“But you went to her.”

“Because I had no choice. I wasn’t coming to you until I was at least somewhat of a decent dude. Until I was the man you deserved. Now, stop this and come here, hug this out. Your blood pressure is probably through the roof, and I hate when you’re mad at me.”

But her tears rushed down her face, her eyes full of hurt and rejection, and he didn’t understand. She said she forgave his past. Why was she acting like this?

“No. Go.”

He held her gaze for a long time, the tension so thick he almost choked. She needed time to calm down. He had no problem giving that to her, but not until he proved his point.

“Fine, I’ll go, maybe for a drink since, apparently, I’m still that guy.”

Was it childish? Yes, but she was on a whole other level of crazy and he needed to knock her down.

Her eyes narrowed. “You wouldn’t dare.”

“Maybe I will. You are willing to throw away this relationship, not care about how hard I’ve worked to be the man you deserve. Instead, you’re flipping your shit over someone who means nothing to me and telling me to go.”

“You know that’s not true, and you better not! I’m losing my shit because you didn’t want me—”

“Because I didn’t fucking deserve you, Kacey! Shit, when are you going to get that through your head!” he roared, causing her to flinch in surprise. “I had to fix me, and it doesn’t matter who the fuck I had to help me get there as long as I got there. But you don’t see that, all you see is your pride and jealousy. But what the ever-loving fuck ever, I’ll leave, give you a chance to clear your head. Call me when you want me to come home,” he said before stomping away from her and slamming the door for good measure.

But as his foot hit the bottom stair and she didn’t come to stop him, his heart stopped.

Why didn’t she follow him?

He walked extra slowly to his truck, looking back at their house, fully expecting her to come out, but she didn’t. Reaching his truck, he looked back and let out a long breath, his heart pounding in his chest. He could see her in the kitchen, collapsed against the island, her body shaking, and he worried what this could do to their daughter. She needed to calm down, but was she actually going to let him leave?

Pulling his phone out, he texted her.

Jordie: You’re not going to stop me?

Kacey: No. You need to go.

Jordie: Did we break up?

Kacey: I don’t know.

Jordie: ?????

Kacey: I just need a second to think.

A second?

A fucking second?

This frustrating woman was going to drive him to his demise.

Getting in his truck, Jordie slammed the door hard and pulled out of the driveway, his tires spinning against the asphalt before he sped down the road, headed God knows where. He knew he could go to Karson’s or even Karl’s, but for some reason, he drove past their houses. He did take notice of the few bars he passed, but he wouldn’t give them a second glance. He didn’t want a drink; he wanted Kacey to get her head out of her ass and get it together. Before he realized what he was doing, he was passing by the arena and found himself pulling into the condos that Benji lived in. Parking his truck near Benji’s, he got out and went up the stairs, then banged on his door.

Pulling it open, Benji’s eyes widened in surprise. “Jordie?”

“Sorry I came without calling, but me and Kacey just got in a huge fight, and she’s fucking crazy.”

Benji threw the door open and turned. “Want something to drink?”

“Jack and Coke?” Jordie asked hopefully.

“I got you on the Coke,” he said before grabbing two cans as Jordie fell back on his plush black couch. Looking at the TV, he saw that Game of Thrones was on, and he was starting to think that Benji was a tad bit obsessed.

Handing Jordie a Coke, Benji sat down in his recliner, shutting off the TV and saying, “So, tell me what happened.”

He did and Benji listened, not asking questions or anything. He let Jordie get everything out and it felt good. If he had gone to Karson and Karl, they would have questioned him, made sure he hadn’t hurt Kacey, which he hadn’t and he never would intentionally. She would always be their first priority, and he understood that. She was the baby, but she was wrong. He knew that.

“I mean, you can’t control what she feels. But, dude, you did do her dirty before,” Benji said and Jordie’s jaw dropped.

Maybe he wasn’t right.

“But she’s wrong to freak out like this.”

“Sure, but you are wrong too. You knew from the beginning that she wanted to be there to help you. You didn’t go to her, for good reason, I agree with you there, but you went to someone else. Someone you never told her about.”

“I get you,” he said and he did, but Jordie still didn’t feel that he was in the wrong. “But she doesn’t matter the way Kacey does. I really never thought about that.”

“But Kacey doesn’t see that. She sees it as she wasn’t the one that fixed you, in a sense, and that bothers her.”

“That’s selfish! As long as I’m fixed, why does it matter?”

“Because as much as men are prideful, so are women, and Kacey is very prideful. I know that, and I don’t even know her that well. She takes pride in everything she does, and she loves you so much that she wanted to be the one to be there for you completely. Instead, Natasha was, and that bothers her.”