Total pages in book: 97
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95273 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 476(@200wpm)___ 381(@250wpm)___ 318(@300wpm)
“Stop.” I shake my head and hold my hand up. “This isn’t going to happen ever again, Jen.”
She tilts her head to the side, her eyes narrowing. “You met someone.”
“I’m just over this. It’s nothing personal.”
“No.” She crosses her arms over her chest, not shy at all about her lack of clothing. “You met someone.”
“It doesn’t matter. Good luck to you, Jen. I’ll see you around.”
She moves out of my way, and I open the door and let the cold air wash over me as I descend the stairs.
Jesus, what was I thinking?
I wasn’t.
“When it doesn’t work out, you can come back,” Jen calls down after me, but I don’t reply.
I’m not fit for company. I should go home and sleep off this shitty mood. I absolutely should not go to Abbi’s house.
And yet, that’s where I find myself driving. And when I pull into her driveway and cut the engine, I can’t get up the nerve to go inside.
No, I’ll never see Jen again because she isn’t who I want. She’s who I should want. No strings, no expectations, no adorable daughter, nothing that I can fuck up or leave behind someday.
Instead, I seem to want the exact opposite of Jen, and she’s inside that townhouse right now, probably fucking a piece of plastic.
And that just pisses me off.
Suddenly, a text comes through my phone.
Abbi: Are you coming inside, or are you going to sit out there all night?
Pushing out of the car, I stride to the door and open it, then step in and see that Abbi’s sitting on the couch, her feet up and crossed on the cushions, with a throw blanket on her lap. Her hair is up, and the light from the tree dances on her face.
She’s the most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen.
“Why were you camped out in my driveway?”
“Because I didn’t know if I wanted to come inside.”
She tilts her head to the side. “Why?”
I have to pace, so I do. “You’re under my skin. I can’t fucking shake you. You’re always just there. At events with my family, hanging out with my sisters—”
“If it makes you uncomfortable that I come to family events when invited, I’ll stay away from them, Brady. It’s your family.”
“It wouldn’t matter,” I explode, shaking my head. “Because you’re still here.”
I point to my head.
“I’ve stayed away for weeks, as you pointed out. I’ve buried myself in work, freezing my balls off out there in the goddamn snow. And you’re still there.”
I shake my head and pace some more.
“Hell, after you left tonight, I came into town and went to The Wolf Den. Thought I’d get a beer, and low and behold, there’s Jen.”
“Who’s Jen?”
“My fuck buddy.” I turn to look at her, and she flinches as if I’ve just hit her. “Former fuck buddy. She invited me to her place, and I went.”
“How nice for you. I’m going to ask you to leave now.”
“No.” I shake my head, frustrated all over again.
“Yeah, you’re going to want to go. I don’t want to hear about how you fucked Jen tonight, Brady. We’re not friends like that.”
“I didn’t fuck her!” I throw my hands up in the air. “I couldn’t. I didn’t have any desire to. I don’t want Jen, and I made it perfectly clear that I will never be doing that with her again.”
Abbi’s eyes narrow as she watches me.
“So, you want me to console you after a breakup?”
“Jesus,” I mutter and pinch the bridge of my nose. “I’m messing this up.”
“I don’t even know what this is, Brady.”
“I want you.” The fight has gone out of me now, and I drop into the chair directly across from her. “I want you so fucking bad that everything aches, but I can’t have you, Abs.”
“Why not?” She tosses the throw aside and sits forward on the couch. “I haven’t said no.”
“I’m not a good bet.” I shake my head and push my hand through my hair, suddenly feeling really fucking nervous. “I can’t make a commitment to you, and you’re a mom. Daisy’s already way too attached to me, and I would never want to hurt her. I don’t want to hurt either of you.”
“Okay, then don’t.”
I can’t help but laugh at that, and Abbi scowls.
“I don’t think this is funny.”
“It’s ridiculous.” I sober again and watch her. “I can’t do promises because my job is dangerous, and…I just can’t. And you of all people deserve promises, Abbi, and I don’t even know you all that well.”
“Nobody has proposed anything,” she reminds me, irritation filling her voice. “So just slow down a minute. We’re attracted to each other, and we’re friends. We have the same circle of people. My daughter likes you. Why does it have to be anything more than that for right now?”
I shake my head again, but she continues.