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“No temptation. Wow, thanks, Thane. Way to kick a girl when she’s down.”
“No, offense, Ly. I wish you were my type. It would make my life so much easier.”
“Ditto,” I mutter.
No one will ever be able to replace Barrett. He’s the best man I’ve ever known – that I’ll ever meet.
I’m just not sure if I’ll ever believe he wants to be with me for no other reasons, and being angry at him for lying to me is the best excuse to stay away from him.
Eventually, the ache has to get better, right?
For now, it keeps growing a little worse each and every day.
Like usual, when I get home from work, I check in on the social media accounts I set up for Bruised Not Broken to see how things are coming along.
Things are great apparently since next week is the grand opening.
I’m so proud of Barrett even though I’m still hurt.
And for some stupid reason, I really want to tell him that in person.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
Lyla
When I came to see Bear, to congratulate him on the grand opening, I had no idea that Isaac would be waiting out front on his bike like he was waiting for me.
“Lyla? You really are home,” he says as he climbs off his Harley.
“Just brought Thane up to get his bike,” I tell him. “He should be right behind me.”
“Yeah, I know. He also mentioned I could find you here,” he replies.
That little traitor! He’s been the best friend I could have asked for, but I should’ve known he still reports my every move to his president. “How’s Atlanta?”
“Fine.”
“Just fine?”
“Yeah,it’s just fine.”
“Look, I’m sorry I kept so much from you for so long. But I did it to protect you.”
“Right. Sure.” I cross my arms over my chest and look away so he hopefully won’t see the tears welling up in my eyes.
“What I regret most is that I pulled Fulton into my lies. You should be angry at me, not him.”
“Oh, I’ve got enough anger for you both,” I tell the ground.
“Lyla, that’s not you. You’re not…”
“My psycho father’s daughter?”
“You’renothinglike that son of a bitch. And I’m sorry I thought you could be anything but the perfect, beautiful girl you are despite growing up without your mother and with a shitty father like me.”
“She didn’t really die in a bar fight, did she?”
“How did you know?”
