Total pages in book: 190
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 181992 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 910(@200wpm)___ 728(@250wpm)___ 607(@300wpm)
“It was just a business dinner,” I assured her. “We were on our way home when you called.”
A feminine laugh rang out from somewhere in the apartment. On its heels came muffled words grumbled in a male voice laced with agitation.
Raven winced. “Caelan’s not happy. She’s deliberately pushing his buttons. I didn’t tell her you’re coming,” she told Dax. “Maybe the shock of seeing you will sober her up some.” She began strolling down a narrow hallway, urging us to follow. The place was bright, airy, and fun with its eclectic vibe.
“Don’t be so anti … anti … antisocial, Caelan,” I heard Mimi slur. “You know, we could have our own private party if you’d stop being such a grouch.”
Cringing, Raven glanced over her shoulder at me and Dax. “She threw herself at poor Caelan when he first entered the room. Even tried performing a strip dance for him.”
I gaped. “You’re kidding.”
“Not to seduce him, to annoy him,” Raven clarified. “And it worked.”
The three of us filed into a room on our left. A kitchen, I quickly realized as I took everything in.
Standing near the large stainless steel fridge, Caelan plucked a bottle of wine out of Mimi’s hands. “No,” he bit out. “You’ve had more than enough booze. You need to sober up.”
She pouted. “Don’t wanna.”
Raven sighed as she approached the pair. “Come on, Mimi, just—”
She swayed. “No, being sober is boring, I—” She did a double-take as Dax sidled up to his sister. Her expression turned sullen and petulant. “What’re you doing here?”
“I could ask you the same thing,” said Dax, his own expression vacant.
Her upper lip peeled back. “I don’t wanna talk to you.” Catching sight of me standing a few feet away, she sneered. “I definitely don’t wanna talk to you.”
“Funnily enough, the feeling’s mutual.” Unrequited love was a true bitch, so a part of me felt sorry for her. But only a small part. It was hard to be understanding when it was Dax she loved; when she acted so selfishly where he was concerned and persisted in making things difficult for him.
“Get your things,” he told her, his tone sharp. “You’re leaving.”
Her head whipped back to face him. “No. I’m staying here with Raven. Unlike some people, she’s nice to me.” She staggered backward and bumped into the kitchen island hard.
Ow. That had to hurt. But the alcohol apparently dimmed the pain, because she only chuckled.
Dax looked at his sister. “What did she bring with her?”
“Just the duffel she dumped in the living room,” Raven replied.
“I’ll go get it,” volunteered Caelan, who then stalked out of the kitchen, nodding at me as he went by.
Mimi joined her hands, her eyes lighting up. “You know what we need? Music. Where’s my phone?” She began patting the pockets of her jeans.
“You can’t stay,” said Dax, his voice hardening.
She flapped a hand. “Unclench, will ya. Come on, we’ll have a drink. A toast to Gracie. We’ll let bygones be bygones and whatever.”
Raven flicked the ceiling a quick look. “Mimi—”
“Gracie would have wanted that, wouldn’t she?” She stared at Dax, her lips trembling. “She wouldn’t like that we’re fighting.”
Her choice of words made me frown. She spoke like they were a couple who were at odds with each other. Not that I thought she believed they were a couple, just that she seemed to feel they had a more intimate connection than they did. From what Dax told me, they didn’t have a connection that went beyond their mutual link with Gracie. I suspected he’d otherwise shove Mimi out of his life—he wasn’t a man who suffered any fools.
She swayed a little again. “We didn’t used to fight when Gracie was alive, did we? We got along fine back then. Why can’t we do that now?”
Oh, maybe because she kept coming on to him.
Gulping, she anxiously rubbed at her wrist. “Do you think she’s mad at me? For wanting you? Do you think she hates me like you do?”
I cringed on her behalf. Damn, she was gonna hate herself in the morning if she remembered asking him that.
Raven held up her hands. “Nobody hates you, Mimi. Gracie would certainly never hate you.”
“He does,” Mimi said sulkily. “Did you know he got married? Or did he hide it from you as well?” Her gaze flew back to him. “Why did you do it? I’ll never buy that you love her, so don’t give me that crap.”
He let out a bored sigh. “This is not—”
“Why did you marry her?” It was more or less a whine.
I wanted to give her a mouthful of shit—point out that it was none of her business; that she needed to stop pining after him; that acting out this way wasn’t going to achieve anything—but it would only escalate the situation. That would bowl over the attempts of Dax and the others to defuse it.