“But we’re not together, Sarah. Never will be. You need to get your twisted, fucked-up mind around that,” I yell, and she flinches. Guilt eats me up inside, and I bite my tongue, holding back on hitting her with more scathing truths. She’s spent the past sixteen years trying to bend me to her will. Trying to convince me in one way or another that we need each other. Trying to make me see the devastation and pain we caused wasn’t entirely for nothing. It’s never been hard to resist her advances, or her fucking whip. But I’ve never lost my rag. I’ve always maintained my cool, laughed it off, shook my head in despair sometimes. Not today. Today, I’m done.

“Stop believing in something that has never been there. Wake up. See the truth. I am not yours.” I yank the door open and leave, closing my eyes when I hear the unmistakable sound of her sobbing.

Fuck!

John is on his way down the corridor toward me, and he pulls his wraparounds off, revealing his deadly glare. “What did you do?”

“Told her some home truths,” I snap, barging his shoulder as I pass. It wasn’t a conscious move, but his body is wide, and this corridor isn’t.

“Watch it, boy,” he warns menacingly, his threat palpable. “Don’t think I won’t kick your motherfucking arse all over this place.”

“I’m out of here.” I pick up my pace, itching to escape.

“Be wise,” he calls. He’s not talking about my lack of respect for him. Of course he’s not.

“I’ll call you tomorrow.”

“I might not answer.”

He’ll answer. John always answers. I make it to my car and sling my suit on the back seat, before getting behind the wheel and revving the engine hard a few times, taking out my frustration, my fury, my hopelessness, on my car.

All I can hear is Sarah’s laugh. All I can see is her amusement.

Am I that laughable? That . . . beyond hope?

I rub at my forehead, lifting my arse from the seat to dig out my phone. “I’m sorry,” I say to myself as I message Sarah. I am literally all that woman has. And she’s scared. I get that. But she needs to face the truth and let me go.

It’s not the first time I’ve needed a woman to do that.