Sins, Lies & Spies (Black Brothers #2)(19)
It took me twenty minutes to jog to Miles’s house from mine. With my hands braced on the tops of my thighs and the wire from my earbuds draped over my shoulder, I stood in front of his lacquered black front door. When my breathing returned to normal, I rapped on the door. I could’ve used my key, but it would give him the impression that we’d get back together at some point. While creating that illusion might’ve been useful to help Derrick, I couldn’t bring myself to let it happen. After what Derrick told me, the thought of inviting his touch or kissing him made my stomach roll.
Miles’s daughter flung open the door. She propped one of her hands on her hip and flipped her long blonde hair behind her shoulder. Even though I had at least six inches on her, she managed to look down her nose at me.
“What do you want?”
“Hi.” I smiled brightly as I slid my chunky sunglasses onto the top of my head. “I need to talk to your dad. Is he around?”
“Yeah, but he’s not up yet. I’ll tell him you were here.”
As she moved to close the door, I shoved my foot into the opening and smacked the palm of my hand against the door. “It’s important. This can’t wait. Can you get him?” I peered over her shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of Miles.
Just then, her phone buzzed. “Hold on,” she mumbled, pulling it out of her pocket and walking into the living room.
Using her momentary distraction to my advantage, I sailed inside and darted down the hall. Taking a deep breath, I pushed open the door to his bedroom.
“Wait, he’s not alone,” his daughter yelled from the living room, but it was too late.
Shock vibrated through my chest, and I clutched the doorjamb to stop myself from collapsing. Time freeze-framed as I surveyed the scene in front of me. Miles’s bare ass was in the air, pumping furiously back and forth. His ex-wife was on all fours, her too long yellowish-blonde hair extensions swaying back and forth.
Air expelled from my lungs with a whistle like a deflating balloon. His hips froze mid-pump. In slow motion, he turned his head, his gaze colliding with mine.
“Oh my God,” I muttered, at a loss for words.
Sasha, his ex-wife, snickered.
“Shit!” Miles yelled, without making any effort to untangle himself. “What are you doing here?”
My morning coffee threatened to make an appearance on the floor, so I turned my back to the scene. “I texted you last night, remember?” When he didn’t answer, I continued talking. “I needed to talk to you about work, and go over some details, but I don’t think that’ll be necessary now. I’m done here.”
Poison dripped from my words. I couldn’t believe I considered letting Miles back into my life, no matter how transitory the thought. Even though I didn’t want him, it hurt to catch him in yet another lie. My mind whirled with the sheer number of fabrications and half-truths he’d probably told me over the last few years. This moment tainted everything about our relationship.
“Wait.” I heard the sheets rustle and his bare feet thump against the floor. “Let me explain.”
“It’s not necessary. Go ahead and finish.” Pressure built behind my eyes, begging to trickle down my face. Inhaling and exhaling slowly, I willed it away, refusing to give him the satisfaction. When I regained control of my body, I slammed the door and fled down the hallway. My heart thudded like a drum in my ears, louder and louder as my sneaker-clad feet devoured the distance between the front door and me.
But I didn’t move fast enough. A foot from the door, his fingers hooked into my shoulders and he spun me around. Luckily, he had managed to slip on a pair of plaid pajama pants before he chased me. “Tri,” he said, his voice hushed.
“Don’t call me that,” I snapped. When he started calling me Tri a few months after we met, I’d loved it. Nobody cared enough about me to give me a nickname before I met Miles. It made me feel special, cared for, and loved. Now, the thought of the time I had wasted on his deceitful ass made me want to rip the hair out of his head, strand by strand.
He pursed his lips as he adjusted the waistband of his pants. “Fine, but at least give me the opportunity to explain.”
“Miles,” I said, drawing out his name. “I’m not a five-year-old. What I just saw doesn’t need an explanation.”
He opened and then immediately closed his mouth because he knew I was right. I’d caught him mid-act. He couldn’t deny it happened.
“That’s what I thought.” I wiggled out of his hold and took a few steps backward. “Have a nice life, Miles.”
His brows pinched together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
I drew in a shuddering breath. “You can consider this my resignation.” A pain stabbed through my chest when the words exited my mouth, but I didn’t have a choice. I needed to jump off this emotional rollercoaster while I still could. I’d already invested too much time in him.
“You can’t walk away from this job. You need the money.”
I shrugged and painted a tight smile on my face. “Leslie will give me a job at the bar until I find something else. I’ll survive. I always do.”
“How are you going to pay your bills and Faith’s tuition? You need me. You need this job.”
Rage set my nerve endings on fire, and my hand whipped through the air of its own volition. My open palm crashed against the side of his face. A loud crack reverberated through the room. I couldn’t believe he’d used my fears against me.