Total pages in book: 103
Estimated words: 98243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98243 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 327(@300wpm)
Slipping on the clothes from last night, I find my phone in my pocket and open a text from Luce.
Parker isn’t here. Have you heard from him?
I exit her text and scroll to the one I got from him.
I’ve got to fly out for a few days but I will be back before the ceremony.
Flicking back up to Luce, I open her newest ones.
Ok I talked to Daniel and he said he needed to fly back to the US for a few days. You’re good to be a ho.
And then another.
But also where’s Camille? She might still come home.
I breathe out a sigh, collecting the rest of my things and quickly tip toeing through the bedroom. As soon as I hit outside, my eyes land on Jord and Luce, sipping coffee from the fire pit both with grins as wide as my damn legs last night.
Rolling my eyes, I head toward them.
Luce hands me a mug and I take it, tossing my clothes to the side. “Don’t even start. I mean it.”
“I wasn’t gonna say a single thing.” Luce grins at me from behind her coffee. I still smell of him. It’s like a perfume now that won’t let go.
“So,” Jord finally says. “Hows the dick?”
I shake my head, tying my hair back. “You’re both terrible.”
“No, but seriously.” Luce sets down her mug, and I know that tone. The fun's over. “Ivy, this is getting dangerous.”
My shoulders tighten. “It's fine.”
“Is it?” Jord leans forward, elbows on his knees. “Because from where I'm sitting, you're playing with fire while standing in a puddle of gasoline.”
Heat crawls up my neck. Here come my best friends, ready to call on my bullshit. “Parker's gone for a few days. Nothing's going to—”
“You know we're not talking about Parker.” Luce's voice drops. “But speaking of partners, do you think Camille's just going to roll over? That girl's got claws, and she's not afraid to use them.”
I take a long sip of coffee, buying time. It burns going down. “Camille?” I raise a brow at Luce. “You insult me.”
Jord scoffs. “Keep murder off your brain, that isn't what we're saying. You didn't see her face yesterday when Asher basically told her to fuck off in front of everyone. That's not something people like her forget.”
My stomach twists, remembering the way Asher had dismissed her. The way he'd chosen me, publicly, definitively.
“Look, I appreciate the concern, but—”
“Do you?” Luce cuts me off. “Because it seems like you're content to let this whole thing blow up in your face. And when it does, it won't just be you catching shrapnel.”
She's right. When this implodes, and it will, everyone around me will feel it.
“I know what I'm doing,” I lie.
Jord clucks his tongue. “Sure you do. That's why you're sneaking out of his room at dawn like a teenager.”
Before I can respond, the sound of heels on stone makes us all turn. Camille stalks across the patio, designer sunglasses hiding what I'm sure are red-rimmed eyes. She doesn't look at us. Doesn't acknowledge we exist. Just beelines for the pool house with the kind of determination that makes my skin prickle.
“Shit,” Luce mutters.
My phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out, expecting another text from Parker, but it's a notification from an unknown number.
My blood turns to ice water as I open it.
The photo loads, and suddenly I can't breathe. It's a photo of Asher tucking me under his arm last night, kissing my forehead while keeping his eyes trained directly on the camera. Possessive. Protective. Caring, as if I'm not a bomb that could detonate at any time.
A text follows.
Could it be that you're closer to this than you think?
My thumb hovers over my phone as I try to shuffle words in my head. Could it?
No.
I'm merely filling the void.
I wait for a reply, and when the chat bubbles disappear and his next text pops up, my stomach hits the ground.
So he means nothing to you?
My throat swells as I swallow.
Nada.
Really?
Really.
Hmmm…
I don't respond, because what do I say to that?
His next text hits me like a fucking truck.
Prove it.
“Shit.” I shut my phone and shuffle up the chair to find Luce and Jord both staring at me. I flash them both a smile. “It's fine.”
Pushing up from the lounge, I make my way to the house before they do something like corner me further and all those damn cracks that Asher has put in my chest finally fracture and my heart spills out.
Dumping my things in the dirty laundry basket, I take in the bedroom. I can't sleep in here. Since Parker isn't going to be here for a while, I may as well just stay in the main bedroom, since it's my favorite bedroom.
I collect a bunch of clothes, makeup, shoes, and whatever else I might need, and haul ass back downstairs, cursing at the elevator when it once again tests my patience.