Total pages in book: 156
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 151044 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 755(@200wpm)___ 604(@250wpm)___ 503(@300wpm)
“This isn’t about me.” He pulled his arm out of my grip. “It’s about the two of you, always whispering, always acting secretive. Sneaking away.”
“Yo, why don’t you ease up?” Barrett snapped. “You’re making an ass out of yourself.”
Hale scoffed. “Right. You put your hands all over my fiancée, I call you out, and somehow I’m the asshole.”
“We were sitting at the damn table!”
Seraphina approached and whispered through a fake smile, “I don’t know what you two are arguing about, but you’re making a spectacle.”
Everyone had stopped talking. Our mothers, Andrew, Tyler, Noah, and Avery, even Remington stared at the three of us wondering what they missed. A scorching heat washed over my face. I could only be grateful that this was a private dinner.
Hale looked around, his composure sliding back into place, but not before Barrett opened his mouth again. “Yeah, why don’t you take a walk and cool off.”
Hale’s glare snapped to his brother. “Because the minute I turn my back you’ll be all over her again.”
“Hale!” I could not believe him.
“Boys,” Remington growled.
“Stay out of it!” Hale barked.
“You’re out of line,” Barrett snapped, storming off and purposefully knocking into his brother’s shoulder.
I glared up at Hale. “Nice. You just insulted me and your brother. Apologize to your guests.” I turned to leave, needing a minute to cool off, and Hale caught my arm.
“Don’t you dare go after him.”
I shook off his hold and scoffed. “I wasn’t, you big jerk. I was getting away from you.” Mortification burned through me as everyone stared.
“Pardon me,” the server appeared at absolutely the worst moment and Hale snapped.
“What?”
“Sir, there seems to be an issue with the bill.”
I could feel the earth shifting beneath me.
“Your credit card has been declined.”
My stomach plummeted.
“That’s impossible,” Hale snapped and I took a step back as the room grew further and further away. “Run it again.”
“I did. Several times, sir. There seems to be a hold on the account. Perhaps you’d like to try a different card or make a call?”
Remington approached. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing that concerns you. I have everything under control.” But things were spiraling. This was it. He’d already pulled his phone out of his pocket and started to dial the number on the back of the card. It was going to happen here, in front of everyone.
Remington turned to the server. “Where’s the manager? Do you know who we are?”
“Stay out of it,” Hale growled.
“Here. Use my card.”
“Do I look like I need your help?”
“Yes!”
The two broke into a pissing match that only drew more attention to the situation, the volume of their voices climbing until everyone knew something was wrong. When Naomi approached, I backed away.
This wasn’t how this night was supposed to go.
Hale was acting like a possessive jackass.
Barrett had run off.
Elle was gone.
My mother was drunk.
Remington was yelling.
And now Elara was crying.
Someone spilled a glass of wine and chaos broke out among the guests who noticeably tried to eavesdrop. The bill wasn’t paid and my dad was to blame.
Hale spoke into the phone and frowned. Time slowed down. I couldn’t breathe. I needed to get out of there.
This was it. This was the moment of humiliation I’d been dreading. My secret would be revealed, not just to Hale, but to everyone. Come morning, they’d all know I had a father who didn’t love me.
A cheat and a thief.
And I, somehow, wasn’t good enough for him, so how on earth would I be good enough for Hale?
I couldn’t bear their glances or their pity.
I’d be laid bare, in front of the people I wanted to impress most. They’d have questions, but I had no answers.
I didn’t know why the first man meant to love me found the job so impossible. What if the second man discovered the same?
I stepped back, again and again until I bumped into the wall.
It was coming. The truth was coming and I couldn’t bear the shame so I left, twisting to push through the door into a hall where I ran as fast as I could manage in my towering shoes.
I didn’t stop until I was outside of the restaurant looking for Marty. He wasn’t there. The street was narrow and cars bottlenecked at the end of the block where some scaffolding and cones had the shoulder blocked off.
At the corner, I spotted Barrett hailing a cab. He might as well have been waving a white flag and holding a life raft. “Barrett, wait!”
He turned and I rushed toward him. “I’m coming with you.”
“Meyers, I don’t think that’s a good—”
I slid past him into the cab.
“Where’s Hale?” Barrett scooted onto the back seat and the cabby turned.
“Where to?”
“Away from here.”
Barrett frowned. “Rayne, what’s going on?”
“I just need to get out of here.” On the verge of tears, I snapped, “Drive!”
The cab jerked into traffic and Barrett studied me under the shadows. A tear rolled down my cheek, the dam that had been holding back my emotions started to crumble. One more crack and everything would fall.