Forever You're Mine (MINE #4)(53)

The soft knock at the door stopped me in my tracks, pulling me from my frustrated thoughts. “Now is not a good time, Alexis,” I said, leaving her at the open door. I needed a f*cking drink. And I needed one now.

I snagged my bottle of whiskey from the counter. Twisting the cap off, I pulled two lugs from the nearly empty bottle, thinking I needed to make a run to town. “What’s wrong?” she asked as I threw my head back, a laugh bubbling from chest.

What the f*ck wasn’t wrong?

“Shit you can’t fix, trust me.”

“I’m pretty sure I can.” She said, stepping closer. Her hand on my arm made my skin crawl. Fuck, a couple of months ago, her touch made me horny as f*ck, now it was just annoying. She’d been coming around more the last few days, texting me more. The other night she stopped by and found me deep in a bottle of whiskey. She tried to kiss me. I kissed her back, just to see if it would help to staunch even an ounce of the pain I felt inside, but the second my lips touched hers all I tasted was regret. Nothing could ever replace Cora.

Least of all…Alexis.

After that, I made it clear that we would never be anything more than friends, but even that was becoming a huge f*cking hassle. I couldn’t seem to get rid of the bitch.

“Just go,” I said, taking another long pull.

“God, I can’t believe you’re still hung up on her?”

“Careful, Alexis,”

“Well, I sure as hell wouldn’t be hung up on someone who walked away from me so easily. She’s never coming back. Use me, Cannon. Use me to forget her. I want to be that for you.”

I could use her as much as I wanted. It would be so easy to sink into Alexis and never look back. But it wouldn’t last. And it would never be enough to forget Cora. I could f*ck a million girls and none of them would drown her memory. If I were being real honest, I didn’t want to. My memories of us were the only proof that she was real. I’d loved and lost, and it hurt like a motherf*cker, but she’d been worth every ounce of pain.

Funny, that peace…it makes you see things in a whole different light. Or was it love that made me see shit so clearly?

Fucking love.

“Time for you to go, Alexis.”

“I’m not leaving.”

“Yes, you are.”

“No, I’m not. You want me, Cannon.”

“Alexis, please. I don’t need this shit right now.”

“NO!” she shouted. “I’m not f*cking leaving. You want me.” In fewer than five steps she was on me. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders, her lips seeking mine.

I turned my head, trying to shove her off of me as gently as I could. “You want me,” she gritted, clambering my skin with her sharp nails. They raked across my face, leaving a trail of fire in their wake.

“Get the f*ck off me!” I growled, finally putting space between us. She stood there with her chest heaving, fists balled at her side.

The look in her eye was chilling.

“You used to be thirsty for me, now all you want is her.”

Then all I saw was a blur of tiny fists raining down on me while her heels kicked at my shins.

She’d lost her goddamn mind.

Reaching for her arms, I secured them at her sides. “Calm down, Alexis,” Her eyes were wild and an alarming shade of blue.

“Let me go,” she struggled and I tightened my grip.

“Not until you chill the f*ck out.” I shook her, probably a little harder than necessary, but shit, what the hell else was I supposed to do?

Bitch was f*cking whack.

When her knee connected with my nuts, I released her and fell to my knees. I could hardly breathe, but I found enough strength to wheeze two words from my mouth. “Crazy bitch.”

“I’ll show you crazy, motherf*cker,” she said before her tiny fist connected with my jaw. Which paled in comparison to the pain radiating from my groin.

Jesus Christ, did I just get sacked by a f*cking woman?

I faintly heard her leave and prayed like hell I never saw her again. Or I just might kill her.

*

We’d been on the water for nearly two hours now. I’d gotten all my work done early so Holden and I could catch up on some fishing today. It had been at least two weeks since we’d been, and I really needed to talk to someone other than my damn doctor about my latest problem. The one I couldn’t seem to get rid of. I pulled my ball cap down further on my brow, my blood simmering with irritation as I watched my bobber floating on the water. I’d fought hand to hand combat. Stood in battle next to some of the toughest men I know, but I couldn’t handle a damn woman.

“I told you to stay away from her, didn’t I?” Holden said, reeling in his line. “That bitch is fifty shades of crazy.”

I reeled in my own line and set my pole aside. Then I leaned over and grabbed another beer from the cooler. “It’s gone full on fatal attraction. She calls and texts me non-stop, telling me how much she needs me and how much she loves me. Yesterday, I finally had to change my number. And now I think she’s stalkin’ me. When I came out of the hardware store this morning, I could have sworn I saw her drive out of the parking lot.”

“You need to put a restraining order on her ass.”

“Seriously? I don’t think we need to go that far.”