Disclaimer is same as always. It ain't mine.
Little angsty one shot for the JE FF group February Prompt. It's got a happy ending though
Steph POV:
The nerve of him! After everything that's happened, everything we've gone through to make it work. The first sob of many wracked my body, and my phone fell from my hand, clattering to the ground. My knees buckled, and I fell back against the couch with my head in my hands. My body shook as the tears flowed. The best year of my life had been a lie.
I didn't know how long I sat there; long enough for me to miss a few phone calls. I picked up the next call from Mary Lou. Wiping my cheeks with the backs of my hands, my gaze found the black box wrapped in red satin ribbon on the coffee table as I answered with a soft hello.
"Steph, honey I'm so sorry."
"It's okay, you would think I would be used to it by now," I laughed humorlessly.
"Don't say that. He's a good for nothing asswipe if he's cheating on you."
"Thank you." I laughed softly at hearing her call Carlos, no Ranger, an asswipe. "What were you doing there?"
She hesitated before answering. "I was setting up Lenny's Valentine's Day present."
"Well, I don't want you worrying about me. I'm fine. You and Lenny deserve to have tomorrow together."
"Steph…"
"I'm serious. I want you to have fun for me, alright?"
"Call me if you need anything?"
"Sure," I replied although we both knew it wasn't the truth.
"Kick his ass for me, Steph."
I laughed softly. "Love you too, Mary Lou."
I sighed, hanging up. My eyes drifted back to the box. The receipt was in my purse. The day before Valentine's Day, the lovers' holiday, and now that I knew I meant nothing to him, I knew this gift wouldn't either. Standing, anger and sorrow flooded through me. I couldn't dwell on it now; after taking this back I could figure out how to proceed from there.
Snatching up both my purse and the present, I strode towards the door, pausing briefly to put my jacket on. I moved with a purpose, making the trip to the mall in Philly a blur. All I remembered was the anger I felt.
Was there something wrong with me? All three men I'd had a serious relationship with had gone somewhere else, turned their back on me and found comfort in another woman's arms. I shook the thoughts from my mind as a new wave of anger pulsed through my body.
My strides didn't get any shorter when I got to the mall; if anything, I grew more determined. I walked into the store, heading towards the returns department. A flash of black in my peripheral vision revealed the object of my anger.
Our eyes met. His were full of confusion, then warmth, then confusion again. My eyes, no doubt, were dark with anger. I had a feeling my face was still swollen from crying. I didn't just feel like shit, I probably looked like it too, but I didn't care.
He walked towards me; a box similar to mine in his hands. Who was he shopping for who? Me or his mistress? Either way, I didn't care.
He stopped in front of me, and his hand came up to cup my cheek. I took a step back, and his eyes flickered with an emotion I couldn't define. "Are you alright, Babe? It looks like you've been crying."
"What do you care?" I snapped.
His face hardened; his jaw clenched as he spoke. "Why wouldn't I? Tomorrow is Valentine's Day, and my woman is in a store, crying."
"You're off the hook, you don't have to care anymore!" I growled, trying to walk past him. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me to him.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means you can go fuck yourself, you thoughtless, heart breaking, heartless cheating bastard!" I growled, tears pooling in my eyes. I yanked my wrist from his hand as his body went lax from shock. "Surprised I found out? Looks like the man of mystery isn't as secretive as he thought he was."
I tried to walk past him again, but he yanked me back to him. "Babe, let's go home and talk about this."
"Fuck you!" I seethed.
"Stephanie, I don't know what is going on. I don't want to do this here. Please come with me. I don't know why you think I cheated on you, but I haven't."
"Whatever," I scoffed.
"If you come with me and don't believe me, I'll let you go," he said. I glanced up at him, my jaw clenched, and nodded. I made sure to put a few feet between us as we walked. I opened the door to his SUV before he could.
I sat in my seat, hands in my lap on top of his present. I refused to look at him, but I knew his gaze kept flicking to me, hoping maybe he could get a hint of what happened, maybe meet my eyes.
He pulled up in front of the gate to our house, using the key fob to open the gate. He drove through, parking in front of the house. I slid out before he could come around. I followed him inside, silent into the kitchen. He poured two glasses of wine; ahhh, it would be that kind of discussion.
The only time Ranger ever poured wine before we talked was when he was pissed. When he needed something to reign in his anger. "What exactly has caused you to label me as a heartless, cheating bastard?" he asked, voice low and coming through clenched teeth as he studied me over the rem of his glass.
"Like you don't know," I scoffed.
"No, I don't know!" he growled, setting his glass on the counter, glaring at me. "If I knew, I would address it."
My hand clenched around the edge of the counter. I took a deep breath, a knot forming in my throat, eyes burning. "Answer me this. Tomorrow, would you have spent the night warming my bed or your mistress's? Would your body be wrapped around her's or mine? Holding hands, legs tangled up... Would it have been her straight blonde hair or my curly brown hair? Which one do you prefer?"
He looked speechless. "What the hell are you talking about? I don't have a mistress. You're the only woman I've been with for nearly two years now."
"What if I told you I had pictures?" I snarled.
"I wouldn't be worried because there wouldn't be any pictures!" he yelled back.
I found my phone and in a fit of rage, threw it at his chest. He caught it, opening the pictures. I watched as his expression changed, flickering from anger, to confusion, then a mixture of worry and anger.
"This is an informant." His voice flat, face displaying no emotions.
"Last I knew, you didn't need to plow an informant to get information. Usually, they give it up for a few bucks."
"I admit this looks bad, but it isn't what you think."
"Then tell me what the fuck it was!"
"She's an ex." He paused, looking up at me. "But it isn't what you think!"
"Really? You tell me that the woman you were with was an ex-girlfriend. Do you realize that you're coming out of a hotel? Do you know how that fucking looks? Even if you weren't doing anything, you were in a hotel with your ex! You told me you couldn't meet me for lunch because you were working."
"I screwed up, alright, but I never once lied to you. I've done a lot of shit in my life, but loving you is different." He let out a sigh. "I was working… I was working on your Valentine's Day present. Veronica is a personal shopper. She has incredible connections. She was helping me set up your present."
"How am I supposed to believe that?"
"Check our account, Steph! Everything was charged to our bank account today." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Maybe it wasn't the brightest idea to ask my ex for help to set up my Valentine's Day present for my woman. Okay, it wasn't the brightest idea, but I would never cheat on you Steph. I'm in love with you, Babe. I only want you."
"Do you understand how this looks? First, you're at a hotel with another woman, and then you lie and tell me it's an informant, and then admit you were there with an ex?" I asked him, my voice cracking.
"I know, I know it looks bad, Babe. I…For tomorrow, I planned to stay in bed with you late into the morning. A brunch would be set up by the time you came down from your shower. We would leave, going to Philly. We would go to the hotel and get a couple's massage and you would stay for a day of pampering before we would go to dinner. We would be on the top floor of one of Philly's highest buildings overlooking the water and enjoying our dinner. Then I would give you your present." He sighed softly, running his hand through his hair again.
I sat on the stool at the counter. "Nothing happened?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.
"Nothing happened, Babe," he said, walking around the counter. He approached me slowly like you would a wounded animal. I guess that was the best way I would describe myself right now also.
He stood between my legs, cupping my cheeks. His thumbs stroked over my cheeks. "I'm a dumbass. I'm sorry you thought I cheated on you, even if it upsets me that you think I would. If it makes you feel better Veronica is married… to a woman. Jessica is very nice."
"I'm sorry," I said softly, burrowing my face into his neck.
He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me close and I held on tight. "I just… even after all this time of us being together…."
"I know, Babe," he said, kissing the top of my head. "I can't say I don't get jealous when I see you with other men. Even just Tank or Les."
"Oh, I wouldn't call what I was jealous. It was more like I was going to wait until you go see her and then walk in on you two and set the bed on fire," I muttered.
He looked down at me with a slightly concerned look. "On fire?"
"Mmm. The last two times a man wronged me something got set on fire. A third time makes me a serial arsonist."
"I love you, Babe."
"I love you, too, Carlos," I said, kissing him softly.
"So, what's in the box?" he asked. I raised an eyebrow.
"It's supposed to be for tomorrow."
"I'll let you look at mine, if you let me look at yours," Carlos grinned. I laughed, smacking his chest. I picked up the present and handed it to him. I bit my lip as he opened it.
He raised an eyebrow. "Plug it in and turn it on." I prompted. He reached around me and pushed the plug into the socket and flicked the switch. I hadn't removed the memory card yet, figuring I would do it when I got to the counter. I was nervous about him seeing some of those pictures.
I saw his eyes widen slightly as the first pictures flashed across the screen. A few weeks ago, I had snuck out to a photographer; taking boudoir pictures was something I had been nervous about, but they had turned out wonderful. It was kind of cheesy to get him a digital picture frame, but I knew he wouldn't just want to have one.
Pictures of us flickered through also. Carlos grinned and kissed me. "You look gorgeous, Babe."
"Those are the less risque ones." I smiled against his lips. "The others are on a flash drive, in our bedroom."
He groaned softly. "Babe."
'So, what'd you get me?"
"You mean what's in this box?" He grinned. "This isn't the only thing I got you."
I rolled my eyes as he handed me the box. "Of course, it isn't."
I opened it and felt my breath catch. "Carlos?"
"Open them."
Inside the big box were three other boxes. A necklace box, a bracelet box, and a ring box. My eyes left him to open the smallest of the boxes. I almost cried looking at the ring inside. "It's gorgeous."
The ring was titanium with white and black diamonds twining together in a pattern. Carlos lifted the box from my hands and slipped it on my middle finger. I smiled and wrapped my arms around his neck kissing him.
"It's beautiful."
"You were half scared to death." He chuckled.
"I thought it was an engagement ring," I muttered, a blush spreading across my cheeks. He grinned.
"You said you didn't want one of those, and you would let me know when you wanted one."
"And I will." I smiled. He leaned down and gave me a light kiss.
"Open the other two."
I did so on his prompting and shook my head. "This is too much."
"I don't think anything I could ever give you would be enough, Babe." He smiled, nuzzling his nose against mine. I sighed with a smile, wrapping my legs around his waist.
"Take me to bed," I purred. He chuckled.
"Whatever your heart desires milady."
Don't be scared to let me know what you think!