There were so many emotions from the people around him that it made him dizzy. There was pure pain and then acceptance from Hannah, fury from her brother, disbelief and shock from his friends, and humor from Tracy.
He almost reached for Hannah when she stepped back.
“I … I’m sorry I bothered you.” She turned and walked off.
He heard her brother say, “Talk to him,” and she shook her head.
“No, I knew there was a chance he’d moved on. We can’t blame him.”
Their voices faded, and then he heard the door to the place close behind them. It felt so much worse than when she left the first time because he thought she was coming back quickly. Instead of being gone for over three months with only sporadic calls. Now, although she’d be around, he’d never be able to touch her or call her his again.
Daniel and Zain, two of his closest friends, faced off against him.
“Do you want to tell us what the fuck that was about?” Daniel asked.
Cullen saw their disapproval. “I was in shock seeing her, guys.”
“But what the fuck was making her think you and Tracy were an item?” Zain asked.
Cullen was surprised to see Tracy still wrapped around his waist.
“Hey, I don’t mind a hug from a stud. Just don’t grope me, or my boyfriend will kill you.”
“Oh, I know that.”
Tracy stepped back. “If I can give you a piece of advice from a woman. It’s never good to mess with our feelings.”
Cullen wiped a hand down his face.
“You’re not having a good night, man,” Daniel said. “Maybe you should head home.”
Cullen nodded, set down his beer bottle, and went for his wallet.
“We got this,” Zain said. “Call me later if you need to talk.’
Cullen nodded. “Thanks, guys. I’ll see you Monday.”
“Remember, we’re off Monday for the Labor Day holiday,” Daniel said.
“Oh, hell. I forgot. I’ll see you Tuesday.”
Zain called out to him before he got to the door. “Hey, man, I might have a get-together on Monday, just food and friends. Very low-key.”
“Call me, and I’ll see if I’m up for it. I owe you.”
A mountain of emotions and memories bombarded him on his way home. It felt like it took a week to get home instead of just a few minutes. He sighed when he pulled into his driveway.
At least he didn’t have any memories of him and Hannah in this house. He’d bought it three weeks ago. It had been a foreclosure and needed work, so he’d gotten it at a great price. He thought having a project to work on during his downtime would help pass the time when he was home and help keep his mind off of her. It hadn’t worked.
Chapter Two
After a quick shower, he grabbed a beer, walked out to his backyard, sat, and tried to relax. He knew instantly that there was not going to be any relaxation for him as he reassessed the last few months in his mind.
Cullen had lived in an apartment at the time, and Hannah was always there. He had asked her numerous times to move in, but her brother, Rhys, had been against it. He’d never gotten an answer about why he was against it, especially since he and Rhys had been friends since junior high.
Cullen hadn’t pushed it because he knew they would be married soon. He’d been looking for just the right ring and had found it in a store a town over a few days before she and her brother flew out. He debated whether to give it to her before she left, but he’d wanted to make it special for her, so he decided to wait.
The night before she left, they’d spent the night in bed loving each other. He could remember the scent of sex, the sweet sounds she made while he fucked her, and how she looked like a well-fucked woman as she slept beside him.