My roommate?
Who the hell is this guy?
Enough is enough. I have no freaking clue who this guy is and I really don’t care. I have a date to get to. Walking up beside Wyatt, I put my hand on his back and he glances down at me as the man’s face lights up.
“Piper! Oh, thank God. I was so worried I had the wrong house.”
“I’m sorry… do I know you?”
He nods. “It’s Colin.”
“Who?” I ask, tilting my head to the side and pursing my lips as I study him, trying to place his face but I’ve got nothing.
“We met online,” Colin continues and all the blood rushes to my ears as I shake my head in confusion. “We’re going out tonight, remember?”
I step in front of Wyatt so he doesn’t kill this kid and shake my head. “I think you have me confused with someone else.”
“He’d fucking better,” Wyatt growls in my ear and my heart drops as my pulse starts to race and my belly flips.
“No, I don’t. I’ve seen your photo and we’ve been talking for like two weeks. I know it’s you. We text each other all day long and I sent you your favorite flowers last week. Remember? You said you loved them.”
Oh, fuck.
This is not good.
With how paranoid Wyatt has been lately, he will believe this guy and it won’t matter one bit how much I tell him that I have no idea what he’s talking about or that I’ve never even seen him. I can feel the anger and suspicion rolling off of him without even glancing back at his face and I squeeze my eyes shut as I take a deep breath.
“This guy?” he hisses, grabbing my hips and I shake my head as I spin around and plant my hands on his chest, hoping he can see the desperation in my eyes. Wyatt owns me, every single piece of my heart and soul. There is no one else I want but will he believe that?
“I don’t know who he is, Wyatt.”
His nostrils flare and he releases my hips to clench his fists at his sides as my heart thunders in my ears and my stomach flips.
Please, Wyatt…
He stares down at me, searching my face for a moment before he tries to move me out of the way, but I cling to his shirt. Goddamn it, this is so, so bad. If Wyatt kills this kid, which is a real possibility, he will go to jail and I’ll lose him forever. He narrows his eyes and looks down at me with disgust.
“You’re protecting him? So, it’s true, then? You want this little fucker?”
I shake my head. “No, baby. I’m worried about you going to jail.”
“Baby?” Colin asks and I glance over my shoulder as his gaze bounces between the two of us. Wyatt flashes him a smile that makes a feeling of dread wash over me as he takes a step forward, despite my best efforts to hold him back, and nods.
“Yeah, because I’m her fucking husband, not her roommate, you little fuck.”
He holds his hand up, his face going pale as he takes a step back and I roll my eyes, turning my focus back to my husband. “Uh… Piper?”
“Stop talking to me like I know you,” I snap, not even bothering to glance at him as I look up at Wyatt and pray to God that he can see the truth in my eyes. His anger wavers for just a second and it gives me hope.
“You know what, I think I’m just going to go…”
Wyatt nods, his murderous glare flicking up to Colin. “That’s a great fucking idea.”
Peeking over my shoulder, I watch him run back to his car and climb behind the wheel. The engine squeals, a horrible metal on metal sound filling the air as he tries to start it but it’s already running. As soon as Colin whips out of the driveway and races away from our house, Wyatt’s gaze drops to me, accusations swimming in his eyes.
“Inside. Now.”
He doesn’t even wait for me to respond or follow him as he turns and marches into the house with his fury rolling off of him in waves. Sighing, I drop my forehead into my hand and try to force my brain to work but all I can feel is this overwhelming sense of dread.
How can I make him see the truth?
How can I make him believe me when he’s so certain that there is something going on?
At this point, I don’t even care about finding out who Colin is or where he came from because he doesn’t matter. Wyatt does. Tears sting my eyes and I shake my head as I look up at the house. Wyatt stands in the doorway, watching me but when our eyes meet, he turns and disappears inside. Sucking in a breath, I follow him and press a trembling hand to my stomach as it rolls in protest. As soon as I step inside, he glares at me, ready for a fight and I shake my head again.
“Wyatt…”
“You fucking that clown?” he asks, cutting me off and I shake my head. “Is he what you really want, Piper?”
I shake my head again. “Wyatt, I don’t know who that was.”
“Yeah? Well, he sure as hell seemed to know you, didn’t he? All these things keep adding up and now, it’s all starting to make sense to me.”
“What are you talking about?”
He scoffs, shaking his head. “I’m talking about the flowers, the reservation in Seattle, and now Colin. It’s all coming together so how about you stop lying to me?”
Seattle?
What the hell is he talking about?
“What reservation?” I ask, scowling at him as he rolls his eyes and crosses his arms over his chest again.
“The one you made at a hotel in Seattle the morning after we came back from my parents’. The one I fucking cancelled so good luck running off with your new boy toy.”
Dropping my head back, I blow out a breath, trying not to lose my temper, before meeting his gaze again. “Wyatt, I’m going to say this as plainly as I possibly can. I don’t know that man. I’ve never seen or spoken to him before, in my life. I don’t know anything about a hotel reservation in Seattle and I fucking love you with every ounce of my body. I don’t want to leave you but I’m also starting to wonder if I can keep doing this.”
“Doing what? Being with me?” He shakes his head, pain flashing through his eyes before he shuts it down. “Why did you even come back, Piper? Did you feel like breaking my fucking heart one more time for fun?”
Tears spring to my eyes as I shake my head. “Wyatt, I would never. I love you. You know that… we’re Wyatt and Piper and you are the only man I’ve ever loved.”
“You know, for ten years, I knew you were a cold bitch based on the way you left me last time but I’ve got to give you props because this is a new fucking level.” His gaze drops to my belly and that pain is back. “Is the baby even mine?”
A sob rips through me as I stare at him and cover my belly with my hand like I can somehow protect our child from the hate he is flinging at me right now. Tears stream down my face as I shake my head, staring at him and trying to find a little piece of the man I love.
“How could you say that to me?”
He shrugs. “How could you cheat on me?”
“I’m not cheating on you, Wyatt!” I scream, my heart aching so bad that I don’t know how I’m still standing as heat flushes through my body and I clench my teeth. “You promised you wouldn’t throw my past in my face ever again.”
“This isn’t the past we’re talking about. It’s right now and I have all the evidence I need.” He turns and marches down the hallway to the bedroom as I follow behind him, my heart climbing into my throat.