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Finally, I placed my fork on my plate, “What? Just say it.”
“What was that? Out in the hallway. Give me a straight answer.”
“Like you have any room to talk.” Amara’d been having sex since she was fifteen. And now, she was currently in her messed up situation because she’d carelessly not taken her birth control. Even though I didn’t say the words, they sat between us like a dark cloud.
“You’re right,” she nodded, “I don’t. But that’s my exact point. What if he gets you pregnant, then ditches you?”
“He’s not like that,” I argued.
“Uh huh, sure. Just like your relationship ‘isn’t like that’.” She used air quotes.
“Amara.”
“Summer.”
We stared each other down.
“He brought you here, all because I’d asked him. He did that for me.”
“Darling,” her words rolled, “I told you, the man only wants one thing: to fuck you.”
“You don’t have to be so crude,” I growled.
“I’m being honest. If you get pregnant, he’ll spend his money just as fast to get you out of here.”
“And who says I’m going to get pregnant? And just because your boyfriend?—”
“Ex-boyfriend,” she interjected.
“—is an asshole,” I continued, “doesn’t mean all men are.”
“Says you, the girl with no other experience.”
My lips parted in shock. I’d never seen this side to Amara before.
I stood, picking up my plate, my food half eaten, not hungry anymore. “Not that it’s any of your business, but we haven’t actually fucked.”
“It sure looks like you haven’t.” She gestured towards my shirt.
“Not all the way. Despite how it looks.”
“Aww, is he saving himself, because you’re a virgin?”
“What the actual fuck, Amara!” Anger boiled through my veins. “You want to know the reason he brought you here?”
“Why?” she drawled.
“Because, last Friday we found Benson’s body by the bay. Someone killed him. And Rook brought you here because he wanted to make me feel better. Especially after my da—” I couldn’t finish my sentence.
“Shit, Summer.” Her lips parted in surprise, her face paling. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“Because,” I growled. “I haven’t had time. I had to get the permit signed to allow him to be buried on our property, organize the funeral, take care of his affairs, fly Callie back and forth, including picking her up and taking her to the airport. I’ve been busy. Then, on top of that, I was upset that—” My words stalled.
Someone had killed him—on my property. What if I could’ve stopped it? I should’ve checked in on him more.
What if someone did the same to me?
Silence settled between us, and Amara stared at her plate. All we could hear were birds cooing in a nest nearby. Finally, she stood, taking the plate from me, “I’ll take care of the dishes.”
