Total pages in book: 94
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 89083 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 445(@200wpm)___ 356(@250wpm)___ 297(@300wpm)
“What did you think of the gift I left you two earlier?” He beams, bright eyes and a wide smile, as if he’s truly our friend.
“What gift?”
Rich looks at Teagan and cocks a brow before looking back at me, confused. “You haven’t been to your room?”
I fold my arms. I don’t know what the fuck he’s talking about, but I have a feeling that if I admit that, it’ll be some giant gotcha. “Did you need something, Rich?”
He shakes his head slowly. “You two are really something. I’m starting to figure out what that something is.” He smacks me on the back—harder than necessary. “Are you going out tonight? You should be there for Teagan’s future brother-in-law. That’s what Teagan’s boyfriend would do, right?”
I try to catch Teagan’s eye to get some sort of feel from her about how I’m supposed to handle all of this, but she’s still staring at the ground. Did she tell him this is all fake? Why won’t she look me in the eye?
Dammit. I need to talk to her. Alone. I need to tell her about Sabrina so we can decide how to deal with it. Together. Our lies are crumbling beneath our feet, and with them, the fragile beginnings of this thing between us.
I touch her wrist gently. “I don’t need to go out. I’ll stay with you.”
She shakes her head, still avoiding my eyes. “Liam wants you there. You should go with him. I’ll be with Saanvi most of the night anyway.”
I touch her one last time, not wanting to let go but knowing she’s right—Rich is right. I should go with Liam. Teagan and I can talk later. She’ll do her thing with the bride and I’ll have a couple of drinks with the groom and groomsmen. We can talk when we both get back to the room.
Two hours later, and I have to admit that I’m procrastinating. I’m nervous about the conversation I need to have with Teagan, and hanging out with the guys is the perfect excuse to avoid it.
Rich declined the invitation to join us, so at least I don’t have to deal with his shit, and hanging out with Liam is no hardship. Honestly, if this guy lived in Jackson Harbor, I could see us being good friends. He’d fit in great with my family, and so would Saanvi. But I know my decision to have a third beer is less about enjoying the company of Liam and his groomsmen and more about avoiding a conversation about Sabrina. Am I making a bigger deal of this than it is? Will Teagan hold it against me when I tell her I slept with her cousin?
You know how you aren’t sure you want to be with me for real because you’re afraid I’ll break your heart? Well, hey, I might have a head start on that.
I vacillate between telling myself that it doesn’t matter—Teagan and I weren’t together, pretend or otherwise, when I slept with Sabrina—and trying to figure out how I can keep the truth from Teagan altogether.
All in all, I’m enjoying the safe little bubble of Jackson Brews, until Sabrina walks in the door and I wish I were anywhere else.
I half expect her to march up to our table and start chewing me out, but I guess I should have given her more credit. She catches my eye from her spot at the bar and nods toward the door before heading back out the way she came in.
“Are you okay?” Liam asks, frowning at me. He turns around, scanning the room. “You look like you saw a ghost.”
I paste on a smile. “That last beer hit me pretty hard. I’ll be right back.” I head toward the bathroom, waiting until the last second before changing direction and heading to the door.
When the doors close behind me, Sabrina waves me over from her spot in the alley.
Cringing, I reluctantly follow. The last time I was in this alley with her . . . well, she wanted me to fuck her against the building, and I was barely sober enough to realize that was a terrible idea and I should take her home instead.
I keep to the street side of the alley, not anxious to slip into the shadows with a woman who continued to text me after I told her I had a girlfriend. “Hey,” I say softly.
“Hey.” She takes a step toward me and scans my face. “How are you?”
I shrug. Been better.
“I feel like a bitch for being persistent with the texts. I didn’t realize it was serious.” She bites her lip. “And I definitely didn’t realize it was Teagan. I haven’t told her about our night together. And if I had to guess from the look of terror in your eyes right now, neither have you.”