Total pages in book: 200
Estimated words: 189898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 760(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 189898 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 949(@200wpm)___ 760(@250wpm)___ 633(@300wpm)
It had only been six years.
For the first time, I might have identified with Loren, who never seemed impressed by anything with a high price tag. I thought he was just spoiled, which he was, but there was more to it…and to him.
The truth was life got boring fast.
And without what truly mattered, it was easy to stop caring about it at all.
I glanced at Braxton and tried not to stare too hard at her smile. She was telling her friends about the hotels we’d stayed in, a conversation I was sure they’d already had, but I understood. She needed to keep herself distracted from the inevitable.
Dani, who’d met us at the elevator after checking us in, handed over our keys and told us Xavier would be up to talk to us soon. He’d flown in a couple of days ahead, along with the tour manager and the rest of the crew, to make sure everything ran smoothly. The delay had only lasted two weeks, but our drama had still been a huge inconvenience for too many people.
In the wake of the rumors, everyone had decided to blame Braxton, of course.
I wondered if she was privy to it or if she’d been drowning too much in heartache to notice the scrutiny.
My gut told me neither had escaped her attention. I kept myself from going to her just as Griffin sent me a look to back off. Maybe she’d seen the temptation in my eyes.
As much as I was annoyed by the pitbull, I was just as relieved that Braxton had someone to look out for her after what she’d escaped in Faithful. It was obvious her friends would defend her to their last breath, but so would we.
We just needed Braxton to believe that again.
I just needed her to trust that I would always choose her.
The elevator ride up was awkward as hell. No one spoke until we reached the eleventh floor. The girls got off and immediately turned when we didn’t follow.
“Where are you going?” Braxton questioned with a frown. She’d forgotten that she wasn’t supposed to care.
The doors were already sliding close when Loren answered. “Penthouse, baby!”
Her friends rolled their eyes while Braxton hid her smile when Loren winked at the last second. I immediately turned to him as soon as the doors were closed. We were only one floor above them, so it would be a short ride.
“Are you ready to talk to me yet?” I asked him.
Loren scoffed while his gaze remained forward. “Nope, and I never will be. You’re dead to me, bitch.” When the elevator stopped, and the doors slowly slid open, he was the first one off.
Hearing those words and knowing he meant them…
I felt like I’d been backed into a corner.
So I attacked.
It was a good thing we had the floor to ourselves. We never made it inside the suite before Loren and I hit the ground from the force of me tackling him from behind. I didn’t care about fair when I sucker-punched him or when he managed to flip onto his back, and I immediately wrapped my hands around his neck. He shoved me off, and I hit the wall next to us, knocking a picture frame from the wall before he punched me and split my lip.
I tasted blood, but it only fueled me.
One way or another, Loren was going to heel.
It was the only way he’d hear me out.
Houston knew it too, which was why he disappeared inside the suite instead of breaking up the fight that was getting more violent and bloody with each blow. There wasn’t a spot on me that didn’t hurt when I managed to get Loren’s head locked inside my elbow. Loren was trying to get me over his shoulder, but I held on like my life depended on it.
Without them, I had nothing.
Again.
So I guess it kind of did.
“Are you ready to listen now?” I taunted in his ear.
He answered me by taking a step back and then another before driving me into the wall behind me hard enough to loosen my hold. Loren whirled on me, but I recovered and grabbed him by the collar of his blue polo shirt.
I yanked him into me.
“You’re done ignoring me, Lo. I’m not allowing you another day.”
Loren stared down at me blankly since he was taller than me, and I felt my grip loosening under the intensity of his gaze. He didn’t take advantage of his chance to break free and walk away, though. His hips were still pressed against mine. I was still breathing in every breath he exhaled.
“Not that it will matter,” he eventually said with a curl of his lip, “but fine. Say what you have to say. I need to shower.” When I didn’t speak for several seconds, his brow rose. “I’m listening.”