I can’t help but to smile at her reaction to me. Although she is attractive, the thought of being with anyone but my Kate makes my stomach churn, and not in a good way. A few years ago, I would have had my way with this woman in the backseat of the SUV, even after publicly declaring my love for Kate. It was something about the attention from these women that I thrived on. Almost like a drug, I needed hit after hit. Moving from one woman to the next with no remorse for anyone’s feelings, especially Kate’s. I was a real sick fucking bastard. Now, my drug of choice is Kate, and thinking about just how fucking sexy she is, makes my cock twitch.
Chapter twenty-one
Breaking Up
**March 2004**
Kate
“Ahhhhhh!”Rebekashoutsatthe television, “did you just hear what Ian said, Kate?” Everyone turns and looks at me.
“Ummmm… yeah,” I stand, shocked, with my mouth wide open. Just hours ago, I was throwing a coffee mug at his head, and swearing that I wanted nothing to do with him. Only to wake up with him sleeping on my front porch, so I couldn’t run away. Now he is publicly calling me his fiancée.
Hearing his words fills my soul with so much excitement. I feel like there are a thousand butterflies fluttering around in my chest and belly. The thought of a future with Ian makes my heart race and I feel like I’m floating. For the first time in a long time, I can see a future with him. Pups, family dinners, movie nights at home, making love to him every night for the rest of my life; all of it.
Rebeka and a few of the other bride’s maids circle around me and start singing Chapel of Love by the Dixie Cups. I giggle while they dance and sing. Even Sonia joins in. She’s only wearing her veil, corset, and thong. She grabs my hands, and we dance, spinning each other around. We’re all acting so silly, but it feels good. This… with Ian feels so right.
My phone rings, and everyone laughs as Rebeka and I race for it. I grab it before she does and tuck it into my body, keeping it out of her reach.
“Look girls, Kate’s fiancé is calling.” Rebeka taunts and giggles.
“Maybe he’s wanting to steal her away for a quick make-out session,” Sonia puckers her lips, making kissing sounds as she pulls me close to her. The rest of the women join in on the craziness, each of them puckering their lips and making kissing sounds. The sight of them makes me laugh so hard. I flip open my phone and slip away from them.
“Ian, did you really call me your fiancée on national television?” I giggle into the phone.
“Kate?” A familiar male voice whispers.
“Darren,” I whisper back. My smile and excitement fade at the sound of his voice. I forgot I told him I’d talk with him today.Why did I agree with that?The girls were right. My fiancé is calling me… just not the one they thought it would be.How did this get to be such a mess?The excitement I felt hearing Ian call me his fiancée is the same excitement I should have felt when Darren placed an engagement ring on my left hand. Is Jessi right? Darren never stood a chance against the mate bond?
I slip out of the bridal suite and into a quiet hall in the chapel. Swallowing down the lump that is growing in my throat. Poor Darren, he doesn’t deserve any of this, and I need to end things with Darren. I feel like I’m leading him on, and it stops now. He might not be for me, but he’s a good man and doesn’t deserve any of this drama.
“Ian? That’s the same guy from New York… the one you go way back with?” Darren sighs.
“Yes,” I whisper, fully feeling the guilt of hurting him.
“So… you’re with the gym bro?” I can hear the disappointment in his voice. “Let me guess, you’re not a virgin either, are you?”
“Yes… I’m seeing Ian. And no, I’m not a virgin.” I whisper.
“Ian got that too?” The anger rises in Darren’s voice.
“Yes, when I was eighteen.” I lean against the wall and press my hand into my belly. I might not have feelings for Darren, but I hate confrontation, especially when I’m the one in the hot seat.
“So, gym bro shows up in New York and you just couldn’t wait to spread your legs for him.” He snarls out. I know that I’m the one who messed up, but the way he’s speaking to me now is just cruel. Darren doesn’t know who I really am, or the pull the mate bond has. He will never understand. Even though I hurt him, I don’t deserve to be spoken to this way.
“Listen,” I snap, “I know you’re hurting and it’s my fault, but I don’t deserve to be spoken to like this. For the record, I had no intentions of rekindling anything with Ian when I met you. Yes, I lied to you about being a virgin, and I’m not too sure why that bothers you so much. Truth is, I developed feelings for you at one point. When Ian showed up in New York, I came to terms with the truth, something that I knew all along… that I had never gotten over him. I found out he never got over me either. Darren, I couldn’t give my body to you while I still wanted him.” I gasp at how quick the words escape my mouth. My words are harsher than I ever intended them to be, but it infuriated me the way he spoke to me. “I’m sorry you got hurt. That was never my intention.” I breathe out heavily. My emotions are somewhere between anger and sadness.
“Wow,” he says and laughs.
“I’ll send your ring back to you first thing Monday morning.” I add, as a wave of relief washes over me.
“Don’t bother. Just keep it, and the next time gym bro fucks up… and he will. You look at that pretty little rock and think of what you could have had.” The line goes dead.
With my head tilted up, I stand quietly with my back pressed firmly against the wall. The tension from my body is being released by slowly breathing in and out. I see movement from the corner of my eye. I turn my head to see Ian’s somber face.
“How much did you hear?” I ask, holding back the tears. All I need is for Ian to have misheard something… I’m not too sure I have the energy to explain my way out of it.
“Enough. Want to talk about it?” Ian moves closer.