Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 65944 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 330(@200wpm)___ 264(@250wpm)___ 220(@300wpm)
When Josh finally makes it to the car, he fumbles with the door handle before he finally gets it open, then he gets in behind the wheel, quickly engages the locks, and starts the engine. As he peels out of the driveway, Tide turns to face me, still looking angry.
“What the fuck, Aria?” he barks, and my spine stiffens.
“What do you mean what the fuck?”
“I come home and that fucking douchebag is here with you and his tongue is down your throat.”
“Excuse me?” I plant my hands on my hips and narrow my eyes on his.
“What was he doing here?” He stops at the bottom of the stairs, then leans forward to thunder, “With his mouth on you!”
“You need to count to ten before you speak again,” I say with my heart pounding and my stomach rolling. “You know that’s not what that was.”
His nostrils flare as he rips a hand through his hair, dipping his head back to look up at the sky that has gone dark. I wrap my arms around my middle. When he drops his head and his gaze meets mine, he shakes his head and starts to open his mouth, but stops when his phone rings with the tone that is attached to Anna’s number. He pulls it out and answers with a clipped “Yeah.” Then he drops his eyes to his boots, muttering, “Be there in a few.”
Even as annoyed as I am with him, I still ask, “Is everything okay with Olivia?”
“She’s fine. A pipe busted, and Anna needs me to come over to have a look at it.”
“Oh.” I nod, and he sighs, coming up the steps and grabbing my upper arms.
“I’ll be back.”
“Sure,” I agree, and his eyes search mine for a long moment before he drops his forehead to mine.
“We’ll talk when I get back.”
“Great,” I lie, and he leans in, kissing my forehead, before he turns around and heads back down the steps. I stand out on the porch with my arms wrapped around myself, not sure how I’m feeling as he drives off, but know it doesn’t feel good.
Going back inside I go to my office, grab my cell, then stop in the kitchen to get my open bottle of Rosé from the fridge and a plastic cup from the cupboard. I head up to my bedroom and walk through right to the bathroom, flipping on the tub before resting my bottle, cup, and cell in the fancy shelf that sits across the bottom of the tub. With the bath filling up, I dump in some bath salts, strip out of my clothes, and tie up my hair. After I sink into the hot water, I pull the stopper out of my wine bottle, pour myself a cup, and take a large gulp before I pick up my cell phone. There is only one person I know who might understand what just happened, and I need her advice.
“Aria,” Gia answers on the second ring, and I lean my head back, closing my eyes. “Is everything okay?”
“I don’t know,” I admit.
“Shit… hold on one second,” she says, and I take a gulp of my drink, hearing her tell Colton to watch Gino for a few minutes while she takes her call outside. “All right, what happened?”
I quickly tell her everything that happened from the time Josh showed up to the time Tide took off. When I finish, I wait for her to say something, anything, but she doesn’t. “Gia?”
“Sorry, I’m stuck on the fact that Tide jumped over the railing like a ninja to go after your ex,” she says quietly, and a smile curves my lips. “I bet that was a sight to see.”
“You could say that.” I laugh, and she giggles.
“And what the hell is up with your ex trying to kiss you?”
“I have no flipping idea. I don’t even know why he’s suddenly coming around when he’s been happy to live the good life in Cali.”
“Ugh, I wish you did get the chance to knee him in the nuts.”
“Me too.”
“Your ex is probably jealous,” she says, and I laugh again. “Seriously, Aria, think about it. You were with him for a long time, then he sees you at your parents’ party looking like a goddess and with a man who is obviously obsessed with you. Men are like that. They always want what they can’t have, especially if that something is wanted by someone else.”
“He doesn’t want me, Gia. Our marriage was…” I try to find the right words. “It was a joke.”
“That might be, babe, but he doesn’t want you with anyone else either.”
“Ugh.” I groan. “I don’t care what Josh wants or doesn’t want. I don’t want him. What I do care about is how Tide reacted.”
“He was jealous and pissed off. I mean, I’m not saying the way he reacted toward you was the right way, but I get it. You’re his, and he came home to another man kissing you.”