Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
She doesn’t need to know I’ve watched every single one of her videos, or that whenever this question comes up, I have to fight the urge to demand she not wear certain outfits. I’m all for women showing off their bodies, but for some strange fucking reason, that doesn’t apply to her. She tries on the one-piece and walks back to the camera, looking sexy as fuck in it as well. I tilt my head back and blow out a long, deep breath.
My phone buzzes and I see a text from Damian pop up that nearly makes me drop my phone. Maybe divine timing doesn’t suck after all. Damian became friends with Hamilton when they were both playing for the Blaze. They’re close enough that Hamilton took him along when he’d visit me sometimes. I wouldn’t call Damian and I friends, per se, but I know enough about him and the kind of man he is to cross him off my list of suspects.
Damian Fletcher: my parents are having a bbq on Thurs. Ham is coming. Open invite
From what I can tell, Josslyn and Damian are “WWJD” poster children, with the way they accept and include everyone into their home. I guess they haven’t learned that not closing doors is a sure way to let in snakes. Someone should probably warn them about that. After they let my Trojan Horse in, of course.
Me: I’ll be there
I open the pictures I took of my sister’s journal and flip through some pages, picking a random one to land on.
“There’s a spot in their yard that the cameras can’t get to. It’s become our secret cove when I “go to the bathroom.” I should stop, but it feels so good.
Part of me doesn’t want to believe my sister would do this, but I grew up around men who groomed their now wives. Men who hide behind their distinguished titles. Men like Titus.
16
JOSSLYN
Fuck Finn for making me relive every memory I have of Mallory. As if it didn’t hurt enough to experience it all in real time. As if I hadn’t already gone through the shock, sadness, anger, pain, and guilt of the loss a million times. Looking back on all of it now, I’m not sure how to feel. So many things stand out that I hadn’t thought about or noticed before.
Despite everything—the pain seeing Mallory caused me those last few months, the awful things she’d said, the hopelessness in her eyes, and the utter pain I felt when they told me what happened at that club—I don’t regret being her friend. The one thing I can console myself with is that I was a great friend to her and tried to make her days brighter.
“Did you tell Damian about this?” Livie whisper-shouts after I show her the footage Finn sent me.
My eyes widen. “God, no.”
“You’re not going to tell him?!”
“It looks bad, Liv.” I look at my phone even though the screen is blank. “Finn can paint any picture he wants with this and call it evidence.”
“Damn,” she whispers, brows creasing with concern. “Did you tell Finn his sister wasn’t in her right mind?”
I bite my lip hard and shake my head.
“Really, Joss?” She sighs heavily.
We both glance away when two guys who just arrived through the back doors walk up to the bar. The mixologist is busy making drinks for a few others, so Livie excuses herself and walks over there. There’s always an influx of customers at Olivia’s parents’ bar in the summer. What started out as a place for Mr. Nassir to hang out with friends has turned into an exclusive bar for people to grab quick drinks and get back on their yachts.
“Are you at least going to tell Dame that you’re with Finn?” Livie asks as she walks over to grab two bottles of liquor.
“I’m not with him.”
She rolls her eyes. “Hooking up with him.”
“I’m not doing that either.”
“You hooked up twice. It might happen a third time.” Livie raises an eyebrow and moves out of the mixologist’s way, as he reaches underneath the counter for something. She shoots him an apologetic glance and clicks on the screen until she finds the recipe for whatever she’s making.
“I can’t keep letting things happen between us.” I press the heels of my hands to my forehead even though the only headache I have is Finn. “He thinks I know something.”
“But you don’t.” She frowns. “And Mallory was…” She shakes her head as she walks away.
At least the look of disgust she used to say those words with is gone and replaced with sadness. Olivia may have been the one who officially introduced me to Mallory, but they hadn’t been on speaking terms for nearly a year before that night. There was a lot of animosity there on both sides, and Livie only went that night as a favor to me. The sick feeling that accompanies me whenever I allow myself to think about that night settles in my bones again. Finn can call me a liar all he wants, but I don’t remember a thing about that night.