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“Damn…” I’ve only heard my oldest brother sing “Happy Birthday” in a crowd, but that was cringy enough.
“You see? We’ve all fought. I’m sure Bethany and Clint have told you about their rocky start.”
The one where he lied about his name and pretended to be a friend and co-worker so he could seduce her for revenge? “Yeah.”
“Don’t think that didn’t take all kinds of hustle on his part to earn her trust again.”
“Months of it,” Griff assures me.
“And Evan was just crazy. He took out a personal ad for a wife, even though Nia had been in love with him for years. After that, he had to work like hell to prove that he was all in with her,” Harlow puts in. “Love might not have been easy for any of us, but having it has been priceless.”
They aren’t listening, damn it. “She left. If I keep chasing her, don’t I look like the creepy stalker guy who can’t take no for an answer?”
“Maybe,” Maxon acknowledges. “Do you care more about that than having her back?”
“No.” And that’s not really my objection. I’m afraid to have my heart ripped out for good. Hadley bruised it, but Corinne… “I don’t know if I can handle her shutting me out again.”
But…I’m already hurting. What more do I have to lose? And if I truly love her, shouldn’t I do everything possible to warn her that her ex and her brother are conning her? It might not change how she feels about me, but if her future is happier, even if that’s without me, that’s more important.
“You can,” Maxon swears. “You’re made of strong stuff. You’re a Reed. Maybe take a shower so you smell less like whatever the fuck you’ve been drinking. But if you put on your big-boy pants and tell her how you feel, that just might be enough to win her back.”
He’s being overly optimistic. But I have to warn her.
“I’m too drunk to drive.”
“We got you.” Griff claps my shoulder. “We’ll take you over there and be your backup.”
“Not me,” Harlow cuts in. “I have to go home and breastfeed. Besides, I won’t look too menacing with milk stains.”
I refuse to look down and see if my sister’s shirt is already wet. “You won’t. Go. And thanks for the pep talk.”
Because I know them, I know opening up wasn’t easy.
She grins. “You look a little green. Is that the alcohol or talking about my boobs?”
“Both.” I wince.
Everyone laughs.
“You got this. I promise,” Harlow adds, serious once more. “I’ll let you in on a secret… Girls like her don’t orgasm in public for a guy they’re not crazy about. So if worse comes to worst, take her to bed until she can’t say no anymore. It worked for Noah.”
I didn’t need to know that. “Harlow…”
She chortles. “You’re even greener. It’s hysterical.”
“Fuck you,” I groan.
“Love you, too.” She kisses me on the cheek, then heads for the door. “Call me once she’s said yes.”
I’m not convinced that will ever happen, but they’re right. If I want any chance at a future with Corinne, I have to keep fighting for her. Everyone she’s ever loved has abandoned her in some way or another. I can’t do the same and expect her to trust me. I have to show her I’ll be there, no matter what—even if she hurts me.
And if it doesn’t change her mind…I’ll keep trying until she does.
“We will,” Maxon promises. “Now get out of here before you make us all puke.”
With a final wink, my sister leaves. My brothers give me matching expectant stares.
I race to my bedroom, take the quickest shower in history, and brush my damn teeth. Then, feeling almost human, I swipe the car keys off the counter, assure Maxon and Griff that I’m sober and I’ll be fine flying solo, then rush off to throw my heart on the line one last time.
Dark envelops me as I race down the highway at breakneck speeds. It’s a miracle I don’t get pulled over.
During my drive, I prepare all I can. I have to think smart if I want Corinne to dump Riley—and not because I prove he’s Parker’s lap dog but because she chooses me.
After the last eighteen hours, it’s a tall fucking order.
A slew of calls later, I’m ready. Thanks to Owen, I have Riley’s room number at the posh resort he can’t afford. I also get the unhappy news that, as far as the PI can tell, Corinne never checked in separately. She’s staying with her goddamn ex. Even if they didn’t fuck last night, tonight’s a new opportunity to get down and dirty.
I’m putting a stop to that. If I have my way, that sellout son of a bitch will never touch her again.
The drive seems to take both twenty hours and a nanosecond. Finally, I screech into the parking lot, slam on my brakes in front of the valet stand, and toss the attendant in a loud Hawaiian shirt my keys.
