Total pages in book: 74
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 71880 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 359(@200wpm)___ 288(@250wpm)___ 240(@300wpm)
It wasn’t possible. My sister could be a little sneaky at times, but not like this. This was a level of deception that hurt people and burned bridges.
If Joel had gotten together with anybody else, it was highly likely I would’ve lost my composure and confronted him, maybe even publicly, drunk off my ass… Who knew. But it’d been my baby sister. I’d pulled back instead. I’d avoided the situation altogether, and I’d swallowed my hurt every time I had to see them. Like at their wedding. Whenever Blake had a birthday. And once at our folks’ anniversary dinner.
“I need a smoke,” I muttered.
I still had River’s pack in my sweats—
“So you never got back with your wife,” Joel stated.
“Fuck no,” I snapped. Shit. I blew out a harsh breath and ran a hand through my hair. “You comin’ or not?”
Thankfully, he was already leaving the bed, so I headed for the door and opened it, only to come to a stop as two backpacks blocked my path. Our packs from Emerson—he’d brought them back.
I hauled them into our room while frustration built up rapidly within me, combined with a steady current of disbelief and the sting of betrayal. She couldn’t fucking have done that to me. To us.
I swallowed hard and ended up coughing as emotions rushed up my throat.
Goddammit.
“We’re not leaving the room, Elliott.”
Yeah, we fucking were. Or I was. I needed to breathe. Once I’d dumped our packs by the closet in the corner, I stalked out—
Until I was hauled right back in.
I balled my hands into fists and almost took a swing at him out of pure reflex, but the space between us disappeared too fast. Before I knew it, my body was flush against his, and he kissed me hard and cupped my jaw, the back of my neck, and I fucking imploded. Years of pent-up longing and heartbreak unfurled within me, setting off silent explosions that I didn’t know how to release.
There was no hesitation or tensing up. I kissed him back hungrily and got my arms around his middle. We deepened the kiss at the same time as I let my hands roam his back, his shoulder blades, the length of his spine, and down to the top of his ass.
Piper had robbed me of so many years with this man, and I couldn’t even wish we’d take it all back because that meant Joel wouldn’t have Blake in his life. But I was so fucking livid with Piper—and relieved and hopeful and…beyond motherfucking tired. We had chosen each other, after all.
I pushed my tongue against his, and he melted against me like he used to. Like he’d done during those two brief fairy-tale moments we’d shared in the past.
He locked his arms around my neck, pressing himself impossibly closer to me, and I shuddered and slowed down the kiss. If only a little.
He sucked in a shallow breath and kissed his way down to my neck, where he buried his face. I exhaled unsteadily and pressed my lips to the side of his head.
The bastard made my vision blur, and I had to swallow repeatedly to prevent the most pathetic sounds.
I squeezed him to me as tightly as I could.
He did the same.
I sniffled and screwed my eyes shut.
You’re supposed to be mine, baby.
I missed you so fucking much.
Say it, god-fucking-dammit.
I almost choked on the words, but I had to. I fucking had to.
“You belong to me,” I said hoarsely. “You got that?” I withdrew his arms from my neck so I could cup his face in my hands. “I don’t wanna miss you another day for as long as I live.”
He nodded jerkily, and I brushed away the tears that rolled down his cheeks with my thumbs. “I missed you so much.”
“Me too.” I kissed him swiftly, then again and again. “No talk about changing the past—but the future has to be ours.”
“You finally say the right things,” he chuckled thickly.
I grinned faintly and rested our foreheads together. “I think the right words were…hey, sweetheart, it’s Elliott. Can I take you to dinner? Something about bachelor pads and…let’s make this work together.”
He sighed contentedly and closed his eyes. “Once we have Blake back, I’ll keep my schedule wide open for you.” He nipped at my bottom lip. “You better do the same for me. I’m a needy motherfucker.”
I chuckled and tightened my hold on him. “I think I can handle your neediness.”
“Good.” He ducked his head, nuzzling my neck. “You’re so fucking mine. You have to be.”
I hummed and combed my fingers through his hair to tug his head back, ’cause I was sensing something else in his tone. An edge.
He faced me reluctantly and let out a breath.
I waited him out.
He clenched his jaw. “I can’t believe she did this.”
Piper.
“You know, she never told me you got divorced…?” He cleared his throat and inched back a little. “I heard it from your folks, and now that I think about it…the way your mom mentioned it, it must’ve happened a while back. Like, it wasn’t new when she said it.”