Total pages in book: 27
Estimated words: 26161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 26161 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 131(@200wpm)___ 105(@250wpm)___ 87(@300wpm)
“You think this is because you had to work? This is because you’re a fucking liar,” she screeches.
Grabbing her wrist when her hands come up to shove me again, I back her into her apartment and shove the door closed with a kick of my boot.
“Get out,” she barks.
“Not a chance,” I bite back. “You’re going to tell me what the hell has crawled up your ass.”
She glowers at me. “I met your friend tonight.”
I rack my brain. No women know where I live, so this can’t be because of a woman.
“William,” she barks out, seeing me struggling.
My jaw tightens and my stomach twists.
“Did he do something to you?” I ask, closing in on her, dragging my eyes over every inch of her to see if she’s hurt. He’s dead.
A weird wretch comes from her, startling me. “Why would you ask that? You said he was harmless, decent.”
“Nat, just fucking answer my question. Did he do something?” He wouldn’t…
“He turned up at your place. I was in bed waiting for you.”
I’m going to fucking vomit. I swear to God if he touched her, I’ll be found guilty because this time I will be.
“Did you leave me there for him?” she sobs, wrapping her arms around her waist.
My heart fucking drops like stone.
“What? No, no way. Why would you think that?” I try to move closer to her, because all I want to do is hold her—comfort her—own her. But she steps back and holds a hand up to stop me. I’m going to kill that motherfucker. I forgot I gave him a key ages ago. He bitched about having to wait outside for me in view of the public one time. Fucking dickhead thinks he’s more recognizable than he is.
“He said you left me there for him. Why the hell would you invite him there? Do you know how painful it was for me meeting him like that? The man who killed Kate?”
My body deflates like a lead balloon. She’s right. And I’m an asshole.
“I’m sorry. He shouldn’t have gone there. Wires got crossed. It was a mistake.”
Her beautiful face contorts in anger. “Just another mistake? Your accidents have consequences, Ren. I can’t believe I trusted you and let you manipulate me into sharing your bed.”
“That’s not fair,” I snarl.
“No, what’s not fair is being left by you to wake up to my best friend’s killer asking to put bruises on me.” Her chest rises and falls with her rage building. “What’s not fair is for him to think it’s normal that he was meeting you and found a woman instead. Is that how it works, Ren? You work the women in and then when you’re done, you offer them to him?”
I would never offer her to him. Never. She’s fucking mine.
“Don’t say that shit,” I growl. “You’re angry, baby, I get it. But don’t make up some fucking crazy-ass story in your head to make me the villain again. I would kill William if he ever touched you. Or hurt another woman. I’m not the monster you’re trying to paint me as to alleviate the guilt you feel for wanting me. For wanting us. For loving what we’ve become.”
Her entire torso shakes with her bitter laugh. “Don’t flatter yourself. We don’t have anything. You were a good fuck. A fling. A dance on the wild side. Nothing more. And we’re done.”
“Don’t do this.”
“Get out.” She points her finger to the door.
“Nat, don’t fucking do this.”
“GET OUT.”
She’s shaking from head to fucking toe. I don’t want to leave her in this state, but I’m doing more harm than good being here. She has demons running wild in her mind and I can’t make her see that I’m not the man she convinced herself I was.
I’d never hurt her.
I’d never fucking hurt her.
I love her.
Fuck, I love her…
“Please just go, get out, get out, get out,” she screams, her tiny fist pounding against my chest.
I surrender. Against every part of me telling me to grab her and never let go I turn and leave.
Ten
A week and a half later…
I stare at the last text Ren sent me earlier today, hating the aching loneliness in my chest. Stop it, Nat. He’s a dirty bastard. Chewing on my bottom lip, I consider messaging him. But what would I say?
I hate that you let your horrible friend who accidentally killed my best friend find me in bed and threaten to do creepy shit to me, but I like your dick so it’s okay?
And your smile…
And your laugh…
And the way your eyes grow serious as you brush the hair from my eyes right before you kiss me…
Tears well in my eyes and I quickly blink them away. I like him for way more than his dick and it sucks. It sucks that I can’t just write him out of my life. To move the hell on. I’ve been obsessing over Ren Hayes—albeit in a hateful way at first—for over six months. Following his every move on social media. So when we fell into whatever whirlwind we’ve landed in, it happened fast. It was intense and vivid and real. And that’s why it hurts so much. He’s more than a nice dick and finesse in the bedroom.