Simple Perfection (Perfection #2)(41)

"Are we going straight to Woods's place?" Tripp asked.

"Um . . . I don't know. Maybe I shouldn't blindside him. I could just go see him tomorrow while he's in his office. That way I won't have to just show up at his house in case . . ." I couldn't bring myself to say in case he's with someone else.

"What? You getting cold feet now? Can't do that. You want to get your man, then go get him."

"I'm not sure if that's the way I should do it."

Tripp shifted in his seat and cleared his throat. "Okay. Picture this: Woods is at his house with another woman. One he can't love like he loves you. You haven't been gone long enough for that. She's gonna get to sleep in his bed, where you belong, tonight. Unless you march up to his door and take back your man."

The idea of this faceless woman sleeping in Woods's bed and touching him made me physically ill. No. He was mine. She couldn't touch him. He was mine first.

"You're getting fired up, aren't you? Ready to take back what belongs to you? I think it's about damn time. Shame to let him sleep with her another night when he would rather be with you. She's just filler."

He was right. Woods wasn't in love with her. He had been in love with me. I could make him love me again. I could show him I wasn't weak. I was worthy of his love. I was going to fight for it. I would get him back---no one was sleeping over there tonight except for me. She was leaving. I'd make her leave.

"Take me to Woods," I told him.

Tripp let out a whoop and patted my leg. "Attagirl. You got this," he said.

I sure hoped I did. If not, I might've been on my way to making a complete fool out of myself.

When we were ten minutes away, I started having second thoughts.

"Maybe I should just go to your place tonight."

Tripp let out a short laugh. "Uh, yeah, no. Woods is already going to want to hurt me when he gets ahold of me. I'm not about to bring you back to Rosemary and take you to my place."

"But if he's with another girl . . ."

"Della, do I have to give you another pep talk? Because I will. You can do this. You came back here. You wanted Woods enough to come back and face this. It's time to face it, baby."

He was right. I knew he was, but I was scared of what seeing Woods with someone else would do to me. I'd come so far this week. I didn't want to turn into a whimpering lunatic in front of him. I wanted him to see the new and improved Della. Not the girl he had gotten rid of.

"He's gonna want to see you. I know you don't believe that but he will. I'm a guy. I know these things."

"He may want to see me, just not when he has another . . ." I couldn't say it.

"Remember, you aren't gonna let her have him tonight. You're back."

I nodded. Right. I was going to take back what was mine. Even if it wasn't mine anymore, I was gonna fight like hell.

"Okay. Hurry before I change my mind again."

"Two more minutes," Tripp said with a smile.

Those two minutes felt like hours. When Tripp finally pulled into Woods's driveway I almost wept with relief to see that his truck and my car were the only two vehicles there. That didn't mean he was alone, though. He could have brought someone there. The "she" in my mind still existed.

Tripp squeezed my hand. "Go get him," he said.

I couldn't talk. I was too nervous. I just nodded and opened the car door and stepped out. I hadn't even asked Tripp if he was staying and waiting on me or if he was going back to Macon to get his motorcycle. I couldn't think about that now.

I closed the door behind me and moved toward the stairs.

Then he drove away. I turned back to see Tripp pulling back onto the street. He stuck his hand out of the window and waved good-bye before speeding off. He'd just left me there.

I looked back to the front door and took a deep breath. Woods was in there. I was going to plead with him for a second chance if I had to. I was going to make sure I was the woman in his bed tonight.

The lights in the house were off. All I could see was a dim light in the bedroom. It almost looked like candlelight. Please, God, don't let it be candlelight. I gripped the railing as I walked up the stairs to the front door. He was never in bed this early. Maybe he isn't here. Maybe he's with Jace.

I reached the top step and stood there staring at his bedroom window. I was pretty sure that it was candlelight I was seeing there. It was flickering light. This was a bad idea.

No.

It wasn't.

He was mine, and I'd be damned if I was going to let some other woman have him. I would shove the candlelight up her ass.

I closed the distance between me and the door and knocked several times, then stood back and waited. If it took a while, that meant he had to get his clothes on.

The door swung open and there he stood. He had on a pair of khaki shorts and a white button-up shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. I loved it when he wore white. His dark skin was startling in white. I sucked in a deep, fast breath at the sight of him.

He didn't move. We just stood there, staring at each other. It had been almost three weeks since I'd left. It felt like forever since I'd seen his face.

"Hi," I managed to croak out.

"Hi," he replied, still standing in the doorway, looking like a beautiful fallen angel. Who had he gotten dressed up for? My nose caught a scent from inside and I stiffened. Someone was cooking. In the dark?