Total pages in book: 140
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 129207 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 646(@200wpm)___ 517(@250wpm)___ 431(@300wpm)
Getting the feeling he’s the type to cause an embarrassing scene, I drop my ass back to the seat and swallow my pride. Who knows, maybe he might have some redeeming qualities buried in there somewhere. It’s unlikely, but would I be the kind-hearted person I’ve always claimed to be if I didn’t at least give him a chance? Perhaps he got a flat on the way. Maybe he spilled water down his pants and had to head home to change so he didn’t look like he’d pissed himself. There could be any number of excuses for why he’s late.
Brad clicks his fingers at the waitress. “Yo, baby. Hit me with a menu.”
The fuck? Is this guy for real?
The waitress comes back over and hands Brad a menu before turning her body to face me. She meets my eye and pulls a face, and I do what I can to swallow my laughter.
Brad scans over the menu, looking less than impressed with the options as he makes an attempt at small talk. “So, you’re Raleigh Stone, huh?” he asks, glancing up to show me the deceit in his eyes. “Is that any relation to Axel Stone from Demon’s Curse?”
Well, fuck. I should have known.
How could a man possibly be interested in me when he could use me to get to my brother instead?
“The one and only,” I say blandly, realizing within an instant that Madds was so off the mark with this one. There will be no dick tonight, no solid pounding up against the wall, no Earth-shattering orgasm to clear out the cobwebs.
This guy is a fucking joke.
“Oh, cool. So like, they just wrapped up their Australian tour, right? So that means they’re heading back to the States.”
“Yeah. Sure, I suppose.”
“So, I guess you see your brother a lot, then?” he questions, his brow raised. “Will he come see you now that he’s got a few weeks off? Like surely you’re his first stop on his way back to LA?”
I shrug my shoulders, and as I watch him closer, it occurs to me that this asshole is trying to figure out if he fucks me for the next few days, what his chances are at meeting Axel.
Holy fucking shit. “You know what, he doesn’t usually come out to see me mid-tour.”
“Oh.”
His whole face falls, and he does what he can to mask his disappointment by looking back down at the menu. The discomfort at the table is almost comical, and as I look around, I catch the eye of the waitress. She gives me a thumbs up before flipping it upside down, silently asking me how it’s going, and I don’t hesitate to return her thumbs down.
“Fuck, this place is shit,” Brad says, stealing my attention from the waitress. “Glad I just stopped for a burger on the way.”
My eyes practically burst out of my head. “Excuse me?”
“No big deal, baby. Just grabbed something to eat,” he says before winking. “Figured we wouldn’t be here long.”
“You left me waiting here for you for thirty minutes while you stopped to get yourself a burger?” I question, trying to wrap my head around this. “Holy fuck. You’re a piece of shit.”
“What?”
I stand and grab my purse. “I see men like you all the time. You think you can fuck your way into meeting my brother, but the joke’s on you because after finding out that you left me waiting for thirty minutes while you stopped to feed your arrogant ass, he wouldn’t even give you the time of day. And for what it’s worth, meeting the fucking waitress was more thrilling than sitting opposite you. I honestly pity the poor woman you end up with.”
With that, I hightail it out of there, and as I pass the hostess, she holds her hand out for a high five, and I don’t fucking miss. Only the second I get back into my car and the silence surrounds me, all I feel is empty.
I used to have it all, and now this is what I’m subjected to.
How the hell have I fallen so low?
I’m pathetic. Nothing more than someone else’s meal ticket to my brother . . . or Ezra. The number of girls who’ve asked me if I can give them Ezra’s number is just insane.
Tears roll down my cheeks as I pull out of my parking space, and by the time I’m halfway back to my apartment, there are enough tears to fill the Nile, and I have no choice but to pull over and wait for it to run its course.
The tears just keep coming, and before I know it, heavy sobs tear through my chest. I’m fucking pathetic. I’m failing my classes, I’m a joke to those around me, and on top of that, I’ve lost my happiness. Every day is a struggle, and I feel myself breaking. Hell, I think I’m already there.