Page 47 of Sexting His Son's Ex
“You and I both know you’re not. He’ll figure it out. He’ll find me, eventually, and I need to be ready for whatever happens. Actions have consequences. I just wish I would have known just who I was dating before I made the decision to send his father fucking flowers. Who does that? Sends flowers? Do men even like flowers? He probably wasn’t even serious when he was talking to me. I bet he was toying with me the entire time.”
“Girl.” Her dramatic thin black eyebrow arches near her hairline. “You showed me a few of those messages. I doubt he was toying with you. Besides, he probably thought you were the one who was a threat.”
I lift my head and she grips my chin to force me steady.
“Hold still.”
“Sorry,” I mumble. “Why would I be a threat?”
“Oh, sweet, sweet Jovie. This man has allies everywhere, but with as many allies that he has, he has enemies too. He might have thought you were someone trying to distract him, to create a weak spot. Every outlandish theory you can think of, he probably thought it.”
My blood runs cold. I didn’t think about that. What Marlowe said is absolutely true. What if me disconnecting my phone means Santino thinks that whoever was on the other line is going to do something with the videos and pictures he sent me? He’ll be on a rampage to track me down to make sure those files won’t go public.
I wouldn’t ever do that anyway. I don’t have the heart to delete anything he sent me, but I will if that’s what’s needed. The last thing I want to do is cause any trouble.
Well, more than I’ve already caused.
“Hey, everything will be okay. I promise,” Jovie tries to reassure me, coating my lashes in mascara for the second time this morning.
If everything will be okay, then why do I feel sick? What have I done?
14
SANTINO
It’s beenan entire week of silence from my Ms. Smith.
An. Entire. Fucking. Week.
I’m furious.
There have been no flower deliveries, no messages, nothing, and my mind is racing with possibilities that have the same end result.
Kill whoever was behind those messages. Clearly my instincts were correct when I first got the flowers. Men don’t receive bouquets and I fell all too easily for the game.
I’m wondering who was behind it. What was the point of getting photos and videos of me fucking my own fist? If it got out to the public, all it shows is that I love pleasure and I have nothing to be ashamed about.
If anything, the images, and videos going public would only have my enemies hate me more.
I’m not sure what I’m most upset about. That I won’t get to talk to the person who made me look forward to every notification onmy phone or hope I felt when flowers would arrive, or getting the chance to pretend that the one behind the messages was Jovie.
Talking to this person helped me control my want for my son’s ex-girlfriend.
Now, there’s nothing holding me back for going to the flower shop myself and convincing Jovie to be mine—minus the loyalty I have to Luca.
I was patient with the person when it came to their privacy but now that’s all over. I’m done being nice. I’m done being patient. I want to know the person who let me down and betrayed me.
Standing, I walk to the bay windows that overlook my garden, taking in the beauty to try to relax my trigger finger. The familiar buzz can’t be ignored. I’m ready to kill and I’ve killed for a lot less.
The gardener begins to trim roses that I planted in my late wife’s honor. She loved all flowers, but roses were always one of her favorites. They’re beautiful this year. The roses are abundant on the bush. So many have bloomed. My favorite will always be the red ones, a seductive, fierce, powerful color.
A small pang aches my heart when I think of my late wife. She died when the boys were so young, it’s almost as if it was another lifetime ago. A different life. A time where I was a different man—a better man. Not one that is full of bitterness like I am now.
Whoever sent me flowers has a rude awakening coming to them. I’m not usually a man that falls in love easily, yet somehow, these flowers, a gesture so sweet and thoughtful managed to worm its way into my heart along with the texts between me and my unknown friend or foe?
I want more.
This person revived the part of me I thought was dead a long time ago and I want to know who is responsible.
