His outraged tone underscored what a dickhead I’d been.
“I don’t know, man. I love Viv. But I wondered if I was being selfish for thinking of me instead of Brooklyn.”
“Kane . . . you can be a great dad to her without being involved with her mom. People do it all the time.”
“I get that. I do. I was just eaten up with guilt over all of it. And Cori holds the fucking cards, man. I see Brook when she says I can. I can’t give that up. Cori didn’t want her meeting Viv.”
“Didn’t? So they met?”
My shoulders slumped forward in defeat. “Yeah. I brought Viv over there with me on Christmas to drop off Brook’s present. I wanted Cori to know I’m with Viv and that’s not changing.”
“And it didn’t go well.”
“Viv felt blindsided. Understandably.”
Jeff gave me an incredulous look. “You didn’t tell her about Cori coming on to you? And you just took her to Cori’s house?”
I scowled at him. “Yeah, asshole, that’s what I did. I didn’t want Viv worrying. But Cori was cold to her and she made me tell her everything on the way home.”
“Man, that really sucks.”
“Yeah, you think? I can’t think about anything else. Can’t sleep. All I do is call and text and wait and wonder when she’ll fucking talk to me.”
“Maybe she just needs some time.”
“It’s been two fucking weeks,” I said, my tone more like a growl. “Fuck this. I can’t take it. I’m in love with her. It’s like I’d never filled my lungs completely with air before her, and now I know how it feels to breathe deep. I don’t want to stop.”
Jeff was somber. “I’m sorry.”
“I know I was wrong. I know I fucked up. It was never that I wanted Cori. Never. I just wondered if I should be putting my daughter first. Giving her a chance at something she never had. But I can’t. It’s not . . . not even an option. Viv is my heart and soul.”
“Then don’t let her slip away.”
I got up, his words driving me into action. I had to see her. Maybe if she saw how fucking wrecked I was without her, she’d give me another chance.
I was desperate. I had to fill my lungs with her again. Whatever it took.
Viv
CARA’S SMILE WAS EVEN BRIGHTER than the giant engagement ring on her finger. I’d never seen her like this.
I still hadn’t fully recovered from the shock of her news. Marcus Anderson had proposed to her on New Year’s Eve, at Six. He was the mystery man she’d been seeing since the night I first brought her to the club. Funny how they worked at the same law firm but didn’t feel an attraction until that night. From what Cara had told me, a shared love of kinky sex was part of the draw.
It was nice to see my best friend so happy. I was already over the bridal magazines, but I hadn’t told her that yet. I wasn’t sure if I was legit over it or just bitter because I missed Kane so much.
The past two weeks had been so hard. Everywhere I turned I saw reminders of him. I still wore my ‘k’ necklace tucked beneath my shirt every day. Still reached to the other side of my bed in the morning expecting him to be there. Still read and re-read the texts he’d sent me.
But I didn’t respond. Sometimes I wrote out a reply but deleted it instead of sending it. Now I was the one all messed up inside. I loved him, but had a nagging sense that I should step aside and let him focus on Brooklyn.
Cara was sitting in my office talking about honeymoon destination ideas when Marcus opened the door to my office, knocking at the same time. His eyes warmed when he saw his fiancée.
“Dinner with Henley Cartwright at seven, Viv,” he said to me. “Don’t forget.”
I groaned and took out my planner. “I guess I forgot to write it down. Probably because I hate him. Are you sure I have to be there?”
“He specifically requested you be there. He actually said I don’t need to be.”
I rolled my eyes. “I refuse to go without you. I also refuse to listen to his lame attempts to get me in bed.”