Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162138 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 811(@200wpm)___ 649(@250wpm)___ 540(@300wpm)
“On my birthday?”
“Yeah.”
She blinks. “You thought she looked happy on my birthday?”
“I know what I saw.” I push down the urge to pull out my phone and show her the screenshot I took. She’s looking at me like I’m speaking a different language, so I repeat, “I saw her. She was laughing.”
“God, Lachlan. You’re so fucking stupid sometimes.” Marissa laughs, shaking her head. “She’s not happy. She’s just gotten very good at pretending.”
With that, she walks off. This time, I don’t stop her. I don’t even know what that means. I know what I saw. I know what I see. Marissa helps Lyla pick up the rest of the stuff. I should have probably gone over there to help a few minutes ago when she started, but I don’t want to step foot on that field. I may be angry. I may want to see her suffer, but I don’t want to take this from her. By the end of this, she’ll either love me and stay married, or leave me and change her identity again. It doesn’t really matter. If she does that, I’ll just find her again, and next time, I’ll be a hell of a lot faster. I’ll catch her when she steps foot off the damn airplane.
CHAPTER 33
DELILAH
I have a three-hour break, but I can’t go home. I don’t care if Lachlan follows me around the world, but I don’t want him there when I’m feeling like this. My apartment is my sanctuary, and he’s making me feel like a lunatic. I can’t stand him right now, but watching Tammy flirt with him was maddening. Instead of going home, I go to Marissa’s smoothie shop. It’s a bit crowded today, but thankfully, the two comfortable accent chairs in my favorite corner are empty. I grab my usual smoothie and head to the chair. Wade walks in and picks up the smoothie he ordered to go, and when he sees me, he comes over. I wish he wouldn’t. I just want to be left alone right now. He smiles as he walks over, though, and it’s so genuine that I push away my annoyance. Instead of taking a seat across from me, he sits on the wooden coffee table between the chairs and sets his forearms on his thighs as he looks at me.
“You good?”
“I’m good.” I take a sip of my smoothie.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay and help with the training session?” he asks.
“No. You already made plans. I’m fine,” I say. “I’m serious.”
“I can’t tell with you.” He exhales heavily. “Which makes me think you’re not joking when you say you don’t feel anything, but then he comes and. . .”
I don’t even bother to ask him to elaborate. I know how I am when Lach’s around. I mean, I don’t even need the chime of the door alerting a new customer’s arrival to tell me he’s in here, right now. My entire body comes alive in his presence. I hate it. I glance up, and sure enough, he’s standing by the counter, glaring at us as he waits for his smoothie.
I look at Wade. “I don’t know what to say to that.”
I don’t acknowledge him, but from my peripheral vision, I see Lachlan walking over with his smoothie. I don’t look up at him when he takes the chair across from me, either. I keep my focus on Wade. He doesn’t even notice anyone else has joined us. Maybe he does notice, but since the shop is so crowded, there’s no reason for him to think it’s Lachlan.
“You don’t have to say anything.” He scoots closer to me. “I just feel like if you can give him a chance, maybe you can give me one too.”
I glance away and look at the hallway that leads to the back door.
“Delilah,” Wade says after a moment. When I turn my face again, I catch Lachlan’s glare. Again, I ignore him.
“I can’t,” I whisper. “I’m sorry. I just can’t.”
“Am I not enough of an asshole for you?” Wade asks.
That makes me laugh. I bite my lip and glance up at Lachlan again, who now looks more amused than he does angry. He raises his eyebrow as if waiting for me to respond to that.
“If you want me to be an asshole. . .”
I bite back a laugh. “Wade, you wouldn’t even know how to be an asshole, and I like that about you.”
He exhales. Lachlan shoots daggers at me.
“So. . .?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Look, we’ll both be out of town the next few days. Just. . .when we get back here, go on a date with me. A real one. . .”
“Not gonna happen,” Lach says, his voice menacing.
Wade’s eyes widen for a moment and narrow, as he stands up and turns his body in Lach’s direction.