Page 12 of One Quick Obsession

He had seen me at my weakest.

Just like my mother.

I pushed those thoughts from my head and went to work. Cage Lake and its resort was going to shine, and I was going to make it happen.

By the time I was done for the day, I was exhausted, and my feet hurt. I probably should be wearing more sensible shoes, and I did so when I was outside, but I liked my heels. I liked the way they made me feel, the way they made me look.

I liked that Hudson hated them. Not that I had seen him today and I wasn’t going to be too relieved about that.

I drove the winding road home, darkness settling in, and pulled into my garage. I loved my home, as small as it was. I didn’t live where the majority of people did in town, but I had my silence, and my alone time. I had three locks on each door, because being a woman alone wasn’t easy. I needed to be safe.

I changed into comfortable clothes, reheated my dinner from leftovers thanks to Luna, and settled onto the back deck, letting the sound of nature sink into my pores.

Off in the distance I saw a light, and smiled, knowing that Hudson was probably in his studio back there.

I wiped the smile from my face. Why did I have to know that? And why did he have to be my neighbor.

I sighed, and took another bite, before the sound of footsteps echoed through my backyard. I froze and reached for my dinner knife.

“I wouldn’t do that. Hello, Scarlett.”

I whirled, knife in hand, my plate shattering to the ground. Another dish in one day. I was going for a record. But as my ex stepped into the light, I couldn’t care.

I swallowed hard, my hand surprisingly steady as I held it out in front of me. “What are you doing here?”

“Is there a reason that you’re holding a knife at me?” Ronin asked.

My pulse raced—just the idea of him nearly sending me into a pure panic. I hated the fact that he could do this to me. “Get off my property.”

“I just want to talk, Scarlett. We ended things on bad terms. And I need you to get my side of the story.”

Of course that’s what Ronin wanted. Or at least said he wanted. Because he would never be the villain, only the victim in his own story. “There is no your side of the story. You hit me.”

He sighed, giving me those sweet puppy dog eyes that I might have fallen for once, but now could only see the lies beneath. “It was an accident. I was angry. I didn’t mean to take it out on you.”

“You hit me. And it’s never happening again. Now go away.”

“And you think threatening me with a little steak knife is going to help you?”

“I don’t care. Just go.” Bile coated my tongue, and my hand began to shake.

His gaze caught the movement and his lips twitched. “Do you even know what to do with that, Scarlett?”

Lifting my chin, I tried for the strength I knew I needed to maintain even if it were only veneer. “Just come closer and see.”

“Okay then.” I should have stayed silent. I should have done anything. But instead he took a step forward, and I swiped out, knowing it was no use. Ronin used to box and then went into MMA. Not the legal stuff. Not the things that were about passion and strength and showing your humanity.

No, it was about beating someone brutally because you could.

He knocked the knife out of my hands and shoved at my shoulder. “I just wanted to talk. Why do you make things so hard?”

Heart beating rapidly in my chest, I lifted my knee and slammed it into his balls. He staggered back, cupping himself, even as he shouted. I ran inside, closed the door, and locked all three locks, tears sliding down my cheeks.

“I just wanted to talk, Scarlett,” he shouted through the door.

And I stood there, my head pressed against the door, waiting for him to leave. And when he finally did, I sank onto my welcome mat, wondering why he wouldn’t leave me alone.

My phone buzzed on the counter where I had left it in a fog of exhaustion, and I reached up for it, hand shaking. I nearly knocked it to the ground before I caught it.