Turning and stepping inside my building, I go straight to my door. When I reach it, my heart drops and the coffee that’s in my hand drops to the floor. Luckily, it’s now cold.
“Gunner.”
He’s leaning against my door, which is just inside the complex, his head’s down as he stares at his cell, and when he sees me, he pushes off and slides his phone into his pocket with ease. It has a negative effect on me that he isn’t affected to see me like I am him.
“What—”
“Your date finished?” he asks in a hard, almost ominous voice. Obviously, he was watching me through the complex doors.
I’ve come to learn this is his angry voice because he talks through gritted teeth. I look over my shoulder and back at him. Gunner would have seen everything—the cheek kiss and me watching Buck walk away and taking in his ass.
“It’s—” I stop talking because he doesn’t need to know it wasn’t a date. He has no rights where I am concerned. After all, he sent me the divorce papers. We are done, so I say, “Why are you here?”
Rolled up in his back pocket he hands me the forms, I take them looking down.
“You didn’t sign the papers in all the places marked.” He goes to walk away again, and just as he gets to the complex door, I stop him with a few simple words, “Have you been with anyone else?” I completely ignore the fact that he’s told me I haven’t signed the papers properly and instead squeeze my eyes shut, knowing the answer that’s coming is not one I want to hear. Not wishing to feel the hurt that I know will pierce my heart the very minute the words leave his mouth. My heart can’t take it, but my stupid head, for some reason, wants to know.
When I get no answer, I open my eyes to find him standing in front of me, closer than he was a few seconds ago. He stares into my blue eyes and I wonder what he sees. When I don’t get an answer, I speak his name. “Gunner?”
His eyes drop to my lips then back up, something flips, and I see the change the minute it happens. “Why don’t you go ride a cowboy, Everly? I’m sure he’s sweet.” He says the word with so much disdain it almost hurts to hear. It’s as though being with someone sweet is wrong. That being nice to someone is wrong. I guess for him, it may just be. Gunner loves to fuck with me, and I suspect he’s doing exactly that right now.
“Maybe I will.” I stand taller, the smirk on my face telling him everything he needs to know.
His eyes flick to my lips quickly again and then he turns, walking out the door, but his hands are clenched in fists as he leaves.
I chase after him when I get my heartbeat back and see him getting into his car.
“Have you?” I reiterate, wanting an answer for my earlier question.
He turns. There’s a shocked expression on his face that I’ve even bothered to follow him out. Then he smiles at me, not saying a word, leaving me standing there watching another man leave for the evening.
This one, though?
This one fucks with my head constantly.
12
Everly
I haven’t signed them properly. I look at the forms and realize I haven’t signed in all the right places. He’s right. Of course he’s right.
It plays on my mind for days—that smile as he drove away. How he acted, as if it didn’t matter. To him. It does. It matters to me. I want to know if it’s easy for him to move on.
Buck has also messaged me. He texted me twice and then left it up to me to message back. It’s been a week since I saw Buck and a week since I saw him.
The ring that I walked out with when I was meant to give it back taunts me as well. Gunner should have it back. It’s his mother’s ring after all.
Picking up my cell phone I message Buck back. His last message asked me if I was having a good day. I didn’t reply. The one before that asked if I wanted to meet up and have lunch. I didn’t reply to that either.
* * *
Lunch sounds great!
* * *
Grabbing my bag, I head straight to the only place I know where to find Gunner. The receptionist smiles when she sees me and guides me to his office. She knocks and opens the door. When she does, I find a woman with red hair sitting on his desk, right next to him laughing. He isn’t laughing, but you can tell that whatever they were talking about he was paying attention and is interested.
When he looks up, his eyes quickly fall to the receptionist.