Total pages in book: 100
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 94513 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 473(@200wpm)___ 378(@250wpm)___ 315(@300wpm)
I bit my bottom lip and looked down at my hands. “He stood over to the side of the stands, where I was selling burgers, and when I ran out, he fell into step beside me on my way back to the truck to get more. He introduced himself. Asked me my name. He was charming, and I wanted to be able to stand there and talk to him all night, but I had to work. He watched me while I sold the next set of burgers, and I was so nervous. My face stayed warm the entire time, and I ended up dropping two burgers, which I never did. I was going to have to pay for those, but he took the burgers and gave me way too much for them. Then, he asked for my number, and I said I didn’t have a phone. But then someone—”
“Called his name and he said his goodbyes and left,” Than finished for me.
I frowned. “Yes.”
“That was me. I only saw the back of your head. I knew he was talking to a girl, and Saylor was on her way behind me with Gathe. I was saving him from getting her all pissy.”
The reminder that I was the girl he’d cheated with wasn’t pleasant. Thinking about the night we’d met had almost made me forget for a moment how it had never been real.
“He came back then? To see you?” Than asked.
“Yeah,” I replied, not looking back up at him. “The very next night. He watched me for over an hour. Bought a burger and fries from me too. When I got off work, he met me on the way to the parking lot. I was going to wait on my brother to come get me.” I paused, wishing I hadn’t mentioned Ares. I swallowed hard as my stomach felt sick. “He offered me a ride. Convinced me he wasn’t a psycho. He took me to an open field, and we talked. He kissed me. Then, he gave me his number and asked if there was anyone’s phone I could use to call him. I took it and said I could borrow my sister’s phone.”
Than rested his elbows on the counter as he stared at the cup of coffee he had cupped between both hands. “Did he tell you he loved you?”
I hesitated.
“Yes.” My response was a whisper.
Than turned his head, his eyes not on the verge of tears, but there was a glassiness to them. “He never told Saylor that. It was an ongoing thing she’d bitch about. She’d tell him she loved him, and he’d say, ‘You too,’ or, ‘Same, babe,’ but that was it.”
I’d never told him I loved him back.
“I didn’t know about her. I promise,” I told him. I didn’t want them to all think I was the kind of person who would sleep with an engaged man or even just a taken one.
“I believe you. And not just because you almost passed out, then vomited when you found out about Saylor. But because I knew Crosby better than anyone. For him to love you, you had to be special. Different. Not like what he was used to. And he was faced with females daily who would have fu—” He stopped, then winced. “Uh, well, they wouldn’t have given a shit about Saylor.”
At least one of them believed me.
“Bane hates me.”
Than shook his head. “No, he doesn’t. He is a mess right now. Bane doesn’t do emotion, but losing his brother? That fucked him up. Brought out shit in him he hadn’t known he had. Give him time. He wouldn’t have moved you into the house if he hated you.”
I wasn’t so sure about that.
“I don’t think Linc gave him an option.” I frowned, scrunching my nose. “Who is Linc exactly?” It was something that I still couldn’t figure out, and Than was easiest to talk to. I felt moderately comfortable asking him things.
He pressed his lips together and looked straight ahead, as if I’d just asked a difficult question. “That is probably something I can’t answer,” he said. “But Bane or Linc will explain it soon. Now that they know for sure that the baby is Crosby’s.”
The mystery about this family and all their secrets were no longer just odd, but sliding right into unsettling. What was such a big deal about telling me who Linc was?
“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Bane’s harsh voice startled me.
Than rolled his eyes as he moved off the stool. “Didn’t know my schedule was so important to you.”
Bane stalked past him and went to the sink with his empty plate.
I glanced from his back to Than, who took his cup and then gave me a smile before leaving the kitchen. Now, I was alone with Bane again.
Oh boy.
“My mom wants to meet you,” Bane said, turning around to look at me.