AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Well, I wasn’t sure everyone would be okay with it.”
“You mean your brothers? I think they’re going to love it because they love you. They may not read their sister’s sexy book, but they’ll support the shit out of you. You really should tell them about it. When can I read it?”
I grit my teeth. “I may have a slight problem. I’m stuck. The couple has broken up, but I have no idea how to get them back together. I thought about leaving them to wallow in their own sadness, but I don’t think that would make it very popular.”
“I’m very good at giving people relationship advice. At least my track record is pretty good.” She taps her lips with a pink painted nail and then smirks. I don’t like it. “Now that I think about it, I’ve changed my mind from earlier. What happened with you and Foster?”
Before I can open my mouth, Gloria lets herself into my apartment, strolling toward Mason whose still content on his mat, the unicorn slippers bobbing with each step. She picks him up and bounces him, which is a shame because he’s covering today’s sweater. It’s green with two pine trees and readsI like them real thick and sprucy.
I literally am too old for this shit.
“Did this one come clean yet?” Gloria asks Lucy, eying the both of us, and I sigh.
“No,” Lucy replies, making room on the couch for Gloria to sit down. “But she’s about to.”
“Alright, look. We agreed to have a fake relationship so that he would look better when it came time for the Devils to renew his contract. His old agent messed up a lot of things, and his new one thought this might do wonders for his image.”
“Well, this is a story I know all too well,” Lucy says, clapping her hands together.
“It’s not like that. You guys were actually falling in love. Foster was only lying to me so he could keep fucking me.”
I close my eyes as his words wash over me, the feelings of betrayal, grief, the physical anguish as my heart was torn from my chest. The only man outside of my brothers I thought I could trust, and he turned out to be a liar.
Which is a real fucking shame. As much as I wanted to turn off my feelings, I couldn’t. I love him. Ever since the night at the bar when he blew off two gorgeous women to spend the night with me, dancing and making me laugh, just to make me feel better about being pregnant and abandoned.
He may not have left me pregnant, but he left me, too, and this time it was exponentially worse. I guess that’s what happens when you break your own rules and fall for a hockey player, and a ladies’ man.
Gloria covers Mason’s ears. “I hope that large dick of his falls right off.”
Lucy just frowns, but I can practically see her brain churning. “I don’t buy it.”
“What’s there to buy, Lucy? He was lying to me the whole time.” My eyes flash to the envelope I found in my mailbox earlier, unopened, but there’s only one thing he’d have sent me. “And he paid me for dating him like Julia Roberts inPretty Woman. He already sent me the check. Being with me was nothing but a job.”
She purses her lips, leans back on the couch, and strokes a hand across her slightly swollen belly. “The only person that man is lying to is himself. He’s scared and running away from you and his feelings because it got too real for him. I saw the two of you together, and I’m not blind. What are you going to do with the money?”
A small nugget of hope settles in my chest, and I slap it away. Even if he has real feelings for me, it doesn’t change a thing. He doesn’t want this… me. “I only agreed to take it because I wanted more time at home with Mason before I had to find a real job. But now? I don’t want it. I’m going to send it back to him. He’s made his decision, and I’m going to respect it, no matter how hard it may be. I just refuse to take payment for any of it.”
“I think the occasion calls for more of that cake.” Gloria points at the half empty plates. “And maybe some nice ginger ale and a sappy chick flick. Is it too early to watchThe Holiday?”
“It’s never too early forThe Holiday.” Lucy practically swoons, and I’m pretty sure she mutters something about Jude Law’s ass.
While they gather everything we need for what will apparently be an epic movie day, I open my phone to text my brothers.
Sunshine: Happy birthday from your favorite brother.
Grumpy: Thanks. You didn’t have to wish her happy birthday for me, but that was really nice of you.
Sunshine: You know, you’re really annoying.
Grumpy: But still the favorite.
Me: You’re both my favorite and thank you.
Grumpy: You doing okay?
Me: No, but I will be eventually.
Sunshine: Rhett filled me in. I’m available for any and all ass kicking.
