Chapter Forty-Six Wade

CHAPTER FORTY-SIX

Wade

These boys are actually telling me Mr they love nothing more than to see me fired up.

Haden stands and pats me on the back.

"Don't go getting your size fucking double xl boxers in a twist, I know it's natural for you to defend her. I'm sure you'd stick up for me like that too, Sarge. Wouldn't you?" He grins.

Nash takes his shot next and hits one of the targets, lets out a little "fuck yeah" then turns to me.

"In all seriousness, we know you and we just want you to admit it to yourself, that you care about her, we can all see it. The way you look at her, it's like a lit-up neon sign is stuck to your forehead that says, ‘I'm fucking obsessed with Ivy Spencer . ' You deserve to be happy, so don't let her or a potential future like that slip through your fingers," he says, like the sappy fucking romantic my sister has turned him into.

He and Cole grin like the shit disturbers they are.

"We're just getting your goat, you prick. You gotta choose sometime to settle down, you're getting up there." Cole smirks as he pops a nacho into his mouth.

"You're five years younger than me," I deadpan.

"Yeah, maybe, but at least I don't need to inscribe the word mine across my hand so I don't forget who's cock I'm fisting." Cole motions the universal gesture for jerking off and I look down at my newest ink and shake my head.

"I, for one, am appalled," Nash jokes. "I doubt your cock wants to be objectified like that."

"That's what I'm saying!" Cole adds. "Have some respect. Your cock's feelings matter."

Nash leans back then continues. "He stuck with you through the dry years …"

"Jesus fucking Christ," I mutter.

"Look, the honest truth is, we really just love to see you get that mushy little grin on your face whenever Ivy's anywhere within a fifty-foot radius of you." Cole chuckles.

My phone lights up with a new message from Ivy on the table, and at the precise moment they see it, they double over with laughter. I shake my head at them but I can't help but grin back.

"I rest my case." Cole points at my face.

Just as I feel like the afternoon can't get any more awkward than discussing the state of my love life with my brothers and my employee, the high-pitched tell-tale laugh of Janelle fills the air.

Motherfucker.

"We're not letting Janelle chase us out of here, we've got one more game, we're playing it. Just ignore her and her crew," Cole pep-talks me as Janelle saunters over to us.

I just got this woman out of my life for good in December when her financing came through, but she just had to walk into the bar I'm in on a goddamn Wednesday afternoon. She's with two women I've seen around town. They wait at the bar area.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't my favorite husband."

"Ex-husband," I correct.

"Actually, you're just the person I want to see, Wade. I was gonna call you tomorrow …" She looks at me, waiting for me to ask why, and when I take a sip of my beer instead of biting, she continues. "So, they finished the roofing job and I'm a little short for the remainder of the cash. I was hoping you could help me out."

I pull my hat up and rub my forehead. Of course she is. "Goddammit, Janelle, you had a refinance, you were supposed to set that money aside."

"How was the cruise? You know, the one you went on with Gemma last month?" Cole asks with a knowing and cocky look in his eye. He told me she went with Gemma to the Bahamas; Gemma bailed on Mabel's school play to go.

The funny thing is that Gemma and Janelle never even liked each other until they became our exes and started working together. Seems they bonded over the break-ups and formed a little anti-Ashby-men club. I shoot Cole a look that says why the fuck did you have to poke the bear? He sees it and shrugs.

"The cruise was just lovely, Cole, and none of your goddamn business, but thanks for asking," Janelle retorts, her blue eyes narrowing, not disguising her disdain for the way my brother has always called her out on her bullshit.

I study her face as I watch her. It's mid-afternoon and she already seems tipsy. She almost has a weathered look about her now, as if her years of drinking and partying have started to finally catch up with her. That would torment her to her core.

Her biggest fear is getting older. She's only in her mid-thirties but she looks quite a bit older. Comparing her to the delicious, vibrant woman I crave every moment of every day just seems so different now. Watching how incredibly confident Ivy is and the glowing beauty she emits daily reminds me I'm dealing with vastly different women. One is self-loving and the other self-loathing.

For a moment I feel really fucking sorry for Janelle. This will probably always be her life—alone, searching for the next man to make her feel good about herself, never getting that from within. I smile to myself.

Fuck, I'm starting to sound like Ivy. "Love the earth and your body" and all that shit.

Cole makes a face at Janelle and she back at him. I let out a sigh, and not wanting to make my business public, I grab her by the elbow and pull her into the hallway to the restrooms. Without even looking at him I already know Nash is shaking his head; he can't stand Janelle.

"Janelle, you're thirty-five years old, you have to start looking after your finances better. The house is yours, not mine. I'm not your husband anymore. I'm sorry, but you're on your own this time."

Janelle blinks in shock. She tosses her long bleach-blond hair over her shoulder.

"Wade, I'm almost two thousand short."

I can see the panic on her face. She reaches a hand out and tries to touch my chest. I instantly shrink away from it and grab it just as it brushes against me, placing it back down at her side. Only one set of hands touches my body, and they sure as fuck aren't Janelle's.

I set my jaw and settle in my stance.

"I guess you'll have to take some more shifts at Snippets," I say firmly, mentioning the hair salon she works at. "Or sell some of your expensive shit—your shoes, your purses. But you have to be the one to figure it out this time. I'm not putting one more penny into that house, it isn't mine anymore."

"Wade, you can't mean that," she scrambles, and I see the anger welling up in her eyes. "I can always count on you. It's your home too. In fact, I've been thinking about you, a-about us, all the things I did when we were together. I was wrong treating you like that." She shrugs pathetically, and one giant tear threatens to spill over her cheek.

How did I never see how manipulative this woman was before? Janelle moves closer to me, trying to entice me. It does the exact opposite. It does nothing but fucking turn me completely off.

"I was hoping we could maybe give things another shot? I-I think I'm ready to settle down, maybe have a family, and there's no other man for me, Wade. I'm still an Ashby. I haven't changed my name back because, truthfully, I was hoping there would still be another chance for us. I guess I just couldn't let you go. I still think about—"

I can't help myself, I start to laugh—out loud and hard.

Janelle blinks, and for a moment I feel like she might actually take my hint and stop talking.

I'm wrong.

"This isn't funny. I'm pouring my heart out here, Wade. You gonna tell me you don't think about giving things another try?"

I blink for a moment, actually asking myself if she's serious.

Holy fuck, she is.

"Janelle. That's never going to fucking happen. We're divorced for a reason." I look her in the eye so she knows I'm serious. "I don't love you anymore, and Christ, you were a fucking terrible wife to me in the end."

"You don't mean that, Wade—" She pauses as the light bulb goes off in her head "Wait, is there someone else?"

I grin at her, because there most certainly fucking is, but mine and Ivy's business isn't hers.

This feeling is so goddamn freeing.

I really and truly don't give one single fuck about her problems anymore.

"To put this as simply as I can, your problems aren't mine anymore. Can't pay the roofer? Maybe take out a loan." I pat her on the shoulder like I would a buddy, then turn to leave, but glance back at her before I do.

"And by the way, you most definitely are not a fucking Ashby. Get on changing that, yeah?" I leave her standing in the hall alone, and for thirty full seconds she doesn't move or say anything, then she storms by me, grabbing her girl crew, and barks out something about me not deserving her as she blasts through the front door.

Nash watches Janelle go, then looks back at me as I return to the boys and take a swig of my beer.

He chuckles and says, "Closed that door—fucking slammed it, actually." And then he offers me the biggest grin I've ever seen him wear.

I grin back.

Yeah, I did, and fuck does it ever feel good.