Total pages in book: 235
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 227851 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 1139(@200wpm)___ 911(@250wpm)___ 760(@300wpm)
“Sit down,” he snaps, reaching for my arm and yanking me back down into my seat. “For fuck’s sake, get a grip.”
“You get a grip! Sitting here accusing me of fucking behind my wife’s back.”
He hitches a brow. I don’t appreciate it. “I’m not accusing you of anything.”
“Then—”
“Shut up.”
I recoil.
“Do you remember Drew disappearing?”
“N—” I snap my mouth shut. “Yeah, he left early. Right after you three had finished whatever it was you did.” It’s me raising my brow now. I won’t ask. Don’t care. What’s the fucking point of this?
“I couldn’t get hold of him the next morning. So after I left The Manor, I stopped by his place, and what did I find?”
I do not have the energy or brain power to play this game. “I don’t know Sam, what did you find?”
“Coral.”
I shoot back in my chair. “Excuse me?”
“I found Coral slipping out of his front door.”
I stare at Sam, mouth open. “Five weeks ago,” I murmur, and he nods. “Fuck, that’s why he was being all weird. And you fucking knew!” I stand, again, outraged. Again.
“Sit the hell down.”
I do, plonking my arse in the seat. “Fuck,” I gasp.
“Yeah.” Sam laughs, nervous. “Fuck indeed.”
I rake a hand through my hair. I can’t believe this. “And she, the fucker, tried to pass it off as mine?”
“Fucked up, man. Really fucked up.”
“Wait,” I say, something coming to me. “You know Coral turned up at Lusso this morning because Ava told Kate?”
“Yes.”
“And does Kate know about you finding Coral sneaking out of Drew’s?”
He nods. “I had to tell someone, man.”
He looks panicked. He shouldn’t be. Ava knows it’s Drew’s baby. But she hasn’t called. I huff. Because she’s busy. With her job. “It’s fine,” I say. It’s one less thing for me to tell her, I suppose.
“Can we get to the more important matter?”
“More important than some crazed bitch trying to trick me into believing she’s pregnant with my child when she’s actually pregnant with my best mate’s?” I gawk at Sam, suddenly catching his drift. “Drew,” I breathe. “Oh my God, he’s going to flip the fuck out.” He hates Coral. “Wait.” I hold up a halting hand. “I put her up in a hotel that night.”
Sam laughs. “Yeah. She didn’t sleep there.”
My head feels like it could pop. “What the hell was he thinking?”
“I don’t think he was thinking, Jesse. He must have been absolutely obliterated, because when I turned up in the morning, he couldn’t recall a thing. I asked about Coral. He looked at me like I was stupid.”
“She preyed on him,” I breathe. Fuck me, was this completely orchestrated to try and trap me? I wince for my best mate, seriously not looking forward to breaking any of this to him. “And our wedding,” I go on. Things are coming back to me. “Coral showed up, and suddenly Drew disappeared.” Every time I’ve asked him what’s up, he’s got arsey.
“He didn’t want to be anywhere near her.” Sam looks as disturbed as I’m feeling, and a silence falls as we both try to process this.
I’m struggling. I wouldn’t put much past Coral, but this? I’d like to say it’s beyond my comprehension, but . . . Lauren. I come over a little sweaty, my collar choking me, forcing me to tug at it. Lauren was ill. Violent. Erratic. And now I’m sitting here running back over all of my encounters with Coral trying to figure out of she’s in the same bracket because, Christ, I wouldn’t wish a Lauren on my worst enemy. I pause for thought. Maybe Van Der Haus. And definitely the fucker who’s tried to hurt Ava. It brings me back to Coral. Was it her? The drugs, the car. I shift on my seat, feeling extremely unnerved.
“We’ve got to tell him.” Sam breaks the silence and interrupts my thoughts, waving the waitress away when she comes to ask if we’d like anything else. Vodka?
“Of course we’ve got to tell him,” I say, downing my coffee. “I’m just not looking forward to it.” I stand. “Let’s get it over with.”
“Now?”
“Can you think of a better time?” I walk out of the café, texting Cook on my way.
Look into Coral Seymour
Cook will know Coral. In fact, I’m sure he’s been there. And then I wonder, thinking back to the whole messy scene outside The Manor when Ava showed up unexpectedly and discovered it wasn’t a hotel. Mike, his reaction, his delight. Right before I smashed his face in.
Look into Mike Seymour too
I’m leaving no stone unturned. “I can think of a better time, actually.” Sam joins me on the pavement, his cheeks ballooning. “When I’ve learned some self-defense.”
I huff, starting the walk to Drew’s office nearby, contemplating calling him. I’ve never been in Drew’s office. Never just turned up. He’ll know something’s up.