“And he ends his texts with a kiss?”
Rory’s eyes narrowed to a glare, his breathing was deep and fast. “What is this, Lana? What the fuck are you trying to say?” he admonished, vulnerable in his naked state.
“I’m only asking,” she snapped, rising to her knees on the bed, her fists clenched, anger swelling in her belly.
He dropped the phone into his jacket pocket, selected a clean pair of boxers, then swiped his jeans and tee from the window chair. “No, you’re prying like a fucking police officer.”
“Are you serious?” she spat. “I’m entitled to ask you. We’re engaged after all, aren’t we?”
Lana noted the swirl of anger in his eyes as he dragged his jeans over his hips. “And what a fucking mistake that’s turned out to be. I can’t even have friends without you snooping around like Miss fuckin’ Marple.”
This wasn’t Rory, he was acting unusually aggressive towards her and oddly defensive. He was lying. There was no doubt in her mind.
Once fully dressed, he shrugged into his jacket and made for the door. Lana positioned herself between him and the exit.
“A mistake, Rory? Really? Take the ring back then and fuck off,” she hissed, baring her teeth.
How dare he act like an immature kid. She slid the ring from her finger and thrust it into the cold space between them. “Here, take the stupid thing. Clearly the sentiment means fuck all to you. And if we’re being honest, I don’t want spend the rest of my life with a guy who lies.”
His lashes lowered to her open palm, the ring glistening in the beams of light flooding their bedroom.
“Fuck you, Lana, you’re such a child. Get in the real world and grow up,” he scolded. “We both know you want to get married. That’s all you want, isn’t it? A ring on your finger and a chain around my fucking neck.”
Bastard.
He couldn’t be farther from the truth. She didn’t want the meaningless ring now and being honest with herself, she shouldn’t have accepted it in the first place.
Not when her head had been turned by another man.
The text messages on his phone were the catalyst for her epiphany. They weren’t exactly proof of an affair, but they sure as hell pointed to it like a flaming beacon.
Rory wasn’t the man for her after all, neither was Marcus.
“Fine!” She slammed the ring on top of the chest of drawers.
Rory pushed past her and flew down the stairs, slamming the front door as he escaped.
She wasn’t an idiot. He’d spent more nights out with his mates than at home with her, even though they’d given up the club.
So much for being a loved-up couple who were recently engaged. They hadn’t had sex since the night he proposed, and even then, it was mediocre.
Lana tried to get aroused but the only way she could get turned on was by pretending it was Marcus McGrath fucking her into oblivion.
At the time, Lana cursed herself for using Marcus as a dirty secret sex scenario instead of focusing on her actual partner. But the facts remained, he had the power to awaken a creature so starved, to make her feel alive.
She desperately wanted to know if he thought about her too, or if he was with those women from the photograph.
Where they were touching his body like she wanted to?
It was obvious her feelings for Rory had changed.
She needed to woman up and move out.
Immediately.