Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 156392 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 782(@200wpm)___ 626(@250wpm)___ 521(@300wpm)
“Ooh, sassy Ava is in full swing. We love it.” She giggles.
“Suicidal as well, apparently,” Lan says with a wide grin. “We definitely love it.”
“Recorded and kept for possible use in future tight situations.” Remi stares at his phone and nods with approval.
“I can create tight situations.” Ariella licks her lips.
“Right, then.” He pivots on his heel. “I need another drink.”
“Wait for me!” She stops and hugs me. “I’m rooting for you.”
And then she’s running after Remi like a loyal puppy. No, more like a seriously vicious dog.
“Not sure if I should be worried about her or him,” I mutter.
“Him.” Lan nods. “Definitely him. Rems is such a pure soul compared to your witch of a sister.”
I kick his leg. “You’re in no position to call her that when you’re the devil incarnate.”
He shrugs, but then his usually bored face breaks into a creepily joyful expression when his phone vibrates in his hand.
Lan doesn’t even say goodbye as he picks up and walks away. “I’m putting it on the record. The worst decision of the year was flying without you, muse.”
Fantastic. Now, I’m on my own again.
I socialize with some friends and refuse any competitions concerning chugging indescribable amounts of alcohol. Honestly, I should be rewarded for sticking to my sobriety for so long and barely being tempted.
But then again, I feel good, mostly, and I’m impulsive as fuck when drunk, so I consider this a win.
My feet come to a halt when I approach the bar to order another drink.
“What are you doing here?” I ask in a cool tone as none other than Gemma and her friend stand up.
Said friend is Vance, who I heard was being sent back to Australia by his family. Naturally, I suspected Eli had a hand in it after that very public punch at the charity event, but, apparently, I heard wrong, because he’s standing here just fine.
“I brought her with me. I thought you guys were friends?” He smiles in that golden-boy manner that Lan wears like a mask.
Maybe it’s the same for V as well, but I never noticed it before.
“Friends don’t seduce their friend’s husband.” I tilt my head to the side. “Right, Gemma?”
“Ava.” She takes my hand between hers. “I would never.”
“Please.” I pull my hand free with visible disdain. “Don’t gaslight me when I personally saw you bat your lashes at my husband.”
“But you don’t even like him.” Her tone changes from pleading to snotty entitlement.
“That doesn’t give you carte blanche to seduce him.”
“You’re being selfish.”
Gemma is like me. She doesn’t like being denied what she wants. But she’s probably worse, in a sense. I don’t pretend to be a Goody Two-shoes, whereas she made up a makeshift personality where she always appears like a damsel in distress, victimized and sickeningly nice.
And she’s done it so well, never breaking out of character, even in private, that I almost fell for it at one point.
“Selfish?” I let out fake laughter. “Honey, I’m wearing his ring, so that gives me every right to be selfish over my belongings. You, however, need to remove yourself from this party and subsequently my life. I cut contact and didn’t invite you for a reason. Read between the lines, please. Oh, and Eli doesn’t even know your first name. He only recalls the last because he does business with your family. Sorry to break it to you, but you’re not that important.”
Her face grows red and a tremor shakes her slim frame. Vance tries to step in, but I hold up a hand, signaling that he should stay out of it.
Gemma lets her bright-pink lips pull in a smile even as her chin trembles and her hands fist at her sides. “And you think you are? He treats you like a valuable piece of real estate, probably for business reasons, or he wouldn’t have recruited your own friends to keep an eye on you as if we’re human cameras.”
My mouth sets in a line, but I’ll be damned if I let her see the confirmation of her words, or how much they hurt me. “At least you have some use, hon.”
“You’re just a possession, Ava. A bright, shiny thing he took a liking to but will eventually tire of.”
“Unlike you, I don’t believe my worth is dependent on whether or not I keep a man. I have higher standards.” I point behind me. “Now, leave before I have you thrown out and cause a scene you don’t need.”
She grinds her teeth and attempts to say something, but Vance pushes her forward and she walks out with her head held high.
“I’m sorry about that,” he says as she disappears in the crowd. “I didn’t know you fell out.”
“Well, now you do, so I’d appreciate it if you don’t shove her in my face again.” I lean against the bar counter and order a mocktail before I turn back to him. “I thought you were in Australia.”