As I reach the sliding glass door, he says, “I know how it feels to lose the most important thing in your life.”

His voice is agony. The pain fills the air.

Turning around, I tilt my head and watch him. He still hurts from whatever loss he’s talking about. I recognize the pain. I’ve seen it in a mirror at least a thousand times. His agony hurts and I wonder what happened to him, but I remember that I don’t care, just as he never cared about me.

“Whatever you do,” he says. “Whatever I lose during this battle will never compare to it. So try your best, Solis. I’ll be here waiting for your best shot.”

“You’re not afraid to lose?”

He shakes his head. “Your target is material shit I can replace. If you take it away, I won’t care...but I’m glad you’re back and you’re on my turf, fighting me. I finally have the chance I thought I would never get.”

We stare at each other. I wish I knew what he’s thinking.

“You’re bluffing,” I say. “You haven’t seen me fight. I’ll win.”

He smirks. “I dare you to play dirty, just know I’ll play dirtier. The house never loses.”

Miller Archer says the last word, walks away and leaves me wondering what I just unleashed.

Thirty-Five

Miller

It's the second night without being able to sleep and counting.

She hates me. Claire fucking hates me. Her words felt like punches to the heart. My chest constricted by her admission. Moving to Denver might not be because of me, but while she’s here, she would enjoy seeing me splattered on the concrete bleeding.

Fine by me, while she declared war, I saw an opportunity. Last night I couldn’t rest because I kept thinking of ways to stay on her path. She wants to go to battle and I’m willing to fight.

We’re just not fighting for the same thing.

She wants to see me broken. I can’t believe she hasn’t realized I’m already damaged.

Look at me, Claire. Take a good look and see my cracks.

While she’s putting all her energy on crushing me, I’ll work hard to regain her trust…and for her. I don’t know how to do it just yet. I put myself in the middle of this clusterfuck.

As of right now, I don’t have a strategy to fix what I broke. I just know that whatever I do will be more than what I’ve done for the past couple of years.

Today, I decide to go to the office earlier. I should start working out later in the day. If I can avoid the downward facing dog show she puts on in the evenings, I might be able to keep my dick semi-hard instead of rock solid.