“Get out.”
Neither Ethan nor Ryker moves.
“I said get out!”
“Fine,” Ethan says finally. “Let’s go, Ryker. He’s old enough to sort out his own messes.”
“Yes, I am,” I tell him. “Thank you.”
They walk out the door. I sink back into my chair and let out a breath of relief.
“And thank you for leaving.”
I grab the glass of water on my desk and take a long sip.
Now, finally, I can have some peace and quiet in my office. Or so I think until I remember Violet and how she marched off.
Why was she so pissed? I already told her I can’t get enough of her, which is not something I’ve told any woman before. I told her I’m not having sex with anyone else. Again, not something I usually say. And I even said just a while ago that I missed her. Hasn’t she been listening? Isn’t it enough? Why won’t she believe me? What more does she want from me? Does she want me to propose to her? Is that it?
I shake my head. Women. Why can’t they ever be satisfied? Why do they always have something to complain about? Why can’t they be reasonable?
I put my glass down and let out a deep breath.
Oh well. I guess I’ll just have to talk to her later.
~
I tuck my hands into my pockets and tap my foot on the floor as I wait for Violet to open the door to her apartment.
I’ve already rung the doorbell three times. I know she’s in there because I can see the light coming from under the door and I can hear the TV. Yet for some reason, she’s not coming.
Is she in the bathroom? Does she have earphones on? Or is she just pretending she can’t hear me?
Come on, Violet.
I ring the doorbell again. When she still doesn’t answer, I start knocking.
“Violet?”
Still nothing.
A new idea forms in my mind. What if she’s not coming to the door because she can’t? What if she’s hurt? What if she needs help?
My chest tightens. I bang my fists on the door.
“Violet, are you in there? Answer the door!”
No answer.
“Violet!”
Finally, I hear footsteps coming. The door opens and Violet appears in a shirt and pajama pants. I place my hand over my chest as I let out a breath of relief.
“Thank God. For a moment there, I was worried something bad had happened to you.”
“You mean like how I felt when I couldn’t find you at Lloyd Finley’s party?” she tells me. “Or at the museum? Good.”
She’s mad. Really mad.
I draw a deep breath. “Can we talk?”
Her eyebrows arch. “Oh, now you want to talk? Well, I don’t.”
Violet tries to close the door in my face. I use my shoulder and my foot to keep it open.
“Really?” Violet gives me a look of resentment as she drops her shoulders. “You really don’t know how to take no for an answer, do you?”
“I’m not going away until we talk,” I tell her. “Or would you rather have this conversation at work?”
She puts her hands on her hips. “So, what did your brothers think about that, huh? I bet you got scolded.”
“I don’t care about them. I care about you. That’s why I’m here.”
“Oh, really? You care about me?” She points her fingers at her chest, then waves her hands. “Don’t worry. I can handle your brothers.”
“I said they’re not why I’m here.”
“Why are you here, then, Asher?” Her hands go back to her hips. “Because you weren’t able to have your fun earlier? Because you can’t get enough of fucking me?”
I frown. “That’s not what I said.”
“What exactly can’t you get enough of, then?” She crosses her arms beneath her breasts. “Go on. Tell me.”
“You,” I tell her. “All of you.”
Her eyebrows go up. “All of me? Really?”
I pinch the bridge of my nose as I try to get a hold of my temper. Why is Violet being so difficult?
I inhale then exhale. “Violet…”
“Why don’t you just admit it, Asher? That all you want from me is sex?”
My temper slips. I shake my head.
“You know what? If you don’t want to believe me, there’s nothing I can do. If you want to make fun of me, fine. But I’m not going to put up with any of this.”
I step back.
Violet snorts. “Oh, now you’re leaving?”
I meet her gaze. “I thought you wanted me to leave.”
“I thought you wanted to talk.”
“I did, but you’re clearly not in the mood. All you want to do is pick a fight.”
“Really?” Violet steps forward. “So I’m the bad guy here, am I? I’m the crazy bitch?”
I shrug. “You did stick your knee into my balls.”
She shakes her head. “Unbelievable.”
For once, we agree. This whole conversation, if it can even be called one, is ridiculous.
I walk away.
“That’s right, Asher Hawthorne,” Violet tells me. “Leave. That’s what you’re good at, right? You leave your date at a party so she doesn’t have a ride home.”
I stop in my tracks and roll my eyes. I guess she’ll never forgive me for that.
“And then you leave the women you sleep with behind on the bed right after you get your pants back on. And you never look back. You just throw them away and forget they ever existed.”
I turn around. “But I didn’t do that to you, did I?”
Violet doesn’t answer.
“You know I didn’t, but it doesn’t mean anything to you.”
“I don’t know what it means,” she says. “Tell me what it means, Asher. That’s all I’m asking.”
“No. That’s not all you’re asking. You want me to give you a ring.”
“I never said that.”
“You want me to say I’m in love with you and I can’t live without you. Isn’t that right?”
Violet purses her lips and says nothing. She doesn’t have to. I know I’m right. I also know I can’t say those words. Not yet.
I shake my head. “Even if I say those words, you’re not going to believe me anyway, are you?”
Violet meets my gaze. There isn’t any trace of anger in her eyes now. Just pain.
A lump forms in my throat. What? Is she going to cry again? But I have a feeling that this time, she isn’t going to let me comfort her.
“That’s the thing with faith, Asher,” she says in a breaking voice. “It has to be earned. And no, you haven’t earned it.”
So that’s what this all comes to? That’s her decision? That she doesn’t want to have anything to do with me anymore? Then I guess I have no choice but to respect it.
I nod. “Fine. Just remember that I’m not the one who threw what we had away.”
I turn away, but instead of going to my apartment, I walk past Violet to the elevator. I’m not staying here tonight, maybe not for a while. She can cry all she wants. She can break all the stuff in her apartment, but I don’t want to hear any of it. I don’t want to know.