Exes and Oh's: Part 8

SERENA

"Are we going to talk about it? Or just pretend like Michael didn't just rock your world last week," I mentioned as Marley joined me at our favorite table at Fiona's Cafe for a late lunch. She handed me my caramel frappucino along with a side of avoidance. She knew this was coming. I was pushy and overprotective and wanted nothing but the world for her. I was concerned she and Michael were getting caught up in something they couldn't come back from.

Not that I wasn't heading in the same direction with Daniel, but I'd done my absolute best at avoiding him the entire week. A small victory in my eyes. We'd shared a brief moment of temptation in the cabin last weekend and although we both wanted to do more than fuel the sexual tension with hurtful words, we managed to keep it PG. Still, my thoughts had been x-rated the moment he dropped me off at my condo and he'd given me one of his cheesy smiles. I despised how much I actually missed them, but I really did. If I was anything, I was honest. Most of the time anyway.

"I haven't heard from him. Which obviously means he regrets it right? God, how did this even happen?..." Marley began to panic as she placed her hands on her temples and closed her eyes.

"Was the sex good?"

"I was sore the next day."

"Then he doesn't regret it. But you obviously do. Talk to him and tell him it was a one-time thing," I suggested and she took a sip of her macchiato drink as she avoided my gaze. I raised an eyebrow at her sudden silence and took a sip of my own drink before continuing.

"You actually like him?! Again? Fuck, Marley. No wonder he's keeping his distance."

"First of all, it takes two to tango. I know him. I know he feels the same way."

"Does he also know you're not over Freddy? Because that's a whole other problem," I reminded her and she groaned then took another sip of her drink.

"Can we talk about something else? How's that new project of yours going?" she changed the subject and while I wanted to yell at her some more, I was actually excited to talk about this new project.

"It's going great actually. I just need one more signature and I can start the demolition next week. It sucks I'll be working during Halloween but it's totally worth it." I started and continued to tell her about my ideas to tear down the old farmhouse Daniel and I had lived in while we were together. No one was occupying it now and it was just sitting there, practically begging for something new to be done to it. I planned on making the place a sanctuary for domestic violence victims. The property had enough acres to create a small village for all the victims to be in their own little cottages. It would also be a gated community, so no one would be able to break in with all the security I planned on surrounding the land with. Building the fences along the property alone was going to take months but I was willing to wait for greatness.

"That sounds amazing. So what's the hold up?" Marley asked, halfway through her drink as my excitement faded.

"I need Daniel to hand over the deed. Which will be a challenge since he worked his ass off building that house with Gabe. It's going to be hard convincing him to let it go," I replied in contempt as I remembered all those hot summer days we spent building and designing that house. It held a lot of memories. Good and bad. Mostly bad. I shook my head, not willing to go down that rabbit hole and focused on finishing my drink.

"Good luck with that." Marley grinned as she glanced at her phone to look at the time and we stood up as we cleaned the table and headed towards the exit of the cafe.

"We should do something this weekend. Spa day?" I proposed and she seemed relieved to hear those words come out of my mouth.

"I'm so down. I'll call you later?"

"I may or may not have a date so I'll text you with the details during my fake bathroom break," I reminded her and she smirked as we said our goodbyes and went to our separate cars in the parking lot. The moment I turned on my rental car, I heard my phone ringing, and I was surprised to see it was Big Jimmy calling when I pulled my phone out of my purse. He was the town's glorified mechanic but he was also the slowest. I'd been here almost ten years and I still couldn't believe the steady pace people took in Texas. I was used to how fast everything was back in New York. I wondered if Big Jimmy was calling to tell me I was going to be left another week without my car.

"Hey, Big Jimmy. Any updates?" I asked as I connected the Bluetooth in the car to my phone and waited to hear Jimmy's voice through the speakers as I backed out of my parking space.

"Your car is ready to go. You can come pick it up now if you got the time," Big Jimmy answered in his southern accent, full of charisma and kindness and I smiled, relieved at the good news.

"I'll be there in a few. Thanks, Big Jimmy."

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Entering Big Jimmy's shop, I noticed all of his hired help and sent them all a wave of appreciation. They were all filthy, with grease stains on their overalls and faces. I loved a man who knew how to get dirty.

"Hey there." The greeting came from one of Jimmy's managers, whose bright blue eyes captured my attention and I certainly didn't mind giving him more of it later on. His smile widened as I stepped closer to shake his hand and he held his clipboard at his side.

"Hello to you too. Shawn right?" I noted, glancing at his name stitched into his uniform and he nodded in response, keeping his smile bright and friendly. The man was tall, medium build, with beautiful shaggy hair and I had the sudden urge to run my fingers through it.

"Yes ma'am. Your car is ready to go. We're just glad we had an extra pair of hands this week. We might've had your car here for another week or so otherwise," he informed me and I winced at the information, still glad it wasn't the case.

"Well, are those extra pair of hands here today? I'd like to thank them," I flirted shamelessly, and the man managed to blush. While I admired how adorable he was, I hadn't noticed the buzz killer he was pointing to was Daniel. He greeted me with a slightly scorned expression, then straightened as he handed the keys over to me, making me realize it had been him who had fixed my car, not Shawn.

"You two know each other?" Shawn asked, breaking the awkward tension in the room.

"He's--"

"No. We don't know each other. But she sure is something, ain't she?" Daniel replied sharply and I sent him one of my infamous death glares before he started to walk away.

"Can you give us a minute, Shawn?" I asked, and Shawn nodded, sending me a disappointed look before he left. I caught up to Daniel as he headed towards the side of the building, where they held a freezer full of ice with beer. He lifted the opening and took out a bottle before slamming the freezer door closed. I sighed deeply and pulled at his arm so he'd face me. His back pressed against the brick wall behind him, but his hand pulled at mine, forcing me into his personal space, allowing me to enjoy just how delicious he smelled.

I cursed his existence before I glanced down at his lips and watched him take a sip of his beer.

"Thanks. For the car. And you know...fixing it," I expressed as he lifted his hand up to my cheek, and his fingers cradled the back of my neck, pulling my lips closer to his. Walk away. Just walk away. That's all I had to do. Why weren't my legs moving? Damn it.

"Anytime. Can I kiss you now or do you need to go flirt some more?" he replied, trying his best to push my buttons. I glared at him as I tugged on his hair and let him kiss me.

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The backseat of my Mustang had held its share of car sex, and all of it had been with Daniel. He had gifted it to me on our third anniversary, which also happened to be on Halloween. I remembered that day so clearly and how pissed I had been at him because I thought he had forgotten about the half planted magnolia trees in the front yard. It looked horrible and I knew he had done it out of spite because we had had one of our nasty fights the previous night. The next day, he showed up with the same Mustang I'd told him so many times that I favored. We forgave each other and the magnolias were finally planted by the end of that day.

It was a cycle we had often repeated until he decided it was time for him to call it quits for both of us. The more I thought about how angry I had been back then, the more I pulled Daniel closer to my body. He was already buried inside of me. If he went any further, I was sure the condom would break. So I wrapped my legs around his waist and dipped my fingers into his messy hair, as he continued to drive in and out of me slowly. He used to love dragging me straight to the edge, testing my patience as he slowed his thrusts and began to use his fingers instead. He didn't do that this time. He took his time making sure my body begged for more of him, then and only then did he indulge me with more pleasure.

I bit my lower lip, my body arching, already preparing itself for the orgasm I was about to experience. His hard thrusts against my g-spot came randomly in between kisses and we both came up for air as our foreheads touched and we climaxed together.

This is what a week full of sexual frustration did to a person, made them make the mistake they swore up and down they wouldn't make. I had a feeling it was going to be hard not continuing this reckless pattern but for now, I held onto his shaking body and he held onto mine like a man unwilling to give up his last saving grace.

"Daniel, I need the deed to our house," I blurted out, breaking the intimacy we hadn't shared in a long time. Another bad habit I needed to get rid of.

"You're the one trying to tear it down, aren't you?" he claimed as he put on his shirt and pulled up his pants, zipping them up as he handed me my bra.

"It's got the acres I need for my project and—"

"I'm not letting you destroy that house, Serena."

"Well, the mortgage payments that I paid off say otherwise," I fired back, aiming low and I knew I crossed another line I shouldn't have. He brought the ugly side out of me. It was something he'd gotten used to over the years. But I knew it hurt him just the same.

"It's our house," he tried to reason with me, trying to see if there was any part of me that he could touch long enough to change my mind. If I was going to start breaking all the ties that kept us together, I needed to start with that house.

"It's a done deal, Daniel. Hand over the deed and we won't have to go through the hassle of going to court for it," I explained as I fished for my underwear, and looked up to find him handing it over to me. Our gazes met and I could see the conflict in his eyes as he stared at me. He wanted to fuck this idea right out of my mind, but he also hated me for asking him to give up something as sacred to him as our old house.

"I'm not going to let you destroy what I have left of you," Daniel claimed as he reached to trace my swollen bottom lip and leaned in to kiss me again.

"What are you saying?" I asked after his lips left mine and he hovered over my body, unzipping both of our jeans once again.

"I'm saying I'll see you in court."