“Why not? You were looking forward to your date.”
I shrug. “I’m just not feeling up to it.”
“What’s wrong, girl?” she asks, concerned.
I swallow thickly, doing my best to hold back the tears that just won’t stop coming. Just when I think I’m all cried out… more tears.
“It’s been a rough day. I went through pictures with Henry of his dad, and I am…” I trail off because I don’t know what I am. A fucking mess, that’s what I am.
She drops her bag to the floor and hugs me. “I can’t imagine how hard that was for you.”
I nod, accepting her hug. I didn’t realize how much I needed a hug from a friend until this moment.
“You shouldn’t cancel your date.”
“Why not?”
“Because Addy. You deserve something for yourself. You’ve been looking forward to this date all week. Don’t let one bad day set you back,” she says, sounding way wiser than the twenty years.
“It feels wrong to go on a date with Axel when I’ve been crying over another man all day.”
She shakes her head. “You’re allowed to grieve. You lost your husband. That’s no small thing, but you’ve come so far. You were a mess when you first moved here, and now look at you. You’re smiling all the time and even dating.”
She’s not wrong. I was a mess when I first moved, and as the months have passed, I’ve dug my way out of my depression and am living life. Maybe she’s right that I should keep my date. Whether I go or stay home, it won’t change my grief. Staying just locks me back in that dark place, and going is a step back into the light.
“You’re right. But look at me, I’m a freaking mess…”
“Nothing that a little makeup can’t fix. Go get ready. I’ll give Henry his bath and get him ready for bed.”
I rush through getting ready, watching the minutes tick away on the clock. If I leave now, I can just barely make it on time. I kiss Henry goodbye and thank Marsha for giving me the kick in the ass I needed.
CHAPTERFIFTEEN
Axel
My breath catcheswhen I get my first glimpse of Addy. She’s wearing a skintight white dress that hugs her curves almost obscenely. Every man in the club is watching her as she walks towards me. The jealous bastard inside me wants to knock out their teeth, but the other part of me is proud to know that she’s all mine.
Let them look. She’s here for me and me alone.
As soon as she’s within arm’s reach, I pull her into my arms and dip her back, kissing the hell out of her for all to see. She lets out a startled sound, wrapping her arms around my neck. Her lips part and I dive in, kissing her like I’ve been starving for a taste. She’s completely breathless by the time I stand her upright.
“Well, hello to you too,” she says.
“Everyone is looking at you…”
She looks around and notices that people are looking her way. “I don’t know why…”
“Because that dress is obscene, babygirl.”
Her bottom lip disappears between her teeth, and she gives me a worried look. “Do you not like it?”
“The problem is I like it too much, and so does every red-blooded man in this place. I had planned on us hanging out at the bar for a little bit and introducing you to some of my friends, but I need you too much.”
“I’d like to meet your friends,” she says.
I shake my head. “Later.”
I pick her up and throw her over my shoulder. Her skirt raises, and I cover her ass with my hand, not wanting any other fucker to get a look at what’s mine. She squeals and hits my back, telling me to let her down. I slap her ass hard, and she stops protesting. I don’t put her down until we are closed away in our private room.