Total pages in book: 101
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 98255 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 491(@200wpm)___ 393(@250wpm)___ 328(@300wpm)
Aria got to her feet and made her way over to his closet. She found the clothes that she had been wearing and quickly changed out of Grant’s into her own.
She was such an idiot. A fool. A foolish idiot. Ugh! She hated herself.
Once she was dressed, she made her way to the door and swung it open. There was no one outside waiting for her, which was a welcome relief. Taking the stairs down to the main room of the clubhouse, she stepped outside and then headed straight for the door that would take her outside. She was going home.
Aria stepped out into the freezing air. It was still quite early in the morning but she needed to get away.
Grant had pulled into the parking lot on his motorcycle. The machine sounded loud. He wasn’t wearing a helmet.
“Babe, where are you going?” Grant asked.
All she kept hearing was the mantra of how much he hated fat people. She looked at him and had to wonder if it was all a lie. What was he getting out of it, lying to her? Not once had she thrown herself at him. He pursued her.
“Aria, babe, what’s wrong?” he asked.
“Why did you do it?”
“Do what?”
She gritted her teeth. “Keep asking me out on a date when you hate fat people so much?”
“Hate fat people? Aria, I have no idea what’s going on?”
“When were you going to tell me?” Aria asked.
Grant laughed. “I don’t have a clue what you’re talking about.”
She shook her head. “Is that because it’s convenient for you to forget?”
“For fuck’s sake, Aria, tell me what’s going on? I went and grabbed you some clothes. If the guys are talking shit, then you have to ignore them.”
She pulled out her cell phone and then played the video. Once again, it took less than a minute but this time, rather than it break her heart, she watched Grant intently, hoping by some trickery of modern technology, it was all lies.
His face said it all. None of it was lies. It was all the truth. Grant had slept with her sister and he didn’t like … fat people.
“Aria, I don’t know how you got it—”
“Anonymous sender,” she said. “Are you going to tell me none of this is true? That’s you and Isabella, Thanksgiving night. Then I’m guessing that’s you during high school? College?”
“Just after high school,” Grant said.
“See, it’s all real, and I have to wonder if you hate me so much, why did you insist on us dating? If we’re so vile to you, why did you … why would you…”
“Aria, this was a long time ago. Trust me, I was a fucking asshole back then, and I didn’t mean a single word I said.”
“Trust you?”
“Yes.”
“When were you going to tell me?” Aria asked.
Grant sighed. “I was going to tell you when it was the right time.”
Aria reached for her bag. “Give me my stuff.”
“You can’t go out there,” Grant said. “It’s dangerous.”
“No, it’s dangerous if I’m still associated with you, right? Don’t worry, Grant, I’ll be fine because we’re not together anymore.”
“Aria, fuck, this is not … I’m not that person, at all. I don’t hate you, I swear it. None of what I said was true. None of it. I … I fucking love you, Aria.”
He wouldn’t give her the bag and Aria stumbled back a little at his confession. She shook her head. How could she believe that? Turning on her heel, she headed for the gates.
Grant rushed toward her, wrapping his arms around her, and pulling her in close. Aria tried to fight him.
“I get that you hate me right now and you can do it, but please don’t go. Do not walk through those gates. He will not care that you no longer want me, Aria. Fuck, do not fucking go.”
Chapter Fifteen
Grant kept his distance for the next week. Aria didn’t leave the clubhouse, but then, if it hadn’t been for Maddie and Bull coming outside, he had a feeling she would have left.
Sitting at the bar, he kept his gaze on the main door leading up to the bedrooms. Aria was now staying in Pat’s room. As for Pat, he was sleeping wherever he wanted to crash.
Fucking Pat. First his VP patch, now Aria.
Grant wanted a drink so badly, but he didn’t want to mix his temper with alcohol. That wouldn’t be the greatest way to deal with his problems.
“How are you doing?” Bull asked, coming to sit beside him at the bar.
“Fine.”
“You’ve spent most of your time staring at a door the past couple of days,” Bull said.
“Wouldn’t you do it with Maddie?”
“I have done it.” Bull sighed. “So she’s the real deal then. Aria, she’s the one you love.”
“Yeah, she is,” Grant said. “More than anything else in the world.” He sipped at his coffee and even though it was scorching hot, it was not giving him the burn of alcohol he fucking wanted.