Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
It makes me think of the time a puck bunny I met told me that since all men were trash, she’d rather be a doormat trophy wife to a wealthy man than an equal partner to another. “If I’m going to cry anyway, I’d rather wipe my tears with money than rags.”
For so long I thought Mallory was a little brat for demanding so much from our parents. She couldn’t just accept their lavish gifts. She wanted their attention, and worse, affection. It’s just not the Barlow way. Not unless you’re Lucas and Asher, who won the mom lottery. At some point, Mal must have realized that, because even though she must have felt unworthy of it, she started leaning into the Barlow name and lifestyle. Everything became a competition.
That’s something that’s never sat well with me about her friendship with Josslyn. My sister was riddled with jealousy. She’d always found it difficult to make friends with other girls, and rarely had kind things to say about them. She wouldn’t have written all of those wonderful things about Josslyn. She certainly wouldn’t have spent that much time with her family if there wasn’t more to it. Unless Titus was seducing her, or vice versa. It wouldn’t matter if it was the latter. Between their age difference, her daddy issues, and her need for affection, she would have been easy prey for someone like Titus. I inhale, exhale, and decide to switch my tactic.
“Does your mother know where he was that night?” I ask, taking her silence as confirmation. “I can only imagine all the places her imagination would go seeing her perfect little daughter leaving a sex club with her stepfather.”
“Oh my … Jesus Christ, Finneas!” she growls, and fuck me, I want to hear her say that again.
And again. And again.
A vision of me flipping her over and spanking her ass and her pussy until she comes, screaming those words, plays out at the forefront of my mind. I take a breath and shift my legs to fix my now rock-hard cock.
“Does Damian know you were both there?”
Another pregnant pause. When she speaks again, she sounds a little defeated. “What do you want from me? Just tell me what you want, and I’ll do it.”
Well, there’s a loaded question if I’ve ever heard one. “I want you to help me prove Titus did this.”
“But he didn’t,” her voice shakes, and I think she might be crying.
“You know that for sure? You’d be willing to stand in court and swear on a bible?” I open my mouth to continue, but Hamilton turns the corner with his equipment bag over his shoulder. “Think on that.”
I don’t wait for her to respond. I hang up and look at my screen, clicking the text message she just sent.
Josslyn: FYI I DON’T BELIEVE IN THE BIBLE AND NEITHER DO MOST PEOPLE WHO STAND UP THERE AND PUT THEIR HAND ON IT SO WHY DON’T YOU THINK ON THAT?!
Josslyn: AND FUCK YOU
Josslyn: FUCK. YOU!!!!
I put my phone in my pocket just as Hammie reaches me.
“Are you … are you smiling?” He frowns deeply, his blue eyes searching my face.
I’m not smiling. Am I? If this is the kind of shit that makes me smile, maybe I am an asshole. I turn and walk toward the dressing room. He follows me with a laugh.
“Tell me you didn’t ask Josslyn for her number last night.”
“I didn’t.” I shoot him a look that warns him not to start that topic with me.
He shrugs and plops down on the bench to change his shoes, while I head to where my jersey is hung up next to my brand-new gear.
“Are you coming to the pool party?”
“No.”
“You’re such a bore. It’s fucking summer. We don’t even have to be here right now.”
I look over my shoulder. “That’s the kind of mentality that’s going to fuck us up on the ice.”
“It’s summer. Half the team is in Europe right now,” he says, which is true. Only a handful of us are in town, and they’re mostly here settling their families down before they leave on their vacations. “I think Joss will be at the party.”
My heart, that little bitch, skips, but I ignore it. “So?”
“I’m just saying. Josslyn in a bikini.” He puts his fingers together and kisses them like he’s an Italian chef or something.
“You think I’m going to go just to see her in a bikini?” I shoot him a blank look and smother the urge to kick the bench he’s sitting on. I turn back around and admire how dope the jersey looks.
“I heard Tate is going.”
I whip around to face him. “Why would he even be invited?”
“Ah, so you are interested.” He raises his brows and stands up, grinning. “Dame says he’s only doing it to try to win Josslyn back.”