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I take my time with my tea and toast. My headache is gone by the time I’ve eaten, but I drink a glass of water anyway. I’ve got a long drive ahead of me. I want to feel prepared for that.
Messing around in my purse, I realize I’m only delaying the inevitable.
I steel myself for a frosty reception as I leave the house.
I need to tell them I’m not Scarlett.
I’d rather I wasn’t the messenger here, but I don’t have much of a choice.
Going back to the city without trying to fix this mess, or at least to stop these guys from wasting time on my sister while she couldn’t care less about them, would feel too awful.
They’re good guys. Real sweethearts.
They deserve to know the truth.
Chapter fifty-five
Rueben
All of a sudden we have a week off for no damn reason, and I’m agitated enough to join Scout in the gym for one of his insane daily workout sessions. My pack brother is built like a tank from weight training like a maniac ever since he was a teenager. He used to win competitions, way back when, alongside his brothers. They’re all into that stuff, and they’re all competitive about it, to the extent where it feels more like they’re rivals than brothers.
I’m not interested in cultivating that kind of relationship with Scout, so I usually just do my own thing while he trains as if he’s trying to build up the strength to go into business as a human bulldozer.
Today, I need to focus more intently or I’ll go crazy, so I’m asking him to show me his personal routine. It’s probably driving him insane that I’m asking him to explain the why of every step, but if it is, he’s keeping that to himself.
He’s probably just glad I’m speaking to him after yesterday’s stunt.
He’s lucky I don’t hold grudges.
“Holy hell,” I mutter, as I test the weight he’s put me down to on the bench press. “Do I look like The Incredible Hulk?”
He shakes his head. “No, but you look like a firefighter who needs to lift heavier weights than this in an emergency. I think you should be training with me more often, Rueben. This is a little worrying.”
“Adrenaline always gets me through at work,” I scoff, as I attempt to lift again.
This time, I realize I can do it, but man, it sucks ass.
I’m going to be a sweaty, shaky mess by the time we’re done in here.
There are much better ways to get into that kind of state.
Fun ways that would make me breathless for all the right reasons.
I rest and stare into space. “When do you think she’ll be back?”
It’s already a half hour later than she usually gets here, so I know she won’t come over today, at least not for the remainder of the bet, which was the only way we were anywhere close to guaranteed to seeing her.
“I don’t know,” he answers, shrugging lightly.
“This isn’t driving you crazy?” I ask.
“I wouldn’t say that,” he says, giving me a wry smile. “But there’s not much we can do when she needs time to work through things.”
“I need more hobbies,” I tell him. “Like another ten of them, starting yesterday.”
“Why don’t we start with finishing this training session first?”
I screw up my face, and the sound of the doorbell ringing makes me straighten on the bench.
