I consider calling my mom and cringe. I don’t know which is worse, calling her or him. She’s already told me I should go back to Joshua and forgive him. But my mom’s self-esteem doesn’t even chart. She thinks no woman can do anything without a man. I can’t stand to prove her right.
I pull up my dad’s contact on my phone, pacing as I stare at it for a long time before finally hitting his number. He answers. “Hello, sweetie, how are you?”
“I’m good,” I lie.
“Still down South or have you made your way back home yet?”
“I’m still here.”
“Well, that’s unfortunate.”
I collapse onto the couch. “Dad, he cheated on me. Do you understand that?”
“What I understand is that I paid a hundred grand for a wedding that didn’t happen. You running off like this is an embarrassment to our family. It’s an embarrassment to our company, and it’s an embarrassment to me. You’re lucky I don’t sue you for the cost of this wedding.”
My stomach climbs up into my throat. I can’t believe he’s saying this stuff to me. I’ve always known he was ruthless in business, but I never knew he would be that way with me.
“I assume you’re calling because you need money?” he asks.
I wipe a tear away. “No. I’m just checking in.”
“Look, sweetie, I love you. But this is nonsense. You can’t just leave your life and everything you know because your fiancé had a simple indiscretion. He’s sorry about it. It happens. Joshua is a good man and he will take care of you for the rest of your life. I’m not always going to be here to do it, you know?”
I clench my eyes shut, digging deep inside for fight, but I don’t know if I have any left.
“If you’re ready to come home, just say so. I’ll send you enough to get back here. I’ll reserve you a room halfway for tomorrow night. I don’t want you to drive tonight.”
“I need to go,” I say.
“That’s a standing offer,” he says like he’s giving me the moon. I click the phone off and drop my face into my hands.
13
Brett
I order our last pitcher of beer from the bar and peer at the door while I wait. I don’t mean to be checking it every fifteen seconds, but I can’t help it. I want to see Kylie.
Last night, listening to her tell about the life she just left made me more interested in her. She’s everything I’ve worked to avoid since I got caught up in Madison two years ago, but somehow, she’s got me intrigued. She’s either really brave for stepping away from the life she had without a net or really naïve.
Her weird kiss this morning has kept me smiling all day. It seemed like the first time she’d ever gone in for a kiss. She’s made me feel like a middle schooler with a crush all day.
I take the pitcher of beer to the standing table Tori has for us.
“It’s seven thirty. She’s not coming,” Tori says, taking a cup.
I fake confusion, but I’m sure I’m caught. “What are you talking about?”
Tori rolls her eyes and holds her cup out.
I pour her a beer and concede. “I wasn’t looking for her. I thought Logan and Cohen might be coming. Logan worked the lunch shift, so he should be off. Just wanted to see if I needed to get one or two pitchers.”
She studies me. “Liar.”
“What?”
“You slept with her last night, didn’t you?”
“No. I mean, yeah, we slept, but we didn’t hook up.”
She shakes her head at me, staring me down. I freaking hate it when she does that.
I stand up straight and face her. “What?”
“You were all over her last night.”
“So? You and Val were messing around.”
“Val’s gay.”
“He’s been with women before,” I say.
She just drops her head to the side.
“Who says I’m interested in Kylie?” I ask.
“That goofy smile you’ve had on your face all day.”
I sigh, caught. “I’m not gonna let it get out of hand, okay?”
“You’re going to be able to turn it off like you always do?”
“Of course.”
“All right,” she says, taking a sip of her beer, sounding wholly unconvinced.
We stand in stubborn silence for a while, until Jack Massey steps up to us. “You two are a lively duo.”
“Fuck off,” I say, not in the mood to spar.
“Damn. I know you hate me, but usually you’re good for a little banter.”
Tori glances away, the expression on her face revealing how much this asshole hurt her. I’d give anything if she could shake him, but I’m starting to think it’s not possible. It’s been at least eight or nine months since they were together. My blood boils thinking about what he did to her. “You know, you don’t have to come say hi to us. You can pretend we don’t exist all day long.”
He looks between the two of us. “I don’t want to be an asshole.”
“Too late for that,” I say.
He lets out an irritated breath. “I don’t want to be an immature asshole. How’s that? I’m trying to be civil.”
“Well, try fucking off next time,” I say, knowing I’m taking my frustrations out on him. He’s an easy target.
“It’s fine,” Tori says. “Just…whatever.” She takes a drink of her beer.
I’m about to stand up and say something else to Jack when he turns his head with a surprised smile and says, “Hey.”
Kylie walks up to us zombie-like, the color drained from her face.
“What’s going on?” I ask.
“I um…” She looks around like she’s trying to place herself and can’t. “I think I might have to go home.”
“You sick?” Tori asked.
“No, not Brett’s house. My dad’s house in Oklahoma.”
A stab of pain shoots through my heart. “Why?”
“Turns out I never had housing here to begin with. I got an automated email that said I did, but that was some kind of systems glitch, and
