past him to pull my coat from the back of the chair.

  He grabbed my wrist and steadied me, possessing me while a crowd of people moved around us without understanding how intense things had just become. His hand rested on mine on top of the chair, and he slowly came closer to me. “Let’s talk in private.”

  “What is there to talk about, Maverick?” I pulled my hand from under his then picked up my coat.

  “A lot of things.”

  “You had plenty of time to talk, but you chose to fuck instead.”

  He cringed slightly, like that insult actually wounded him. His gaze fell to the floor, his usual confidence not as prevalent as it normally was. He slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket, and he lifted his gaze to look at me again.

  “Why do you keep doing this?” Just when I thought I understood Maverick, I realized I didn’t understand him at all. He was the one who ruined our relationship, yet he was the one still fighting for it. But why? “You obviously don’t want to be married to me. If you did, you would have said you loved me too, and we would have gone to bed as husband and wife. That option was available to you, but you rejected it. So why do you keep showing up on my doorstep? Why are you here now?”

  He stared at me for a long time, ignoring the people walking around in the background. “Let’s talk in private.”

  “No.” I wasn’t taking him back to my apartment like he was part of my life. He was part of my past now, and that was where he needed to stay. “We had all the time in the world to talk about things when we were together. You chose to push me away. Accept the consequences of your actions and leave me alone.”

  He kept the same expression, but his eyes narrowed when my coldness caused him pain. His hands stayed in his pockets, and he didn’t try to touch me. Cornering me in a crowded room worked out in my favor because there wasn’t anything he could do.

  “Goodnight, Maverick.” I turned to walk away.