Total pages in book: 121
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 113319 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 567(@200wpm)___ 453(@250wpm)___ 378(@300wpm)
“Yes. Like food for the family, bills, Jimmy’s school supplies… Frivolous things like that. I took care of the house and child, with very little to nothing left over for myself, and you always got whatever you wanted. Looking back, that definitely seems fair.”
Matt’s eyes had a violent gleam. His smile turned brittle. “Just like usual, you’re remembering the computer situation completely wrong. But that’s fine.” He shrugged. “I don’t intend to argue. You can believe what you’d like.” He looked at Austin. “This is what I mean about patience. She is prone to arguing and wild fabrications. Ask her about the necessity of always getting her hair and nails done.” He nodded like he had me there. “Every other month. She certainly never shirked getting pampered.”
“I did my own nails,” I said, digging my fingers into Austin’s thigh.
“Kill him!” Ivy House yelled. “Kill him now!”
I had a point to make.
“Like a peasant, as I recall your saying. I couldn’t forgo the hair, or you’d ridicule me in front of your friends for becoming homely. I decided I’d rather be called a peasant than homely, so I chose to maintain my hair despite it costing more.”
“Despite it costing more, yes. Amazing how you rationalize monthly haircuts.” His laugh was incredulous. “Homely meaning your dieting was not going well, Jacinta, as you must remember. I stood by you through one diet after the other, paying for your ever-changing food needs, buying shakes you didn’t drink… Do you remember that, or do you just remember the things you want to? And with all the time you had,” he said slowly, his eyebrows arched high as he looked at me, “you didn’t put any of it into exercise.” He shrugged again, and I wasn’t sure whom he was trying to fool. “Water under the bridge. You have her now, Austin. Or have I scared you off?”
Austin’s fingers were now digging into me. “Scared me off? Hardly,” he said, his tone still light. “I love her dearly and want to be with her for the rest of my life. Did you make me want to rip your spleen out of your mouth, hang your skin on it, and put you in the coat closet? Yeah, maybe.”
“See? He gets it,” Ivy House said. “Bad things get worse when shoved in a closet.”
SEVENTEEN
Austin
Tear his throat out, or stick with the plan?
Tear his throat out, or stick with the plan?
Tear his throat out……
Austin took a deep, steadying breath, trying not to move much because he wasn’t sure if that movement would turn fluid and end with Jess’s ex bleeding all over the cheap, bland rug.
“But,” he said to the frozen solid and incredibly rigid Dick, “that does seem like a very challenging situation. For her, obviously. You sound like a real piece of shit. Luckily, it isn’t her situation now. This necklace”—he ran his fingers down her throat slowly, feeling her shiver, before running them along the diamonds—“was a gift from me. She was going to wear those simple pearls you apparently like so much, just to keep the peace, but thankfully she reconsidered. I like to see my baby sparkle.”
Jess turned to show Austin her smile before kissing his jaw and relaxing against him.
Matt watched every movement with darkening eyes, probably not daring to move because of his obvious fear of Austin. He’d likely seem incredibly composed to most Dicks, but Austin could read this guy like an open book with large print. He’d been doing it all afternoon. Matt hated Austin’s supreme confidence, his flashiness, his open intimacy with Jess. He hated someone with undefined social status sauntering around his house, no groveling, no deference to a reasonably wealthy businessman. Hated that his ex-wife was happy without him and no longer felt beholden to his schedules and his demands. The saddest thing? He didn’t seem to particularly enjoy his son. It seemed like he’d just invited him to stay because he wanted to take him away from his mother. Jimmy was a way to control Jess even when she was technically out of his reach.
This whole “afternoon supper” was Matt’s effort to bring Jess to heel, and it was turning out like a car driving across black ice.
“I did happen to notice your…eccentric vehicle parked out front,” Matt said, not giving up. Now he was trying to weasel through Austin’s confidence, it seemed. It was almost surreal. “You do like to throw your money around.”
“I’m more apt to throw my money at businesses, actually,” Austin said easily, running his fingertips along Jess’s bare arm. “I own several and add more all the time. I do like fast cars, though. Which is why Jess bought that one for me.”
A gleam lit Matt’s eyes, and his gaze was calculating as it swung to Jess. “So I guess I bought that car, since you didn’t have a dime before the divorce.”