When You're Mine (MINE #3)(28)
He’s here.
Honesty is the first chapter in the book of wisdom.
~ Thomas Jefferson
“Goddammit!”
I yelled, dropping my fist to the steering wheel. Catching Maddie flinch out of the corner of my eye, I tried not to completely lose my shit. But damn, it was hard. Just the thought of her with that guy made me crazy enough, but her getting upset because someone else f*cked him was going to send me right over the edge.
Neither of us spoke as we made our way inside the house. Maddie dropped her purse on the couch, heading straight for the bedroom while I flipped on the lights. “Where do you think you’re going?” I gritted, my anger completely taking over.
“To change and get ready for bed.”
“The hell you are. We’re doin’ this shit right now.”
She crossed her arm, narrowing her eyes. “I’m not talkin’ to you until you calm down.”
“Trust me, this is as calm as it’s gonna get until you start giving me some answers. Who the f*ck is that *?”
“Please, don’t call him that.”
Blood pounded in my ears as the last bit of my control snapped. “I can call him whatever the f*ck I want. You’re mine and if you think for one second I’m gonna stand here and let you defend another man to me… you’ve got life seriously f*cked up.”
“Holden, Barrett and I are friends. He was my boss when I worked in Boston. He’s the one who’s been helping me get everything organized to open the firm.”
I felt like I’d been punched in the gut. “What?” Every muscle in my body quivered with rage. “Let me get this straight. You’re friends with a guy you used to f*ck and I’m supposed to be ok with that?”
“I didn’t tell you because our relationship is strictly professional.”
“Bullshit,” I gritted, tightening my fists.
She threw her hands up. “So now you don’t trust me?”
“This isn’t about trust. It’s about honesty. You f*ckin’ lied to me,”
“I did not lie to you. I withheld the truth. And for good reason, apparently. The fact that he and I shared a physical relationship in the past is completely irrelevant to our relationship now.”
This was the woman I gave my life to. The one I shared my secrets with. The one I loved above all else. Maddie had kept something from me. That knowledge alone was crippling. Her standing here, defending herself…
Unf*ckingbelievable.
I took a step forward, hovering right above her face. “This is our life, our marriage. I don’t give a shit what you say, withholding the truth is the same as lying. How would you feel if I told you I talked to Alexis every day, huh?”
“That’s not the same and you know it,”
“I’m in love with you so the fact that I f*cked her in the past is irrelevant, right?”
“That’s not what… I…”
“Exactly.”
I could put up with a lot of shit, but lying and cheating were deal breakers for me, and she damn well knew it.
I’d done nothing wrong.
Holden was acting as if he couldn’t trust me and damn if that didn’t cut deep. Maybe I should have told him about my previous relationship with Barrett.
Ok yes, I should have told him.
But he was being ridiculous. Holden knew how much I loved him. He had absolutely nothing to worry about. I would never ever cheat on him. Ever. I loved him more than anything, and I have never questioned if he’s the one.
Our fights were always about stupid shit. Like when he forgets to put down the toilet seat, or wears his muddy boots through the house. But this was serious. This was the biggest fight we’d ever had. Well, since the whole Alexis debacle. Ugh… her name alone sent heat roiling through my veins. Wonder if this was how Holden felt. Even though our situations were completely different, and there was no way in hell I would ever let that bitch within ten, no make that a hundred feet from my man without clawing her beady eyes out, I could certainly understand how he felt. I would f*cking kill him if I found out he was talking to her behind my back, and then I would kill her.
I stomped off to the bedroom. Which was what I normally did any time we argued and Holden always came after me. Most of the time he would give me a little space, but then he would be right there, in my face… talking shit out. Either with his mouth, his hands, or his words, he always found a way to make it right, unwilling to let it go until we put the issue to rest. Just one more reason why I loved him so damn much.
It was just after 4 a.m. and he still hadn’t come to bed. My heart twisted in my chest as I sifted through everything that had happened. I was still in shock, and hurt. Was it because they’d slept together? I thought about that carefully.
No… that wasn’t it.
What hurt the most was the fact that Tabitha didn’t tell me. I was shocked… yes, but mad… no.
Tabitha and Barrett.
Wow… I sure as hell never saw that coming. I knew something wasn’t right. The fun and carefree woman I once knew seemed to no longer exist. She now carried a calm reserve and there was a distinct hint of sadness hidden in her soft green eyes. I’d chalked it up to tension between her and her father. From what she’d told me, their last meeting had been pretty intense and did nothing to repair their estranged relationship. Tabitha wasn’t one to dwell on shit, so I tried not to pry. She would talk about it when she was ready, but until then she would deal with it in her own way.