I step aside so he can leave and I remain in Evan and Emma’s bedroom. Alone.

8

I open the door and Lana’s standing there eavesdropping because that’s what a nosy bitch does. I try to move around her but she steps with me, blocking my escape. I place my hands on her arms. She thinks I mean to kiss her because she closes her eyes and leans in but instead I force her aside.

She grasps my biceps tightly, pressing her long claws into my skin. “I heard what she said. Your wife doesn’t want you the way you are—but I do.”

The more Lana says, the more I realize how much I hate her. I can’t believe I ever had a relationship with this bitch. “I’m not discussing my marriage with you.”

She shrugs. “Doesn’t sound like there’s a marriage to discuss. Your wife is repulsed by the person you are—the man I made you, per her words.” She advances toward me. “If she loved you, she’d be fine with who you are.”

I continue to hold her at arm’s length. “Stop. I don’t want to hear this.”

“I’d be okay with you having other women. You could bring them into our bed anytime you wanted.” She grins and gestures toward the door of Evan and Emma’s bedroom. “I’ve come to like it. Maybe you and me and Laurelyn could give it a try.”

What the hell is wrong with her? “I punched the last person who suggested something similar.”

“My tastes have matured since we were together. I like it rough.” She unexpectedly shoves me. I’m caught off guard and my back slams against the wall, making a loud thud. “So would you if you’d let me show you.”

She’s not just a bitch—she’s crazy. “You’re nuts and I’m done here.”

I push against her to escape but she locks her arms, pulling me with her against the wall. I stumble, landing chest to chest with her, causing another loud thump. “See? I knew you’d like it rough.”

She holds on to me tightly and her intent is no mystery. She wants L to open the door and see me with her like this.

And she gets what she’s after.

Laurelyn stands in the doorway staring at me tangled in Lana’s arms. I’m fucked—and not the way I want to be. “L. It’s not what it looks like.” That’s all I’m able to say before she storms past down the hallway.

“How fuckin’ cliché! At least have enough respect for me to be original.”

“Whoops,” Lana laughs.

I’ve never been violent toward a woman in my life but I have to fight the urge to put my fist in this one’s face. At the very moment I feel like I could explode, I punch my clenched hand through the wall next to her head. She appears somber and fear creeps into her eyes. She’s frightened by my display and potential of what I might do to her. Good. I hope I’ve managed to put a stop to her game. “I never want to see your face again.”

I push away from her to go find my wife and I see Evan still bartending as I pass through the kitchen. “Did Laurelyn come through here?”

“Umm … yeah. I think she went out the door to the garage.” I’m guessing she has Daniel on his way and plans to sneak out. She won’t if I have anything to do with it.

It’ll take him at least twenty minutes to get here so I walk over to the kitchen sink to wash my bloody hand. Evan calls out, “Whoa, bro! Who’d you punch?”

It stings as the cold water hits the open skin. “Not who. Tell Emma she can pick a new color for the hallway if she wants since you’ll be needing some sheetrock work.”

“I’m assuming that was no accident.”

“Definitely not. Laurelyn thinks she saw me fucking around with Lana.” Even I admit it must have appeared that way. “You know I wasn’t. She set it up to look that way.”

“I knew she was up to something when she called Emma out of the blue. She was fishing for an invite to the party so she could get to you and Laurelyn.”

Emma walks up. “Who wanted to get to you and Laurelyn?” She looks down at my hand. “Oh hell. What happened?”

“A shitstorm named Lana.” I don’t want to explain this again. “Catch Emma up. I gotta find L and explain.”

I go into the garage and find no trace of Laurelyn so I call her phone. I hear the faint Hawaiian rendition of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and follow its melody toward the courtyard. She’s sitting at the bistro table digging through her purse to find the noisemaker. I’m sure she wants to silence it so I don’t discover her hiding place. Too late.

She’s crying and it breaks my heart to guess what’s she’s imagining. “You’ll go away if you know what’s good for you.”

“I’ve already told you I know what’s good for me, and it’s you. Always you. That’s never going to change.” I want to go to her but I’m afraid she’ll push me away.

“Really? Because you sort of looked like you thought Lana might be good for you a few minutes ago.”

“Does it make sense that I would walk away from you and fuck around with Lana two seconds later when you could come out of the bedroom at any second and see me? Come on, L. You know that was a total setup. Just like her cornering you outside.” She doesn’t reply but she doesn’t dispute my allegation, either. “Babe, it’s impossible for you to wrap your head around the malicious things Lana is capable of because your heart is so good and pure. Trust me when I say she’s venomous. And determined. She’ll do anything to get what she wants.”

“She wants you.”

“And you too.”

She looks confused, as she should be. “What?”

“I’m not the only one she’d like to have. She proposed a threesome.” She looks as though she’s waiting to hear me say if I accepted or declined the offer. Shit, I can’t believe she’s at a point where I have to confirm that. “I said no.”

Lana has successfully fucked me after all.

“I think there’s been a lot of misunderstandings tonight and I want to clear them up.” I drop to my knees in front of L and take her hands. “I don’t want Lana, even though she tried to make it appear as though I did. I love you. You’re the only one for me.”

“That may very well be the case but I’m not ready to say all is well and get over what just happened.” She looks down as tears fall from her eyes. “I’m just so … damn mad.” Her words convey anger but her tears, along with the sob that follows, tells me she’s something else—in pain.