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“He’s going to tell him, isn’t he?” Iask.
“I’m sorry,” Stella replies. “I shouldn’t have pushed you, but you have to tell Dallas before Hudson does. Maybe this baby will bring some joy into hisdarkness.”
“I’ll tell him. Just give me a few days,okay?”
She nods. “As much time as you need. I can’t say the same for Hudson though. You know how close theyare.”
“Fuck!” I scream, grabbing the ends of my hair and pullingit.
“That’s what put you in this situation.” She smiles when I flip heroff.
“I need another fuckingcupcake.”
Chapter Two
Dallas
I openthe fridge with more force than necessary and snag a beer. My brain pounds when I pop the cap off, take a long yet unsatisfying drink, and set it aside for somethingstronger.
Nothing will be potent enough for metonight.
But that won’t stop me fromtrying.
Maven is at my parents’, so I have no responsibilitiestonight.
To say surviving the party was a challenge is an understatement. I wasn’t sure I’d be able to make it through and good thing I didn’t have to do it sober. I should be glad my brother found happiness, but I’m an asshole living in a dark hole, avoiding the sunlight. I’m only happy I managed not to stand up and object to him asking Stella to marryhim.
Marriage isn’t the answer,I wanted to scream out.Don’t let yourself get wrapped up in someone so much, you don’t know who you are when they’regone.
I pat myself on the back for keeping my mouth shut. The glass bottle feels chilly when it grazes the bare skin of myneck.
Then, I saw Willow. Hudson gave me a heads-up that she was coming, and even if I had tried to argue about it, nothing would’ve changed. She’s Stella’s best friend … and the only other woman I’ve slept with since Lucy died. Hell, the only woman I’ve slept with other thanLucy.
I decided I was going to talk to Willow and make things right between us. The problem was, I wasn’t expecting my chest to ache at the sight of her walking in … or my hands to grow sweaty as I wondered how her skin felt underneath that blackdress.
Is it still as soft as it was thatnight?
Does she still smell likestrawberries?
Taste assweet?
My plan to make shit right went out the window. All I thought about was asking her to come home with me and let me make up for my asshole behavior. I haven’t touched anyone in months, haven’t had the desire to, but seeing Willow made my heart race and my dick stir. Hell, it was a full-time job stopping myself from staring at her every threeseconds.
I asked her to breakfast, and she looked at me like I was scum beneath her shoes. I had done a shitty thing, but I’ve tried to man up to it on more than one occasion, and she keeps shooting me down. So, I’m still a lonely asshole who only gets turned on at the thought of his dead wife and a woman who hateshim.
I reach up to the tallest cabinet above the fridge and pull out the bottle of Jameson, my good friend who doesn’t judge me when we hang out too much. I owe this motherfucker thousands of dollars in therapy. The liquid burns but feels almost euphoric, seeping down mythroat.
Lately, all I’ve done is pretend—pretend that I’m okay in front of my family. I put on a brave face and make it through the day for my daughter … and then I go to bed, wanting nothing more than to rip myself out of myskin.
I flinch when I hear my front door slam and take the bottle with me to investigate. I stumble back at the sight of the last person I expected to show up at my doortonight.
“Yikes, what the hell are you doing here?” I ask. “Stella decide to leave your assalready?”
Hudson snatches the bottle from my hand with a snarl. “We need totalk.”
I put my hands in the air. “If it’s about me cornering Willow, I only did it, so we’d be civil during your weddingfestivities.”
He lifts the bottle to his lips and takes a sip. “I, uh …” He takes another. “I have a feeling the two of you are going to have to learn to be civil long after mywedding.”
