wanted to show her why I worried, well, besides my jealousy. “But this is what I’m talking about. You couldn’t get away from me.”
“That’s because you’re a beast man. Most men aren’t built like you.”
“Yes, but there are plenty of men who are much stronger than you. You’re smart. You know that if you’re walking alone, you’re not safe. I’m worried. When Bill, the bellman downstairs, told me you went to walk the dog, I wasn’t worried that you’d run off with another man. I was worried you’d get hurt or some shit. What happened the first day we met?”
“Someone knocked me to the ground,” she reluctantly admitted.
“Precisely. I’m sorry that I seem controlling and paranoid but losing you would destroy me.”
“Then what about the money thing? That wasn’t to protect me. I wasn’t in physical danger.”
“No, I just wanted to have something to say to you. I wanted to care for you and all that shit a good man should be doing for the woman he loves. Look at me. I love you so much that I let that runt over there rip apart my ottoman the other day without freaking out. That’s got to count for something.”
“It does, but you’re still overprotective.”
“I can’t change that. Maybe one day when he’s a big powerful beast, I might relax because when you take him for walks, a bastard won’t dare approach or think about hurting you.”
“You do know you’re insane, right?”
She was softening, but her resolve was tougher than I gave her credit for. “Insane when it comes to you. Please don’t do this. Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m not, but I need to go home anyway. You need to trust me, and I need to get more clothes.”
“No…”
Elena reached around me and hit the button to get the elevator moving again. “Don’t ‘No’ me. I’m staying home alone and doing some thinking about us.”
“How long do you need?” I asked. I didn’t like this, but if I was going to get her to stay with me, I had to back down—for the time being.
“I don’t know.” She sighed looking up from her purse with her keys in hand.
Seeing her holding them only made me angrier. “Damn it. Come on, let’s get you inside. And don’t get on me about being bossy. You’re taking my soul with you, so I don’t have the patience to deal with this.”
“Please don’t do this, Dex. Don’t manipulate me into staying.”
I arched my brow at her because I didn’t think I was. I was pissed as fuck and beyond scared. She didn’t even know the truth and she needed space. I couldn’t tell her what I found out today or I’d lose her for good.
I didn’t kiss her goodbye because I couldn’t. All I did was wait for her to walk into her condo, then prayed for the patience not to knock down the door and carry her back to ours.
I walked back to my home ignoring any of my neighbors, but they were all used to it anyway. Changing into my workout clothes, I headed down to the lowest level of my building where I have my gym. The first thing I hit was the punching bag. I had a week of pure bliss and it was gone. I knew I shouldn’t have gone to work today. I beat the bag until I cut through my taped hands and started bleeding. That wasn’t enough, though, the weights were next. My heart was fucking breaking with each rep. It sucked that I could finally feel, and she claimed to care. She never told me she loved me, not that I wanted her to say it if she didn’t mean it, but it gutted me.
I was covered in sweat contemplating going over there, but I couldn’t. I had to show her it wasn’t about trust. It was about love and fear. I knew I’d fucked up, but I was new at this. Dropping the weights hard, I didn’t give a fuck about the noise. Let them bitch, and they’ll be out the damn door. It was my fucking building.
I roared loudly in anger then noticed the figure in the mirror. I turned and there she was. “Um…I thought about it.”
“And…I can’t be without you either,
“That’s because you’re a beast man. Most men aren’t built like you.”
“Yes, but there are plenty of men who are much stronger than you. You’re smart. You know that if you’re walking alone, you’re not safe. I’m worried. When Bill, the bellman downstairs, told me you went to walk the dog, I wasn’t worried that you’d run off with another man. I was worried you’d get hurt or some shit. What happened the first day we met?”
“Someone knocked me to the ground,” she reluctantly admitted.
“Precisely. I’m sorry that I seem controlling and paranoid but losing you would destroy me.”
“Then what about the money thing? That wasn’t to protect me. I wasn’t in physical danger.”
“No, I just wanted to have something to say to you. I wanted to care for you and all that shit a good man should be doing for the woman he loves. Look at me. I love you so much that I let that runt over there rip apart my ottoman the other day without freaking out. That’s got to count for something.”
“It does, but you’re still overprotective.”
“I can’t change that. Maybe one day when he’s a big powerful beast, I might relax because when you take him for walks, a bastard won’t dare approach or think about hurting you.”
“You do know you’re insane, right?”
She was softening, but her resolve was tougher than I gave her credit for. “Insane when it comes to you. Please don’t do this. Please don’t leave me.”
“I’m not, but I need to go home anyway. You need to trust me, and I need to get more clothes.”
“No…”
Elena reached around me and hit the button to get the elevator moving again. “Don’t ‘No’ me. I’m staying home alone and doing some thinking about us.”
“How long do you need?” I asked. I didn’t like this, but if I was going to get her to stay with me, I had to back down—for the time being.
“I don’t know.” She sighed looking up from her purse with her keys in hand.
Seeing her holding them only made me angrier. “Damn it. Come on, let’s get you inside. And don’t get on me about being bossy. You’re taking my soul with you, so I don’t have the patience to deal with this.”
“Please don’t do this, Dex. Don’t manipulate me into staying.”
I arched my brow at her because I didn’t think I was. I was pissed as fuck and beyond scared. She didn’t even know the truth and she needed space. I couldn’t tell her what I found out today or I’d lose her for good.
I didn’t kiss her goodbye because I couldn’t. All I did was wait for her to walk into her condo, then prayed for the patience not to knock down the door and carry her back to ours.
I walked back to my home ignoring any of my neighbors, but they were all used to it anyway. Changing into my workout clothes, I headed down to the lowest level of my building where I have my gym. The first thing I hit was the punching bag. I had a week of pure bliss and it was gone. I knew I shouldn’t have gone to work today. I beat the bag until I cut through my taped hands and started bleeding. That wasn’t enough, though, the weights were next. My heart was fucking breaking with each rep. It sucked that I could finally feel, and she claimed to care. She never told me she loved me, not that I wanted her to say it if she didn’t mean it, but it gutted me.
I was covered in sweat contemplating going over there, but I couldn’t. I had to show her it wasn’t about trust. It was about love and fear. I knew I’d fucked up, but I was new at this. Dropping the weights hard, I didn’t give a fuck about the noise. Let them bitch, and they’ll be out the damn door. It was my fucking building.
I roared loudly in anger then noticed the figure in the mirror. I turned and there she was. “Um…I thought about it.”
“And…I can’t be without you either,
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