Page 74 of The Other Half

“There. Happy?”

“Not even close,” I answered, then took a long gulp.

“So, this is it for you again? Grumpy and alone? Sworn off love and happiness?”

“Yep.”

With an exasperated sigh, she tossed up her hands. “Well, that’s just great, Jake. Sounds like a kick-ass life.”

“It will be just fine. At least I won’t have to go through that shit again.”

“I get it. It sucked. She lied to us. But you can’t let that tramp push you back into that pit of despair you love to wallow in.”

“I’m not wallowing. I’m accepting my life alone. How I want it. How it was going to be until you pushed her on me.”

“So now this is my fault?”

“You said you were taking full credit for the hook-up, so now you can take full credit for the aftermath.”

“Fine. It’s my fault. I did it. Sorry, I wanted to see you happy. I’m the asshole here. Now, can we get back to the part where you’re smiling again?” She plastered on a fake smile and waited for me to join her. All I did was grumble and take another sip of my drink.

“I give up.” She shook her head and walked away to serve another customer.

“What’s up, man?” Aaron asked as he pulled up a stool beside me.

“Nothing.”

“You okay? I heard a rumor that the little hottie was some rich celebrity or something?” His eyes widened while he waited. Of course, Aaron would think the lie from Cassie was no big deal... or Cassandra, or whatever the hell her name was.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Dude. You like, dated a celebrity. A hot celebrity. You’ve got to spill!”

Spill? What the hell did he want me to spill? That I got trampled by a woman again? Lied to again? Had my heart stomped on again? It was all happening again. I dove off that cliff, and instead of floating beside her I’d gone headfirst into the dirt. The pain from her betrayal cut deeper than anything I’d ever imagined.

I’d known Nikki the better part of a decade and her loss paled in comparison to the loss of Cassie. Even though I’d just met her this summer, the feelings she evoked had consumed me. They didn’t take years to grow on me. No. They snuck up on me. Like a match to a can of gasoline, my feelings for her had exploded in seconds. And as much as I tried to douse the flames with beer and whiskey, they still raged inside me. Though this time the flames from my anger matched them. A lethal combination of dueling fires burned inside me now.

Threatening to burn me alive.

I took another sip from my drink. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

My new mantra. I said it to Jo. I said it to Aaron. I’d repeat it to anyone else who asked me about Cassie. And I didn’t want to talk about it. I couldn’t.

Jo leaned in and appraised my solemn face. “At least she’s gone, Jake. Word has it she left with those rich friends of hers. No one has seen her for five days. I still wonder if it was like a reality show or something?”

“Dude! If it was, I’m so going to be famous!” Aaron smiled. They both peered around, still looking for the cameras they were convinced had been installed at the Blue Ox.

I wasn’t entirely convinced it wasn’t some reality show. What other reason would a billionaire socialite have to live in a dilapidated cabin, drive a car that saw its best days decades ago and take up bartending at the Blue Ox? It didn’t make sense. Then thoughts of my stupidity in falling for her being broadcast across the world tightened the knot in my stomach. Even with my affinity for tying and untying knots when I fished, I couldn’t undo this wadded up lump no matter how hard I tried. Was I just part of the plot? Convince some dumb redneck to fall for her equals ratings gold?

“Well, if it is a TV show, they need to have us all sign those agreements to be on it, so I guess we’ll know if they show up,” Jo said.

“I’ll sign!” Aaron smiled.

“I won’t. No fucking way.” Shaking my head, I felt a little better knowing they couldn’t exploit my broken heart and embarrass me not only in my small town, but to everyone in the world.

“Oh, come on, man!” Aaron bumped me with an elbow. “Take one for the team.”

“Aaron,” Jo warned. She shook her head and silenced him with a stare.