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was losing my mind.
    “Since you’re being so mature about this whole thing, what can I do for you?”
    “Anything?” I asked with a deep voice.
    “Yep.” She leaned down and kissed my chest. My hand automatically fisted her hair.
    I liked doing everything with her. Any choice I made was a good one. I wanted to get head, but I wanted her to be satisfied before we went to sleep. “Ride me, baby.”
    She sat up straight then flicked her hair over her shoulder. “I can do that.” Her nipples showed through the thin dress , and her curves were easy to decipher. Knowing only parts of her skin were revealed was a turn on. She directed me inside her then took it like a pro.
    I placed my hands behind my head and watched her bounce on my dick, watching the show. She always knew how to please me in the right way. I watched her get off to my body, feeling like a king. She brought me to the edge then pushed me over with a violent kick. I came hard and long, filling her until there was nothing left.

2
    Mike
    Five weeks had passed. Cassandra had been gone for five weeks. Five weeks.
    I got a new apartment a few blocks over. It wasn’t as nice as the one I had before, but it was still an improvement. I didn’t see Cassandra everywhere. When I was in the shower, I didn’t look at the mark where her shampoo bottle used to sit. The living room didn’t contain gaps of her where her decorations were. The closet wasn’t half empty. And I didn’t miss my shirt.
    But what if I was wrong?
    There were so many times when I wanted to call her just to hear her voice. I didn’t even want to talk about our relationship. I just wanted to talk about anything. Even the weather would be fine. I missed her jokes and our playful banter. I missed all the fun we had.
    But I stayed strong and didn’t call her. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do.
    I was hurt she didn’t call me. Deep down inside, I thought she would change her mind and come back to me when she saw how miserable her life was without me. But she never did. She was determined to never get married, and I would never be an exception to that.
    That hurt most of all.
    Was I stupid for thinking I was special? For thinking it would be different with me? Did I set myself up for that?
    I hated seeing Sean and Scarlet together, their perfect marriage and their perfect relationship. They were never affectionate around me and they only paid attention to me, but I caught the way she looked at him across the table over dinner. And I saw the way my brother stared back at her. The trust and love between them was obvious to anyone with eyes. Why couldn’t I have that?
    I thought Cassandra was the perfect person for me. She was. I was convinced she was. But it didn’t matter. I had to go back out in the dating world and find someone else to fill that spot. But I found it impossible. I would never find someone more perfect for me than she was. And I didn’t want to try.
    Maybe I wasn’t meant to be with someone forever. Maybe I wasn’t marriage material. If Cassandra didn’t want to marry me, would anyone? I made too many mistakes and I hurt too many people. This was karma. I ripped apart the hearts of hundreds and now it was my turn to feel the pain. I deserved it.
    I should just go back to my ways and be what I was before. It wasn’t so bad. I’d work, hang out with my boys, pick up girls, and then send them packing the next morning. I wouldn’t get hurt again. No one could wiggle their way into my heart. It was chopped into hundreds of pieces.
    But the idea of being with anyone else was nauseating. I kept thinking about Cassandra. Could I be with someone else when I wished she were the woman below me? Could I fuck someone without saying Cassandra’s name? I felt like I was cheating on her just from thinking about it. And then the pain shot through me.
    What if she was seeing someone else? What if someone else was already keeping her bed warm? The idea made me want to throw