Chapter 11 #2
Adele shrugs, the look on her face unreadable.
“I heard a phone conversation she was having. She told whomever she was talking to that she missed him, she wished that she were spending Thanksgiving with him, and she’s planning a movie date for the two of them when she returns home.
” She’s totally getting off on giving me this bad news, and I’m trying my best to pretend everything’s fine.
That her vicious, shitty words don’t affect me.
But they do. Fable withdrew from me so completely last night after what happened between us.
The tables were turned and I didn’t like it.
She never came back to my bed. She jerked me off and left me there, adrenaline still buzzing in my veins and amping me up, making me eager to explore her body just as thoroughly as she’d explored mine.
She left me high and dry instead. I finally fell asleep when I realized she wasn’t coming back, and I still haven’t seen her or talked to her this morning.
It’s like she’s hiding away from me.
“Fable doesn’t have anyone else in her life. Only me,” I mumble, starting for the open doorway that leads back into the house.
Adele dodges left, grabbing hold of my arm before I can escape, her fingers digging into my flesh. “You don’t know that for sure, you idiot. I’m positive that whore is out spreading her legs for anyone who asks.”
I almost slap Adele across her bitchy face, I’m so angry. “Don’t ever call her that,” I say through clenched teeth. “Ever.”
“I heard her. She called him ‘sweetie.’ She told him she loved him before she hung up. Face facts, Andrew. She’s cheating on you with another man.
” Adele mock frowns at me, batting her eyelashes.
“What’s wrong? Do you not keep her satisfied enough?
I know you like to control all of those animal urges of yours to the best of your ability but sometimes, a girl likes it when you unleash all over her. ”
“Fuck you. Leave me the fuck alone and stop talking shit about my girlfriend.” I jerk out of Adele’s hold and push past her, hurrying into the house. I need to find Fable. I need confirmation once and for all that she’s not talking to some other guy while she’s here with me.
I know I don’t have exclusive rights to her. But the least she can do is take calls from other guys out of earshot of anyone. I mean, come on. She’s making me look like a jackass and giving Adele way too much ammunition.
And the idea Fable might really be with another guy on the side while she spends time here with me? Fuck, I can’t stand it!
My blood boiling and jealousy eating at me so hard and fast I’m turning into a complete dick, I stride through the house, ignoring Dad when he calls my name, ignoring Adele when she finally bursts into the house and makes a grab for me yet again.
I can’t find Fable anywhere inside, and when I finally do spot her standing in the front yard puffing away on a cigarette I instantly see red.
Instantly, I-want-to-kick-some-ass, bloody-as-hell red.
Opening the front door, I stalk outside, heading straight for her.
Our gazes clash and I see the fear, the wariness, the…
matching anger in her eyes as well. She takes a long drag on her cigarette, blowing the smoke directly in my face when I stop in front of her, and I’m furious. With her. With Adele. With my dad.
With myself for thinking I could have something with this girl who clearly doesn’t give a shit about me.
“You’re with someone else,” I say, not bothering to hold back.
She purses her lips, the cigarette dangling from her fingers. “Talking to your stepmom, I see.”
“Tell me what’s going on.”
“How is it any of your business?” She flicks the cigarette onto the grass and grinds the heel of her boot to put it out, digging a hole in my parents’ otherwise pristine lawn. My dad is going to shit a brick when he sees that.
“I’ve paid you a fuck ton of money to pretend to be my girlfriend this week.
I think that makes it my business.” I grab her arm and haul her in close, staring directly into her blazing green eyes.
I want to see if she’s lying to me. If everything we shared yesterday was nothing but a bunch of meaningless bullshit for her.
That thought hurts. More than I care to admit.
“So we’re back to that, huh? All those sweet words and yesterday’s romance evaporates after I get you off. Now we’re at square one and the paid-girlfriend bit.”
She’s mad. But I’m madder. “Tell me the truth. Is there another guy?”
“Only if you tell me how your sister died,” she throws back at me.
Surprise renders me silent and I let go of her, back up a few steps.
Fuck. I hadn’t counted on that. Figured I still had a little bit of time before I had to confess about Vanessa.
“There’s nothing to tell,” I murmur, not about to go into the details, ignoring the guilt that has a death squeeze on my chest.
“Right, you just so happen to forget to mention you have a three-year-old sister who died here almost two years ago to the day. I mean, no wonder you don’t want to come back to this place, Drew.
I wouldn’t want to either. I’m sure your house is chock-full of horrendous memories you don’t want to face. ”
“You’re damn right.” She’s distracting me and I’m getting angrier because of it. We are not going to discuss my sister any further. “Who’s the guy, Fable?”
She shakes her head. “No one.”
“Who’s. The. Guy?” I bite each word out, so freaking tired of her bullshit.
“What? Are you jealous?”
“Fuck yes, I am!” I roar, unable to stop the words from spilling out.
“After everything we’ve shared, especially after yesterday, you have the nerve to ask if I’m jealous?
Of course, I am. This isn’t a game to me, Fable.
This is my life. And I want you to be a part of it.
But if you’d rather fuck around with other guys, then I can’t deal with that.
I want you and you only. I’m not sharing you with anyone else. ”
My breathing’s ragged by the time I’m finished with my speech and I can’t believe what I just said to her. She’s staring at me as if I’m crazy and maybe I am, but I can’t hold back with her. For whatever reason, she makes me want to confess everything.
Every fucking thing, the good and the bad.
“Me and you, we’re pretending,” she whispers. There are tears in her eyes and one slips down her cheek. I want to stop it with my thumb, I want to kiss the tear away, but I don’t. I can’t, not after what she’s said. “This isn’t real. You’re getting caught up in nothing.”
“That’s not true,” I start but she shuts me up, pressing her fingers against my mouth for the briefest moment before she drops her hand.
“It is. You don’t want me, not really. I’m not who you think I am.
And you’re definitely not who I think you are.
There are so many secrets and problems between us, I think our life would be one fucked-up mess after another if we were to really try and be together.
And that’s never going to happen, you know this. ”
I can’t say anything. I know she’s right, no matter how badly I don’t want her to be. I’m wishing on nothing right now. And my heart is breaking for it.
“Two more days, Drew.” She pauses, chewing on her lower lip. “Unless you want me to leave tonight like Adele said. She has something planned, about the anniversary of your sister’s death. And clearly I’m not invited.”
“I don’t want you to leave,” I say automatically. “Two more days—I need that from you.”
“Fine.” She nods once, her lips thin, her eyes imploring.
She wants to say something more, I can tell, but Adele throws open the front door, announcing, “Dinner’s ready!” all cheery-like, and it’s such bullshit I throw her a hard stare over my shoulder, earning a slammed door for my efforts.
“We should go in,” Fable says, wrapping her arms around herself as she starts for the front door.
I follow her, realizing only later that I never found out if there really was another guy or not.