The Exception (30 page)

“That is up to you.”

My pocket began vibrating and I pulled my phone from it, my breath hitching in my throat when I read the name on the screen. “It’s Decker,” I said, looking up at Kari. “How did he get my new number?”

“I have no idea, Jada. Maybe you shouldn’t answer it.” Kari’s eyes were wide and I could see the uneasiness she was feeling in them.

“No, I am not going to let him know he gets to me.” I straightened my shoulders, gathering my courage. “If he bothers me too much, I’ll get a restraining order or something.”

I answered the call, watching Kari watch me. “Hello?” I said, clearing my throat.

“Hey, Jada,” he said, his voice low and sexy. At one point in my life, I would have swooned. Now, I fought myself from rolling my eyes.

“What do you want?” I figured we may as well cut to the chase and not delay the inevitable. I blew out a breath, hoping it would take the host of nerves running through me out with it.

“Someone’s had a bad day!” he laughed into the phone. “I sent you something earlier this week and the tracking said it was delivered today. Are you home yet?”

“I got it,” I said dismissively, trying to reign in my emotions.

“And?” he prompted me, his voice sounding contrite.

“And what? I got them. I will dispose of them now.” I felt a war brewing and stood up, needing to be on my toes.

“Dispose of them?” I could imagine his face twisting, his eyes narrowing. “That’s interesting.”

“Not really. Look, I’ve asked you not to call me anymore.”

“I didn’t for a long time.” He sounded annoyed and I didn’t care. “And finding your new number was a pain in the ass, but not impossible. So nice try. Now it’s time to stop these petty games you are playing. You made your point.”

“I made a point?” I should have expected him to say something like that, but it was over the top, even for him. “The only point I am trying to make to you is that I don’t want you calling me!”

“You know as well as I do that you will end up back here again. I wish you would just stop fighting it and get your ass home! You’re wasting my time,” he growled into the phone.

“No,” I said, feeling the disbelief turn into fury, “you are wasting
my
time, Decker. We got divorced, which should make it clear that I want to never see you again. How hard is that to comprehend?”

“You’re such a brat,” he said, his voice rising. “You are acting like a child!”

I recoiled from the sound of his voice, now booming through the phone. “Decker … Let. It. Go. If you call me again, I will look into a restraining order. Leave me alone.”

He laughed sardonically. “Really? You think that it is that easy?”

“No. I know it is that easy because it is my life now. You don’t have a say in what I do.”

“Ah, I know what’s happening! You have a little boyfriend out there, don’t you?”

“That’s none of your damn business.”

“You do! And he’s filling your head with all of this nonsense.” He laughed as anger consumed me. “He’s probably telling you how awful I am and how he isn’t anything like me at all.” He paused. “He is, isn’t he?”

“He is nothing like you! He doesn’t have to tell me anything because he shows me what he is!” My hand shook as the anger rolled through me. “Don’t call me ever again, you fucking bastard!” I slid the phone off and sat it down before I dropped it. I turned around to see Kari standing with her arms crossed and a satisfied look on her face.

“I’m impressed,” she smiled, nodding her head in agreement. “You did well.”

My phone lit up again on the table and I watched his name flash across the screen. I waited until it stopped before picking it up and turning it off. “I have no idea how to block his number. Do you?” I looked up at Kari.

She picked up the phone and turned it on. “I don’t know how you survive being so technologically challenged.” Kari’s fingers flew across the screen before she sat it back down. “Done. He’s blocked, from that number, anyway.”

My eyes fell back to the box. “Do we have a lighter or matches or something?”

A slow smile slid across Kari’s face. “We do, indeed.” Kari pulled open a drawer and rustled around until she pulled out a box of matches.

“I am thinking it would be a great night for a fire on the patio.” I picked up the box and faced Kari, returning the smug grin she was flashing at me. “Would you care to join me? I have the kindling if you would so kindly bring the matches.”

JADA

“Rise and shine!”

I tugged the blankets over my head, trying to pretend like Cane wasn’t standing at the foot of the bed. If there was one thing I disliked about him, it was his chipper attitude in the mornings.

“Jada,” he said sweetly, “it’s almost noon and I told Max we would meet him and your sister for lunch.”

“Why did you do that?” I mumbled, snuggling farther into my bed. Suddenly, the covers were ripped over my body. “Cane!”

“Don’t hoot with the hoot owls at night if you can’t soar with the eagles in the morning.”

I huffed. “That is so not funny. It’s Saturday!”

Cane smirked. “You are so fucking cute. But you need to get up.”

“You are such a pain.” I rolled onto my side and looked up at him. He was dressed in a pair of jeans and a grey polo shirt, the collar popped up and looking downright edible. It was as if he had been awake for hours as he stood over me.

“That’s been said before. You are so unoriginal.” He smiled cockily and smacked me on the butt.

I rolled over onto my back again and looked at the ceiling. “How long have you even been awake?”

“I had to work this morning, so I rolled out of here around five.” He sat on the edge of the bed and turned towards me. “And as much as I would like to lay back down with you, I told Max we would be at lunch.” He bent down and kissed me on the forehead. “You still smell like smoke.”

“I can still smell it on me.” I rose up and drug myself off of the bed. “I guess I need to get another shower before we go.”

“What was the impromptu fire about last night?”

I could see the suspicion in his eyes. I shrugged as I walked my way towards the door. “We just wanted a fire. I had some things from my life before that I didn’t want around, so I burned them.”

“Okay,” he said, lying back on my bed.

I heard the bed squeak and I flew around, hands on my hips. “Hey! You can’t lie down if I can’t!”

He put his hands behind his head and smiled, looking ridiculously gorgeous. “I typically do what I want, you know?”

I shook my head. “Can you make me some coffee while I get ready?” I said, jutting out my bottom lip.

“If it will make you a little happier today, sure,” he said sitting up. “But get your ass moving, woman.”

I trudged to the bathroom and showered quickly, using the body wash with the strongest scent to try to mask the smoke smell that wouldn’t leave. I hated that Cane was suspicious about the fire, but I knew he would overreact. Decker was a loudmouth and an asshole, but he wasn’t a threat to Cane in any way, shape, or form. So the less he knew, the better. I had endured enough drama to last me a lifetime.

I toweled off quickly and threw on a coral sundress and a turquoise bracelet that had been my mother’s. I twisted my hair into a knot and slipped on a pair of flip-flops before joining Cane in the kitchen.

“I smell coffee!” I said, perking up at the aroma of beans. He was sitting at the table with two mugs of energy, reading the Saturday morning paper. Seeing him so relaxed while doing something so normal made my entire body flood with warmth.

“That you do,” he said, nodding at my cup. “I sent Max a text and told him we’d be leaving in a few minutes, so drink up and we will go.”

I sat down and lifted the cup to my lips and breathed in the heavenly aroma. “Thank you,” I said, smiling at him as he got up and put his cup in the sink. He turned to say something when the doorbell rang. He looked at me curiously and I shrugged. “I have no idea.”

“Want me to get it?” he asked, flipping the coffee maker off.

“If you don’t mind. I’d like to sit here and nurse this liquid gold.”

Cane smiled and shook his head as he walked to the front door. I heard the door open and Cane’s voice grow louder. I sat my mug down slowly, listening closely.

“I’m here to see my wife. Is she here?”

I would have recognized that voice anywhere.

It was so agonizingly familiar; I knew the tone like the back of my hand. I knew what he was feeling, what his eyes looked like, the rise and fall of his chest by the sound of the words alone.

My stomach dropped to the floor as a cold chill ripped through me; I scrambled to get up from the table. I knew I had to get to the front door before the two of them went toe-to-toe.

“You’re wife? You’ve got the wrong house,” Cane replied as I entered the living room. He was standing with his back to me and I could see Decker over his shoulder.

Our eyes met and he took a step forward and a rush of adrenaline tore through me. Cane extended his arm, grabbing onto the door frame with his hand, effectively blocking Decker from entering.

“Jada!” Decker watched me from the other side of Cane and I could feel the fury rippling off of him as I approached. “Get out of my way,” he said to Cane, trying to sidestep him.

“What are you doing here, Decker?” I asked, stopping a few feet behind Cane. My stomach rolled at the sight of him and I wrapped my arms across it.

Decker’s eyes were wide with fury, just like I knew they would be. His body was tense, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His jaw was tense, his fists clenched at his side. I vaguely wondered if I got close enough, if he would smell of whiskey.

I knew every ripple of his body, every shade in his eyes. But at the same time, he felt like a complete stranger. It was confusing, stranger than I ever thought it would be, to see him again. Then again, I never thought, nor did I want, to see him again.

I just wanted him to leave.

“So you’re Decker?” Cane’s voice was frigid, his body completely still, never taking his eyes off of the man in front of him.

“I told you yesterday that I had enough of your games,” Decker said, looking at me over Cane’s shoulder. “Get your shit packed. We are going home.”

Cane bristled, the muscles in his back flexing at the revelation. “You talked to her yesterday?”

Decker laughed arrogantly. “Are you jealous?”

“No,” Cane said, standing taller. “You get jealous over things that aren’t yours. She’s fucking mine.”

“You need to get out of my way,” Decker bit out, his Boston accent thick.

Cane turned a bit and I could see the side of his face as a smile spread across his lips. “You seem really angry. I would hate for something ugly to happen in front of my girl, so you better get out of here while you can.”

Decker’s eyes blazed at Cane’s words. “I don’t want any shit. Just move out of my way.”

“Don’t start shit and there won’t be shit.”

Decker took a step towards Cane, his jaw tight. “Move it, boy.”

Cane chuckled, releasing the doorframe and standing in the middle of the threshold. “This guy wasn’t even in your league, Jada,” Cane said loud enough for me to hear. “You can’t tell me that this pussy did shit for you.”

My heart leapt in my chest as Decker rushed Cane, closing the distance between them in a half a second. Cane grabbed him by both shoulders as he came in, driving towards Decker with his head in an upward motion, smashing the top of his head into Decker’s face.

Decker shot back, blood pouring from his nose, his eyes wide. He was clearly not expecting Cane’s aggression.

My entire body went stiff at the scene. I couldn’t shout, I couldn’t cry, I couldn’t do anything but watch the chaos unfold in front of me.

Cane burst forward, grabbing Decker by the shirt. Decker swung wildly at Cane, connecting with the side of his face. He stood still, shaking his head, an eerie smile on his face.

“Now you’ve fucked up,” he said as he threw a kick, knocking Decker to the concrete with a thud. The impact caused one of Kari’s aloe plants to fall off the stand by the door.

Tears began to prick my eyes, my past colliding with my future in front of my eyes in a way I never imagined.

“Stop it!” I finally choked out, my hands covering my mouth, trying to hold back the bile that threatened to spill from my gut.

Immediately, Cane’s fist was blasting into Decker’s face—once, twice, three times. Decker stopped swinging and lay still in the fetal position, his hands trying desperately to cover his face.

Cane stood up as Decker lay still, his face already swelling from the blows it was dealt. His eyes were wide with fear.

My stomach was volatile, a pit of acid. I hated everything about this situation and there was nothing I could do to stop it.

Cane stuck his foot on the side of Decker’s face, pushing his head roughly to the side, before turning to me. “I can’t believe you didn’t tell me this motherfucker called you yesterday,” Cane said, his eyes wild. “Didn’t you feel that was a little fact maybe I should fucking know?”

Cane’s lips were a thin line, his jaw pulsing with anger as he looked at me.

“He sent me a box of pictures I had left behind and I burned them, Cane. The smoke? It was the smell of my life before you going up in flames.”