Total pages in book: 195
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 185573 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 928(@200wpm)___ 742(@250wpm)___ 619(@300wpm)
The whole thing is fucking bizarre, but before I get a chance to look any further, the lock on the bathroom door disengages. I hit the home button and toss the phone back onto his desk, and Adam appears a few seconds later. His hair is freshly combed back, and there’s not a trace of guilt in his eyes as he sinks into his cushy chair with a sigh.
“This is an unexpected surprise,” he says. “How are you, brother?”
“I’m good,” I grit out.
“Did they send you home?”
“I was injured,” I tell him, glossing over the details. “I didn’t want anyone making a fuss over it. I’ve been recovering, and they just gave me a medical discharge.”
“No shit.” He leans back and scrubs his palm over his jaw with a strange expression, like he’s just realized something. My first thought is that he probably knows mom has been lying to him about where I’ve been, but he doesn’t address it.
“So what are you going to do now?” he asks.
“I’m heading to California. I have a few buddies there.”
“California.” He wrinkles his nose in distaste. “What the hell do you want to go there for?”
I ignore the question because I can’t be bothered to tell him about the band. Right now, I honestly don’t want to tell him anything.
“Who was that?” I gesture my head toward the hall.
“Oh, Bethany.” He smirks. “She works in admin.”
“What about Bianca?”
Adam shrugs halfheartedly, and it fucking bothers me even though I know I’m a goddamn hypocrite.
“Bianca has her head in the clouds at school right now. What she doesn’t know won’t hurt her.”
I swallow, and it feels like I’m choking down everything I came here to say.
“But you’re still going to marry her?”
“Yes.” Adam narrows his eyes at me. “Bethany doesn’t mean anything. She’s a good lay, but that’s all she is. Bianca’s going to be my wife.”
“That’s all I am, huh?” Bethany’s voice echoes from around the corner, and Adam mutters a curse as I turn to see her standing there. She must have been listening the whole time.
“What did I tell you?” he snaps at her.
She glares at him. “What did I tell you?”
“Give me a minute.” Adam gets up and heads for the door. “I’ve gotta go deal with this.”
He leaves, and I can hear them whisper-arguing all the way down the hall before there’s a thump and then what sounds like a slap. Adam grunts, and I don’t know what the fuck is going on, but I’m on my feet before I can give it a second thought. When I come around the corner, Bethany’s standing there with her arms crossed while Adam holds his clenched fists at his sides. There’s a red imprint across his cheek from what I’m assuming is her hand, and it looks like she popped him pretty good.
“Go home, Bethany,” he growls. “Now.”
She glances at me, then turns on her heel without another word and stalks toward the door.
“I gotta go,” I tell Adam.
“You just got here,” he protests.
“I’ve been driving all day. I’m fucking spent.”
“Are you going back to Mom and Dad’s?” he asks.
“Nah. I was just gonna rent a room somewhere.”
“Don’t.” He reaches into his pocket and retrieves his house keys, holding them out for me. “Stay at my place. I’ll be home when I’m finished up here. Just leave the door unlocked.”
“I have my dog.” I nod to Ranger, who’s watching the whole interaction with worried eyes.
Adam barely spares him a glance. “Bring the mutt with you. I don’t fucking care. My cleaning lady will take care of it.”
I don’t want to stay at his place, but I know he’ll argue this point to death, and I don’t have the energy for it right now. So I take the keys and grab Ranger while Adam watches.
“Make yourself at home,” he says. “I have five guest bedrooms. Pick whichever one you want.”
“Thanks,” I mutter. “I’ll see you later.”
He nods, and I head out the door, but nearly jump out of my skin when I get to my truck and hear someone call out for me from the shadows.
“What the fuck?” I pivot to find Bethany standing there, being creepy as hell.
“I’m sorry about what happened in there,” she tells me. “We’re like fire and gasoline, you know?”
“Yep.” I unlock the cab and help Ranger inside, hoping she’ll get a fucking clue that I don’t want to have this conversation with her.
“This is just kind of our thing,” she goes on. “We fight and make up two seconds later. Adam won’t admit it, but he loves the drama.”
“If you say so.” I stand there, staring at her profile in the darkness, wondering why the fuck she’s telling me any of this.
“He didn’t mean what he said about us,” she blurts. “He loves me, but he’s torn. He can’t bring himself to acknowledge it to his family yet, but he tells me all the time.”