Total pages in book: 147
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 140742 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 704(@200wpm)___ 563(@250wpm)___ 469(@300wpm)
“He’s a spineless piece of shit.”
“He is who he is.”
“You always looked so normal online, as if none of it affected you,” I say and instantly regret giving away that information.
Her brows shoot up. “You follow my page?”
My lips purse. “I lurk on your page.”
“So you tell women not to contact you anywhere, but you stalk their social media?”
“Josslyn.” I sigh heavily, glancing away momentarily. When I look at her again, she has an expectant expression on her face that makes my jaw tense, but I answer her stupid question, “You’re the only person I’ve ever done that with.”
The shock on her face is priceless and fucking adorable.
“Anyway.” She clears her throat. “Your parents made us sign a ton of papers, which seems to be their M.O. That’s why I asked about Blair.”
I feel my lips twist, as I nod.
“I was depressed for months after. I will never understand how life just keeps going after someone dies. It’s like we’re expected to grieve for a socially acceptable time and then move on.” She shakes her head. “I did what I had to do with Dad. I filed it away and dissociated. But then you came to Mal’s funeral and made me feel like shit.” I flinch, but she keeps going. “I understood it though, and I understand your need for answers.” She wraps her arms around herself and rubs them as if she’s cold. “I had to find out the truth. Have to. So, I went to the only person at Onyx who would help me.” She smiles sadly. “And that’s how I ended up in a private room at Pearl with my tits out in a room full of naked strangers.”
It takes me a moment to process her words. I think I stopped listening when she said the words “private room,” but the moment my brain processes her statement…
"YOU WHAT?” I roar, shooting out of my seat.
38
JOSSLYN
Iwatch as he takes in that bit of news, and wonder if I should even continue.
“Maybe we should go back to the part about why I went to Onyx with her that night,” I suggest quietly.
His jaw sets. “Oh, we’re going back to that, as soon as you tell me how the fuck you ended up naked.”
“Only from the waist up,” I point out. He scowls, so I keep talking. “Mal met up with a group of people at Onyx on Saturdays. It’s this whole thing.” I wave a hand. “There’s a steep membership fee and it’s very hush-hush. The other night, Scarlet introduced me to these guys and they invited me to go tonight—”
“And you fucking went,” he says, eyes narrowed, his voice low and hoarse. “You went to a sex club, my sex club, to meet with a group of swingers by yourself.”
“To be fair, I didn’t know about the change in venue until the last minute, so it’s not like I wanted to go to Pearl.”
“So you would’ve gone to Onyx instead.” His jaw clenches again.
“Yes.”
“Why the fuck…” He shuts his eyes and pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment before he looks at me again. “Why would you do that?”
“I already told you! Because you think my stepfather was having an affair with your sister, and you threatened to ruin his life!” I shout. “And I realized that you actually could, because, despite his stellar reputation, he’s not a fucking Barlow and this conversation just further proves how much weight your name has here!”
He stares at me for a moment, jaw still tight. “Did they force you to get naked?”
The fact that he didn’t dispute wanting to ruin Titus’ reputation and went back to the nudity thing makes my blood boil. I sit on my hands to keep from shaking.
“They didn’t force me to do anything,” I say between my teeth. “It’s not a sex thing. It’s a trust and being on equal ground thing. The group does it each time they meet.”
“Right.” He scoffs. “Did you learn anything worth writing down in your handy dandy fucking notebook?”
This motherfucker. Maybe it’s the sarcasm, or everything that happened tonight, or the weight of it all crashing down on me, but my entire body is shaking when I stand up and walk over to glare at him. I’ve never hit anyone in my life, but this man. I take a breath and huff it out, surprised that fire doesn’t spill out of me.
“Fuck you, Finneas. Do you think I enjoy people’s lascivious looks or being propositioned by older men? Do you think I was comfortable when I walked into that private room? I did it because you trying to bring Titus into this is making me sick. I did it to help you. If you don’t like the extreme measures I had to take, you can fuck right off.”
“While you were living your best life and fucking your way through Vegas, I was here dealing with your sister’s bullshit. You know why she stopped talking to me?” I ask, hating how my voice breaks and the hot tears blur my vision. “Because after driving to my apartment drunk and high at three in the morning multiple times, I got concerned and called your mother. Mal…” I shake my head, batting away the tears that come with the memories I’ve tried to bury.