Craved Mate: Cybermates, Ayers, Candace [the rosie project .txt] 📗

talk about how you’re going to handle any retaliation they might throw at you?”

“Not at the moment, no.”

“Maybe I should wait and do this face to face.”

“Stop procrastinating!”

“Right.” I grabbed my phone again and blew out a shaky breath. “Okay. Here goes nothing.”

The first call went to voicemail. Not wanting to be a complete asshole and break up in a recorded voicemail message, I hung up and called him right back. When he finally answered, he sounded pissed. “Mel? It’s fucking late. What is it?”

I hadn’t thought through what I wanted to say, exactly. How I wanted to say it. I panicked at hearing his voice and just stared at Ingrid with wide eyes. What was I supposed to say?

“Mel?”

My throat constricted like it would rather close than allow words to slip through. I made a distressed face and waved my arm around while Ingrid’s face contorted with a stern, scolding look and she used corresponding hand gestures. She was right. I had to do it. Balls to the wall, Mel.

“She must’ve butt-dialed me.”

Huh? Okay, that was unexpected. Ingrid’s appalled expression spoke doubly for me—who the hell was he talking to?

“Adam?”

My ears listened so hard, I swear I heard the faint rustle of his silk sheets. “Mel, honey. Hey, what’s up?”

“Who’s with you?” A sense of frightening calm flowed through me.

“What? No one. What’s going on, baby?”

“Who were you talking to?”

Ingrid balled up her fist and shook it at my phone.

I could hear the guilty defiance in Adam’s voice. I knew I should feel a sense of outrage, maybe even yell and scream a little, but it would have been such a farce, and I didn’t even want to waste the energy. The truth was, I didn’t care whom Adam was with. No, that wasn’t the truth either. The real truth was I felt relieved. Like the weight of the world had lifted from my shoulders. “You’re not alone.”

He stuttered. “I, uh, there’s no one here. It was the TV.”

“Adam, it’s time we ended this relationship. I think we both know it’s not working.” It felt so good to say the words aloud. “This isn’t what either of us wants. And not even because it’s three in the morning, I recognize that voice, and I’m pretty sure you’re cheating on me. It’s because you and I clearly aren’t happy together.”

“What the fuck?”

“It’s over.” I suddenly felt so light, so free, that a giggle escaped my lips. “You and I are over, and it feels so good to say that. I’m sorry. I don’t mean to laugh, but this was never right. You know that.”

“Oh hell. What the fuck are you talking about? I’ve spent a year of my life trying to please you. Now you’re just gonna walk out because you’re having some fucking midlife crisis.”

When the sound of a woman’s voice in the background became clear, I just grinned. “Call it what you want. I don’t care.” Ingrid and I exchanged glances. “I have plenty of time left to find my path, but I don’t want to waste another second of the time I do have on you. I hope the woman warming your bed right now makes you happy, Adam. Good luck!”

As soon as I hung up, Ingrid all but exploded. “I cannot believe he dared to imply you’re middle-aged. That pig! Oh, I am going to shove my heel so far up his bum when I see him. And he’s cheating on you? But still thinks you should move in and play the next Mrs. Moro? That dirty, rotten bastard! I told you he was a puss-dripping knob, didn’t I?”

I was already up and moving around the room, giggling as I stripped out of my leggings and shirt. “I don’t even care. None of that matters. I feel fantastic—like a new woman.”

She watched as I changed into cute underwear and a sundress. “You’re not angry? Also, what are you doing?”

“I’m not angry. I feel great! I feel like I just lost that last fifteen pounds I’ve been working on for the past ten years. I’m free.” I shoved my feet into my flip-flops and stopped in front of the mirror to see if my hair and makeup were still okay. “You were right. I should’ve washed my hands of that man long ago.”

“Where are you going?”

“I’m going to try to find Mac. I know it’s crazy, but dumping Adam just gave me a new outlook and a new motto—carpe diem. I’m not waiting another second for my life to begin. There’s something there between Mac and me and I want to know what it is.”

She laughed and clapped her hands together. “Yeah! There’s my girl. Go out there and get your world rocked.”

I stood at the bathroom mirror brushing my teeth and talking around the toothpaste foam. “I love you. I’m sorry for SOS-ing you and then ditching you.”

“Forget that. Go shag your firefighter.”

I spit, rinsed my mouth, ran a quick brush through my hair, then grabbed my purse. “This is going to sound crazy and I’m sorry for dropping this bomb and running, but I think this island is…different.”

“Different how?”

“Magical?”

Ingrid’s brows rose almost to her hairline. “What?”

“Just hear me out. I saw something the other night…” I snickered. “I saw a polar bear walk out of the water. Then the bear…it turned into a man.” I bit my lip and shook my head. “I know it sounds insane, like I’ve lost my mind, but I really saw it. I think some bizarre things are going on here on Sunkissed Key.”

“I knew it! Well, I didn’t know, exactly, but I prayed and prayed for it to be real and it’s finally happened.”

I just stared incredulously at her. This was not the response I expected, but at least she wasn’t talking about having me committed.

“Don’t look at me like that. I read paranormal romance all the time and everyone knows that all fiction is based at least partly on fact. Is it such a stretch to believe that