Total pages in book: 142
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 131330 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 657(@200wpm)___ 525(@250wpm)___ 438(@300wpm)
I get no response and let out a heavy sigh, wondering just how hard it would be to scale the side of the house and break through one of the upstairs windows. I’m not stupid enough to bother wasting time with the downstairs windows. He locks them up like Fort Knox, but upstairs, he’s a little more relaxed.
It’s not going to be easy, but I think I could pull some epic Black Widow moves and get my ass inside.
Stepping back, I lift my gaze to the top story of Austin’s home, scanning over all of the windows. When Izaac had to wait at my door, he had the patience of a saint, but I don’t possess that quality. If I can just find something to climb up on, then I can—
The familiar sound of the door unlocking from inside cuts through my break-in plan, and my back stiffens. Holy shit. I didn’t expect him to actually come to the door, let alone think about what’s supposed to happen once I actually get to talk to him. I was just going to wing it, but perhaps I need some kind of game plan. Though, I suppose it’s a little too late for that now.
The door swings open, and I go to step forward, only I pause, finding Becs standing before me.
“What . . .” My brows furrow, a deep confusion fogging my brain. Surely she would have told me if something more happened between them, right? Even if Austin was speaking to me, he would have kept this from me, but I never thought she would. “What are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry. I wasn’t trying to get in your brother’s pants again,” she says before I get a chance to overthink it too much. “It just hurts me seeing how broken and sad you’ve been over the last two weeks, and I thought maybe if I could be a voice of reason, I could get through to him and help close that gap between you.”
“And?” I say, a little too hopeful.
She cringes, and all that hope plummets to the ground, exploding into a million fiery pieces. “I don’t think he’s ready to even think about it, let alone begin to accept it,” she says before stepping into me and wrapping me in a warm hug. “I have to go, but I’m going to accidentally leave the door open, and if you decide to go in there and try your luck, then that’s your prerogative, but just so you know, I don’t think it’s going to be pretty.”
“Thanks,” I say with a heavy sigh as she pulls away.
“Call me if you need to have another wine night. We can get drunk and talk shit about these damn boys,” she says, and with that, she steps off Austin’s porch, leaving the door open just as she said.
I stare down the open door, nerves bubbling deep in my stomach.
Well, here goes nothing.
Stepping over the threshold, I welcome myself into Austin’s home and silently pad through the house until I find him sitting in his living room, his foot propped up against the coffee table and looking sorry for himself. Then hearing me as I walk into the room, he lets out a frustrated sigh and gets to his feet. “I told you, I didn’t want to—”
Austin cuts himself off as his gaze finally snaps up, realizing it’s me and not Becs walking back in. “The fuck do you think you’re doing?” he snaps, storming around the couch and fixing a heated glare on me. “I thought I made it pretty fucking clear that I didn’t want to see you.”
“Yeah, well, you punched me right in the middle of my face, so the least you can do is stop being such an asshole and give me at least two minutes of your time,” I throw back at him, closing the distance between us.
His gaze flickers to the yellowing bruise across my cheek, and the flicker of guilt in his eyes tells me that I might still have a chance to make this okay. Only, it’s gone just as quickly as it came. “I don’t owe you shit,” he tells me. “I’m sorry I clocked you in the face, but it doesn’t change anything. You’re fucking my best friend. You betrayed my trust and went behind my back.”
“I’m sorry,” I tell him. “It just . . . kinda happened. I didn’t mean—”
“What?” He scoffs. “You didn’t mean to spread your legs and invite him in? The fuck is wrong with you, Aspen? Do you hear yourself? Look at it from my perspective. You’ve practically thrown yourself at him your whole fucking life, and now that you’re not a kid anymore, you figured you’d wave your ass in his face and wait for him to take the fucking bait.”