“Are you kidding me? It’s better at our age. We might even find a girl to share like the old days.” He took a drink and lowered his glass.
“Except now it’ll be divorcees and single moms instead of college girls.” I tilted my head and shrugged.
“I like them all, but I still get my fair share of college pussy.” Gabe nodded and smacked his lips together. “Some of them even like to call me Daddy.”
“Great, we’ll be the old guys hitting on college girls—I seem to remember us laughing at those guys when we were watching them strike out.” I smirked and took another drink of my Scotch.
Present day
I only planned to stay with Gabe for a few days, but those days turned into weeks, and before I knew it, I had been living with him for a year. My divorce was hard and although she was the one that cheated on me, the judge still gave her half of everything—along with more alimony than I thought she deserved. I would have gladly paid child support if we had kids, but paying for her to maintain the lifestyle that destroyed our marriage made me stick to my stomach. The love I had for her died a slow and painful death each time I wrote another check. I was actually happy when I heard that she was engaged to someone new, because it meant she wouldn’t be my problem anymore once she walked down the aisle.
Good riddance, you fucking bitch.
I quickly learned that Gabe wasn’t lying about the amount of pussy he got. It was rare for him to come home alone, and he invited me to join in if the girl was into it. I was surprised that so many of his random hookups were willing to turn a one night stand into a threesome. I didn’t get the kind of release from it that passionate love could bring, but it was better than jacking off in my room when I needed a release. I missed the life I had, even if I didn’t miss the woman who used to share my bed. I liked being married and I loved coming home to the same woman every night. In the absence of that, I let Gabe keep me entertained because it was easy. I didn’t have to form an emotional attachment and that was exactly what I needed.
I’ll never let love ruin me again. That was a mistake I’ll never repeat.
I wasn’t looking for anything more than a drink the night I ran into Kacey at the bar. Gabe was out of town on business and I didn’t feel like drinking alone. It had been five years, but I still recognized her when she walked up and ordered a drink. I debated ignoring her completely. I used to call her father my friend, but I hadn’t seen him since he got divorced from Kacey’s mother. I never imagined I would be in the same situation several years later. When Kacey’s credit card got declined, I decided to at least buy her a drink. She was too young to be there in the first place, but I remembered how I was at her age. If she wanted to drink, she was going to find a way, regardless of what kind of barriers got put up in front of her.
She’s definitely not the teenage girl I remember. I might not have given her more than a casual glance back then, but it’s hard to look away now.
It was strange to hear Kacey talk about the boy she almost married. It was like hearing a version of my own story that got stopped before it could really begin. I wished I was lucky enough to have known how awful the woman I married was before I said my vows. Kacey seemed to feel the opposite. She was absolutely heartbroken to have her engagement end before she made it down the aisle. I felt bad for her, but as I listened to her story, I started to feel something else. It was a dangerous feeling that I shouldn’t have had for a girl as young as her, but it crept on as the conversation continued. It was a mixture of desire and a need to wrap my arms around her just to tell her everything would be all right. I fought against both of the feelings, even when I was sure she was trying to flirt with me.
In a different lifetime, I would have never walked away from a woman as beautiful as Kacey, and the devil on my shoulder certainly wasn’t helping. I was almost glad that she declined my offer to drive her home. I wasn’t sure I could trust myself if I was alone with her. Calling it a night and going home alone was the best option, even if everything inside me wanted to feel her beautiful curves against my fingertips. I continued to remind myself that she was too young for me when we said our goodbyes, and when I left the bar, I let out a pent up sigh of relief. I put my dirty thoughts in the back of my mind as I headed back to Gabe’s house. Kacey was gorgeous, but I felt like I would have been taking advantage of her if I let myself get lost in her hazel eyes. They were more intoxicating than the whiskey.
She’ll definitely be in my dreams. I can’t stop that, even if I did walk away.
It figured that Gabe was out of town on the one night my dick really needed some relief. Things had gotten busy for him at work, and it had been a couple of weeks since he brought someone home. Sharing a girl with him was easy. I was able to avoid the emotional attachment while getting my rocks off. It might not have been what I truly craved, but it provided relief. Once I got back to his place and poured another drink, my thoughts returned to Kacey. I couldn’t imagine many men making the choice I made. I knew she had a crush on me when she was younger. I thought it was cute back then. She wasn’t a child anymore though, and the woman she became tempted me more than anyone had in a long time. There was a part of me that didn’t even care that she was young enough to be my daughter. Luckily, that part of me stayed caged long enough for me to walk away.
Chapter Four
Kacey
I woke up without a hangover for the first time in a while. I instantly remembered that the reason I wasn’t feeling the urge to hurl was because my credit card was declined. I showered, brushed my teeth, ate breakfast, and once the customer service department for my card was open, I gave them a call. The news wasn’t what I expected. My card wasn’t declined because I had missed a payment or hit my limit. It was declined because my mother canceled it. I hung up on the phone in frustration and resisted the urge to call her. She might have co-signed with me when I got the card because I didn’t have any credit, but it was supposed to be my card and my responsibility.
So much for building my credit. I guess this is her version of tough love.
I still had most of the money from selling the engagement ring in my bank account, so I wasn’t hurting for money. I just wanted to save as much as I could so that I would have enough to get my own place. I didn’t normally worry about money when I lived at home with my mom. My job waiting tables didn’t give me enough money to afford an apartment on my own, but when I didn’t have any expenses, it provided enough to fuel my nightly endeavors. Abby hadn’t asked for anything when I moved in, but I had restocked the fridge because I wanted to contribute. It was the least I could do since she opened her home to me when I had nowhere else to go.
“You’re here—good!” The front door opened and Abby came walking into the kitchen with a smile on her face.
“Good morning to you too.” I looked up and smiled. “Another magical evening with Richard?”
“The best!” Her eyes lit up and she casually moved her left hand into my vision.
“Is that—oh my god! Congratulations!” I jumped up from my chair and hugged her when I saw the gorgeous diamond solitaire adorning her finger.
I had become rather good at expressing excitement over things that were going great for my friends, even if it stung to see them on their way to the next chapter of their lives while mine was stuck in pause. I was at the age where all of them were hitting the important milestones of th
eir youth. My engagement came early in life, and it was shattered before it really began. The shards of the broken tiara I thought I would wear into eternal bliss wedged themselves deep into my soul. I wasn’t angry at Abby for finding a guy that appeared to be amazing, but it was hard to feel true happiness for anyone when mine was torn away from my grasp.
“So, we’re going to have to talk about the living situation.” Abby poured a cup of coffee and took a seat at the table. “Richard wants to move in together immediately so we can save money. His lease will be up in a couple of weeks, so he’s going to move in with me.”
And that is the polite way to tell someone they’re no longer welcome.
“I understand, absolutely.” I put another fake smile on my face. “I asked you to let me stay here for a couple of days and you’ve been more than generous. I’ll start looking for my own place immediately.”
I should have started the day I moved in.