Total pages in book: 70
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 69266 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 346(@200wpm)___ 277(@250wpm)___ 231(@300wpm)
“It is, but are you sure that you feel safe with them?”
“Yeah. Totally. Maybe I wouldn’t with just Bryan, but I know Jana.”
“Okay. But call me if you need anything. Anything at all.”
She nodded. “I will. Thanks for the help, West. I never would have done this without you.”
And as she scampered off, I tried to relax. This was what she needed. It was the right thing to do. She should have the space she needed to date other people after what August had done to her. It was my own fault for not realizing that spending all this time with her, seeing her in every sense of the word, would change how I felt.
I’d been into her when we moved in together, but a healthy fear of her brothers had kept me at bay. Not to mention, she had been in deep mourning over her last relationship. She was still recovering from that, of course. But she was finally starting to come into her own.
Layla pushed another shot my way.
I shoved it back across the bar. “Thanks, but I’m good.”
“If you say so.” Layla’s eyes trailed Nora as she headed out of the bar. “You said she’s going to Funky Door? I know the bar manager there. I can have them watch out for her.”
I breathed another sigh of relief. “I’d appreciate that.”
I passed her some cash and left. I watched Nora get into the back of a shiny yellow sports car next to Jana. Bryan was driving. He shot me a shit-eating grin as he slammed the door and pulled away.
Fuck.
The sight of Bryan’s smug smile made me want to put my fist through his fucking face. He wasn’t getting any tonight, but he thought that he’d stolen her away from me. And he was pleased by it.
I ran a hand down my face. This was so fucked up. I couldn’t fall for Campbell’s little sister. She was off-limits.
I stomped to my car in irritation. This was supposed to be simple. How come it was never fucking simple?
My phone rang as I was driving home, and I put Whitt on speaker. “Hey.”
“So, how’d it go?”
“Why do you care? Don’t you think it’s a bad idea?”
My twin laughed. “You have a lot of bad ideas. Helping out your roommate get some ass is probably the dumbest.”
“I’m not trying to help her get laid,” I grumbled. “I just want her to get over her ex.”
“The best way to get over someone…”
“Is to get under someone else. Yeah, I know.”
“And you’re still not admitting that you wouldn’t mind being that guy?”
“Campbell would kill me,” I snarled.
“If he found out.”
I laughed hoarsely. “My brother, the rule follower, is telling me to break the rules.”
“Every rule follower knows when to break the rules to their advantage.”
“Nah,” I said with a shake of my head. “I couldn’t do that to Nora. Let alone fuck things up with Campbell. Could you imagine if he found out I’d slept with his sister? He’s given me everything.”
“That’s fair,” Whitton agreed. “Then, you should find some other local girl to channel your energy into, so you stop thinking about your off-limits roommate.”
I huffed. “Yeah, sure. Like Eve?”
Whitt went silent for a few seconds. “How the hell did you know?”
“I’m your twin brother, asshole.”
I’d noticed them talking briefly at Campbell’s party. I hadn’t said anything then because I knew Whitt would automatically go on the defensive. As he was right now.
“She doesn’t seem interested,” Whitt said flatly. “But I see how you pivoted this to be about me. When you’re the one pining after Nora.”
I groaned. “I am not pining.”
“You should hope that she fucks that guy tonight, so you can move on already and not screw everything up that you’ve worked for. If LA is your dream, then doing anything to jeopardize that would be stupid, even for you.”
“Thanks, Whitt,” I muttered. “Always so helpful.”
Thinking of Nora fucking someone else tonight made me see red. I was glad that I’d already pulled into the garage and killed the engine. It didn’t help that every word he’d uttered was true.
I couldn’t have Nora Abbey.
And I needed to forget about her.
11
Nora
“Thanks for the ride, Jana,” I said.
“Anytime. It was good seeing you out, girl. We should do it again!”
“Definitely.”
I waved at her as she drove away. Apprehension still rippled through my gut. I should have called West. He’d said I could call him for anything. I should have stuffed down my pride and given him a call. But I felt like a failure and also like I wanted to kill Bryan. What a douche.
The house was dark on the inside and I blew out a breath. West must have gone to sleep already. It was only just after midnight. I’d planned to be there until bar close. If only Bryan had been as nice as he’d first appeared. This was the part of dating I hadn’t been looking forward to. Why did a guy have to seem nice and then turn out to be a prick? Could save me all the time and trouble by revealing who they were at the beginning.