“Nandi never sounds good. But you can’t top up her tips every day. What about you?”
“What about me?” I mutter.
“You know what I mean, Buddy. You knew this day might come. They came back. It might not be a one-off.”
“Don’t you think I know that?” I grit, pushing off the workbench and turning to face him.
Declan stares back, unaffected by the fire I know is burning in my gaze. He’s seen it enough times. Watched me punch things. Sat beside me as I’ve tried and failed to drink away the pain.
Nothing works.
I need to get out of here for good.
“This friend of yours, you said he works fast, right?”
Declan’s jaw tightens. “He’s not a friend, but yeah. For the right price, he can get you what you need within a few days.”
Getting the cash together is taking longer than I hoped. I haven’t walked that stretch of the beach since I saw the wedding. I told myself that was the last time and I meant it. Declan’s kept an eye out for me instead. They haven’t come back yet. But it’s only a matter of time.
I need that money now.
“You could do me a favor?” Declan says. “I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Done.”
“Don’t you want to know what it is?”
I look into his eyes. “Will anyone die?”
His lips quirk at my joke that isn’t a joke. “Only me if management finds out.”
“Fine. Tell me what it is and I’ll do it.”
8
JUDE
“Please tellme you’re not doing what I think you’re doing?” Mel says.
I click on another image. Kelly’s wearing a black halter neck bikini and pouting at the camera in it.
“If you mean going through my ex-fiancé’s social media and realizing what an even bigger piece of shit he is, then yes, that’s exactly what I’m doing.”
I screw my face up at the fire emoji that Callum’s commented on Kelly’s picture with.
“He posted this on the day we got engaged.” I thrust the screen toward Mel. “Look! The day we got fucking engaged!”
I scroll to another image that Kelly posted a couple of days after, with the caption:maybe I need a hot doctor to take care of me. She’s posing with a ridiculous, fake frown and holding up the tip of her finger that has a paper cut.
His comment is the top one. She’s pinned the damn thing.
‘I could help you with that. Smiling emoji.’
“He could help the entire world by moving to outer space,” I huff. “He’d probably still find a way to be a cheating asshole there.”
Mel looks at me in concern.
“Was I a complete and utter fool? Was it that obvious?” I cry.
