Total pages in book: 92
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 93699 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 468(@200wpm)___ 375(@250wpm)___ 312(@300wpm)
“I forgot to leave it unlocked!” I called out. “Hold on.”
I opened it and ushered her inside, but she stood as still as a statue. Her face was beet red, and there were tears in her eyes.
“Travis told me he missed Sochi because of a Gatorade contract,” she said. “I didn’t believe that was true then, and I know it’s not true now. What do you know that I don’t, Tati?”
“Nothing.” I swallowed, caught off guard. “I really did misspeak.”
“I don’t think you did.” She narrowed her eyes. “You and I were the worst of enemies back then, so why would Travis ever hurt me to help you?”
I could see the wheels spinning in her head, churning in search of the truth, so I made a last-ditch effort to derail them.
“Between the scheduled UFC events and this temporary marriage, my mind has been all over the place these days.” I shrugged. “I was recently talking to an interviewer about my experiences in the Olympics, so that’s why I said what I said.”
She blinked.
“Are you going to come in so we can hang out?”
I stepped back, and she stepped forward.
After shutting the door behind her, she crossed her arms.
“You’ve always been a terrible liar, Tati.” Her voice was terse. “And the fact that you’re standing there lying to your supposed ‘best friend’s’ face speaks fucking volumes.”
“I really don’t want to hurt you, Penelope.”
“Your voice is shaking.” She shrugged. “Why?”
I didn’t say a word.
“What the hell am I missing?” she said. “Please spit it out because I’m not walking out of here until I find it.”
“You should sit down.” I glanced at her baby bump. ‘I’ll get you a chair.”
“I’d rather stand.” She was defiant. “I mean whatever it is, it’s not like you were sleeping with Travis back then, right?”
I sighed. ‘I was.”
“What?”
“Penelope, listen.”
“Are you sleeping with him now?”
“It’s not what you think.”
“Oh my fucking God…” Her eyes widened. “Tati, how could you? How long has this been…Why have you been pretending like you haven’t known him all this time?”
“It’s complicated.”
“No, it’s not.” She shook her head. “It’s as simple as saying, ‘Hey, Penelope. I used to fuck your brother and I’m fucking him now behind your back.’ See how easy that is?”
“If you would let me finish—”
“You have yet to start.” Her face reddened. “I tell you everything, fucking everything, because you’re literally my only female friend.”
“You’re mine, too.”
“You’re the reason he wasn’t there for me at a lot of things, aren’t you?” She wasn’t trying to listen. “Was that an ulterior motive of some kind? Slip into my life any way you could to get me off my game? What did you gain from it?”
“I didn’t have an ulterior motive.”
“You probably saw him more than I did.” She was stunned. “It’s all starting to make perfect sense.”
With the worst timing in the world, Travis entered the room. He must have sensed the tension because he looked between us and crossed his arms.
“What the hell is going on?”
“You are such a fucking hypocrite.” Penelope seethed.
“Excuse me?”
“Were you ever planning to tell me that the real reason you weren’t always there for me when I needed you was because you were screwing my literal enemy behind my back?”
“No.” He looked at me. “And that wasn’t the reason I couldn’t always be there for you.”
“Feel free to give it to me then.”
“I don’t have to.” His voice was firm. “I took care of you like I promised, and that’s the end of that.”
“It really isn’t.” She was shaking. “When you told me to stop talking about Tatiana because I needed to focus on myself, was it really because of that or because you felt guilty that you were sleeping with her?”
“You have no idea what you’re talking about, Crown.”
“Penelope,” I said. “Let me explain.”
“Tatiana Brave—” She threw up her hand, saying my name in the disdainful tone she used years ago. “I don’t want to hear from you for a very long time.”
“Wait, please don’t—”
“I mean it.” Her voice cracked. “Do not call me, do not text me, and whenever you feel like you need a so-called ‘bestie’ to listen to your problems, count me out.”
“As for you,” she said, looking at Travis, “You are the worst brother in the world and I don’t even want you in my wedding anymore. Don’t bother showing up.”
She picked up her bag and stormed out of the condo, slamming the door shut so hard that a living room vase fell to the floor.
Beyond hurt, I headed to my room.
As I twisted the doorknob, Travis grabbed my elbow from behind.
“Where are you going?” He spun me around.
“I just lost my best friend,” I said. “I need to be left alone for a while.”
“You’re reading way too much into this.”
“Am I?”
“Mrs. Carter—”
“Don’t you dare call me that right now,” I said.