Chapter 14

CHAPTER 14

ZANE

A week goes by rather uneventfully. We spend that time simply enjoying each other’s company and slowly packing my stuff and moving it into her house since my lease is up soon. Since I’m off, we’re actually heading to my parents’ for Christmas as Violet would like to see my childhood home and she feels bad that my parents have traveled so much to see us recently.

That is still a few days away, though. Today, I demanded Violet and I get out of the house. It’s like her house is a black hole and Violet gets sucked away, lost inside, unless someone reaches in and pulls her out. Since I came home from the trip where I was injured, we have barely left. Groceries have been delivered, keeping the kitchen stocked. Violet has delegated any work at her office to Kayla.

I don’t think I’ve ever spent a solid week at home without leaving. Even during my time off, I left to go grocery shopping. I left to get fresh air. I left to visit Savannah. I’m about to lose my ever-loving mind.

So, today, I’m going over to Sydney’s to see Savannah and Andrew and Violet is going into her office to help Kayla on another round of kit shipments. We’re meeting afterward at a local restaurant to eat dinner.

“Zane,” Sydney breathes with relief when she answers the door. “I was starting to worry Violet kidnapped you and that you wouldn’t make it here until after Christmas. Savannah is gonna lose her mind.” She steps aside for me to come in. “She should be waking up from her nap any minute now.”

I follow her into the kitchen where she fixes me a glass of water and where Ian sits at their kitchen table.

“Hey, Z. How’s it going?”

“Good. Just waiting on my wrist to heal.” The team has been struggling since Thanksgiving. I’m out of the lineup for the time being, though I should be back next week if my wrist cooperates.

“What are you and Violet doing for Christmas?” Sydney asks, trying to move the conversation on to lighter topics. “Y’all can always swing by here.”

“We’re actually going home to spend time with my parents.” Before I can say another word, my eardrums burst as Savannah screams, “Z! You’re here!” She rushes over and jumps into my lap. “I’ve missed you,” she tells me in a much better tone as she throws her arms around my neck.

“I don’t even get that kind of greeting,” Ian grumbles.

“Hey,” I say to her. “I’ve missed you too. What have you been up to? What do you want Santa to bring you for Christmas?”

That’s all it takes for Savannah to talk nonstop for the next thirty minutes. It’s nice to spend time with my friends. I would be lying if I said I didn’t used to be envious of Ian and the family he has. That is what I’ve always wanted for myself. And now I have Violet.

When it closes in on time to meet Violet, I bid my friends farewell and drive to the restaurant. I don’t spot her car, but I text her to see if she’s here as I walk toward the entrance.

Five minutes pass with no response. Maybe her phone died? I walk in and am greeted by the hostess.

“Hey, I’m looking for my wife. Any chance she snagged us a table already?” I show a photo of Violet since it’s not like they would know her by name.

The hostess glances at the photo and then nervously shifts her gaze back to me.

“She was here.”

Was? “Where’d she go?”

The hostess takes a deep breath and rushes, “She left with some guy. Sorry.”

For a moment, I’m stunned. Clearly there has been some sort of mistake. Violet wouldn’t cheat on me.

Right?

I mutter a thanks and walk back outside to my car, attempting to call Violet, but there’s no answer. With a growing pit in my stomach as I remember every single woman who ever did me wrong, who basically said I wasn’t good enough, my mind runs circles around itself. Not wanting to think what the hostess was clearly trying to imply and not wanting to think about the potential reality that may await me, I anxiously drive home, hoping she’s there. Alone.

That ball grows tighter and darker when her car is there as well as a car idling in the street. Just because Violet left with a guy doesn’t mean she’s sleeping with him.

As I park and rush to the front door, it swings open before I can grab the knob. My breath is knocked out of me at the sight of Luukas Lathi, a young hotshot on the team. His shirt is balled in his hands, leaving him in just an undershirt and his pants. His hair is a mess, but I can’t tell if it’s messier than he normally keeps it.

My heart stalls.

This cannot be happening to me.

Again.

But why else would a teammate be at my damn house? I don’t think I introduced the two of them previously, but everyone on the team knows I married a chick named Violet while in Vegas.

“Where is she?” I grit.

“In the bedroom,” he answers easily. His mouth parts, but I interrupt him.

“You fuck her?” Fuck me . I shake my head in disbelief. Why else would he be here? Rage begins to rise within me. “Get out.”

His eyes widen. “Z?—”

“I won’t tell you again.” I push past him, needing to see for myself. This isn’t happening. It can’t be. But Violet’s clothes are flung to the floor. She’s face down, knocked out, with only her bra showing while the rest of her body is covered by her comforter.

This…I never expected this from her. I slide down the door frame, unsure what to do now. My mind is so fucking numb, all I manage to do is watch her sleep. How could she do this to me? Why would she go find someone else? What was wrong with what we had? Am I no good to her anymore? What the hell was she thinking?

All the warnings my parents and Cal threw at me about how she just wanted me for my money, wanted someone to take care of her filter through my mind. I don’t fucking understand. Did she use me and now she’s moving on to another teammate to use him? It doesn’t make sense but I can’t sort it out in my head either.

Violet tosses and turns all night. It gives me a little pleasure to see and that makes me dislike myself some. I feel as if at any moment I’ll explode, the rage unable to be contained any longer. Did she really sleep with Luke?

Violet groans and sits up with a hand to her forehead, causing me to sit up a little straighter.

“You know,” I start, causing her to startle and look at me with shock. “I’ve sat here all night, thinking. Trying to figure out what I did to deserve this. Trying to figure out how I found yet another woman who ends up fucking a teammate.”

Her brows furrow as her mouth pulls down into a frown. “Zane?—”

I should let her speak. I know. But it’s like there’s a shovel in my hands and I’ve no choice but to dig myself a bigger and bigger hole. There’s an ugliness inside of me. Speaking is the only way to purge it. Even as I hope I’m misunderstanding the situation.

“With Deanna,” I continue as if she didn’t speak, “that was all on me. She told me she was seeing other people. It was a surprise it was Brayden, but whatever. But you…” I shake my head. “I love you so much it fucking hurts to be away from you. Life is miserable without you in it. But this? This is unacceptable. I don’t even understand unless you really are the cheating gold-digging bitch everyone worried you might be, but I don’t care anymore.”

“ Zane —”

I push myself up and cut her off again. “It’s clear to me now why you were alone. You love to be miserable, so enjoy your miserable fucking life, Violet.”

She has the nerve to gasp as if I’ve hurt her . Maybe I have. Maybe she’s innocent. The words poured out of my mouth like vomit, unable to be stopped. I regret them the moment I’ve said them. I wait a beat to see if she’ll stay something, but she doesn’t.

A painstaking ten seconds of silence sucks all the air from the room. Her silence isn’t a denial. It’s confirmation.

Turning on my heels, I walk out of the house devastated that she doesn’t try to stop me, doesn’t get angry and call me a bastard for unfounded assumptions. She just sat there with her comforter clutched to her chest and tears rolling down her cheeks. To hell with her. I refuse to stick around for someone who clearly doesn’t want me again.