Total pages in book: 111
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 106806 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 534(@200wpm)___ 427(@250wpm)___ 356(@300wpm)
I shake my head. “I’m not here because I’m worried about his forgiveness. I’m here because I’m afraid telling him the truth might hurt you, and for some goddamned reason, I still care.”
“Well, that’s where you’ve always gone wrong, isn’t it?” He turns his back on me and adds more bourbon to the glass. “Tell him whatever you want, Savvy. Tell him all of it. I already got more of you than I ever deserved. I hope you have a nice life.”
ALEC
I feel like my heart’s been ripped out of my chest and then been left on the 405 freeway to be pulverized.
An hour ago, I was relishing the sight of Savannah in my shirt, in my house, and now I can’t shake this feeling of betrayal. I’m a fool. Again.
Savvy has known the truth for years and not told me. And maybe I could forgive that, but knowing they’ve been talking during that time is a bigger gut punch than their history.
The doorbell rings, and I spring off the couch. Maybe Savvy changed her flight. Maybe she came back to . . . what? Beg for my forgiveness? Or end this for good and explain that, like Portentia, she too prefers Oliver?
I’ve wanted Savvy for so long. A week ago—a month ago, a year ago—I would’ve done anything to have her show up unexpectedly at my home. But I don’t think I can face her now.
When it rings again, I force myself to answer, but when I pull the door open, Savvy isn’t standing there.
“Portentia.” As if my day wasn’t shitty enough. Now I have to look into the eyes of the first woman to break my heart. The first woman to betray me for my brother.
She blinks up at me, her big brown eyes wide. “Alec,” she says. “I . . .” She looks me over, her gaze lingering on my bare chest and stomach before sweeping over the jeans I pulled on after Savvy left, and moving down to my bare feet. “I’m sorry. Your mom wanted me to meet her here?”
I drag a hand through my hair and sigh. Mother is always pulling these tricks. Getting Portentia over here and making her wait—always trying to get us back together. I’ve handled it with next-level avoidance for more than a decade. “Come on in,” I say, waving her into the house.
She tugs her bottom lip through her teeth then nods and walks past me.
I follow her through the foyer and into the kitchen. She takes a seat at the table, stiff as can be, hands in her lap while she waits.
“You want some coffee?” I ask. The hope in her eyes slays me. Usually, I lock myself in my bedroom or office while she’s here rather than have all the old memories dredged up to the surface, but after the start to this day, I guess I’m feeling masochistic.
“You don’t have to make me anything,” she says, her voice small. She licks her lips before snapping her gaze back to her hands. “I hear you have a girlfriend.”
I sigh. “Yeah.”
“I wasn’t stalking—I saw pictures from last weekend’s dinner with Rose. She’s very pretty.”
I huff out a laugh and take the chair beside her. Savvy is very pretty, but she looks a little like Portentia, if I’m honest with myself. “I guess I have a thing for beautiful blondes.” Beautiful blondes who want my brother.
Portentia’s gaze flickers back to mine. “I want you to be happy, Alec. I’m sorry that our mothers have kept us in each other’s paths all these years. I know you want nothing to do with me, and I can tell having me here is upsetting you. I’ll—”
“It’s not that.” I cut my gaze away and squeeze the back of my neck. “This morning I found out that Savvy and Oliver have a history she never told me about.” I’m surprised to hear myself say it, yet I know Portentia will understand how this is tearing me up better than anyone else can.
“Oh, no. I’m so sorry.”
I swallow hard. “I didn’t take it well.”
“But she’s with you, right? She chose you.”
My stomach twists hard at the memories. Portentia, almost eleven years ago, eyes puffy and nose red from crying. “I made mistakes, and I regret them, but you’re the one I want.” Part of me wishes I’d been able to believe her.
“It’s never been that simple for me,” I say.
“Because you’ve never been able to see your own value.”
I scrub a hand over my face. “Can you tell me why you let him pull you away from me? What is it about him?”
Her eyes fill with tears. “Alec, it wasn’t like that.”
“But you cheated on me. With my brother. He got you pregnant, and I didn’t even know until . . .” I should be over it by now, but the memory is always a gnawing ache in my gut. She wanted to take it slow, and so we did. I didn’t even care. I was young and dumb, so sure we would have the rest of our lives to experience each other’s pleasure the way I wanted to.