Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104766 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 524(@200wpm)___ 419(@250wpm)___ 349(@300wpm)
Yes, something else is bothering me but telling him in a text message is not the way to do it.
I have to find a way, but I also know I should wait.
I’m not far enough along to be confident that it will stick; everything I’ve read said to wait until you’re at least ten to twelve weeks, so that’s what I plan to do—no matter how hard it will be.
CHAPTER 36
DREW
I’M FULLY COMMITTED TO OUR RELATIONSHIP OR REPEATED ONE-NIGHT STANDS.
My heart races as I stare at my phone.
Fuck.
Grady Donahue is calling me, his name flashing on the screen.
He never calls.
I mean, who even does that in this day and age? If you need something and it's important, everyone knows you’re supposed to text that shit.
Relax, I remind myself. Drake texted him to see if everything was okay. That’s probably what this is about.
Granted, he did reply and tell Drake to piss off, but that’s how they’ve always been.
I answer the call, trying to sound casual even though my damn heart is pounding.
"Hey, Grady, what's up?"
"Don't 'hey, Grady, what's up?' me," he practically growls through the phone. "I just got an earful from Tess about what happened during that damn bachelor party weekend. I had to drag the details out of her, though."
“Whoa. Back up. What do you mean?”
I know what he means. I’m just too chickenshit to admit it. I want to know what he knows first.
“You slept with my sister, motherfucker.”
My heart drops to my stomach, and I legit want to barf.
"Look, Grady, I can explain—"
"Explain?" he interrupts, his voice incredulous. He lets out a sardonic laugh. "I think the words you're looking for is 'Gee Grady, it must have slipped my mind that I forgot to tell you I slept with your sister.'” He pauses. “You slept with my sister, Drew."
He doesn’t have to keep saying it.
It’s not like I don’t already know.
I was there.
"Yeah, I know, but—"
"How long has this been going on, huh?" he demands, cutting me off again. "How long have you been sneaking around with Tess behind my back?"
I take a deep breath. "It was just that one time, dude. The weekend of the bachelor party was the first and last, I swear."
If you don’t count phone sex where we jerked off at the same time?
Oops.
"Like hell it was just one time, there is no way," he snarls. "Tess is hurt, man. She’s been acting strange lately, and I finally got it out of her that the two of you… fucked.” He goes silent again. “Jesus, I can’t believe I’m saying those words. I want to puke.”
And I don’t?
"I understand, Grady, I really do. I’m sorry," I admit, my voice heavy with regret. It’s on the tip of my tongue to say something stupid like, “I messed up,” and “I regret it,” but the truth is, I mostly don’t.
Sure, I regret ruining this friendship.
“I care about Tess, a lot. And I never meant for this to happen the way it did."
“Things guilty assholes say.”
“Dude. Why are you so mad? It was her choice. And it’s not like it was a random hookup, we care about each other.”
There. I said it.
I care about Tess.
Too bad the first person I’m admitting it to is her pitbull of a brother, who hadn’t even bothered to spend time with me over the weekend I was home.
Barely saw the dude.
Of course I was going to bond with his sister.
"Oh, you 'care about Tess, a lot'? That's rich." He’s being so sarcastic. "Did you 'care' about her while you were fucking her in my place, behind my back?"
“It wasn’t at your house—it was at hers.” I make the mistake of saying.
“Fuck you.”
"Okay, I deserve that." But I’m frustrated as hell and this conversation is going nowhere productive. “Grady. Brother. I'm being honest with you. It was a mistake, a stupid one, and I take full responsibility for it.”
"You're damn right you take responsibility," he snaps. "But that doesn't change the fact that you betrayed my trust, Drew. I thought we were friends."
"We are friends, Grady," I insist. "I never wanted to hurt you or Tess—but with all due respect, this wasn’t about you. This is about her and I.”
“Excuse me?”
“This is about Tess and I.”
Grady laughs. “I swear to god, I always thought Drake was the cocky one between the two of you. Turns out all along, you’re the one we can’t trust.”
“Why are you getting all bent out of shape?” I blurt out. “It’s sex. And we care about each other. It wasn’t a one-night stand. Did she not explain that to you?”
I can literally hear him breathing in and out. “All I know is that she’s been crying a lot lately, and it has something to do with you.”
“That makes no sense,” I utter, almost to myself. “All I’ve been tryin’ to do lately is get ahold of her. She isn’t texting me back. She ghosted me. Check her phone. I’ve sent so many messages.”