Triple Dare (Sterling Shore 7)

“If I don’t cut him out, then we continue our pattern. How much more do you think I can take, Maverick? I’m not made of stone. I’m flesh and blood.”

I turn back to see him as he kneels down beside us, taking a seat in the floor like this is normal.

“You’re the only thing in this world that could destroy him. You hold more power than you think. Don’t belittle what he feels for you, when you know it like I do.”

Closing my eyes, I take a calming breath. When I open my eyes, he’s glaring at me like this is my fault.

“Fuck you,” I say on a sigh. “You have no idea what I’ve been through. You have no idea how much it hurts when he pushes me away like it’s no big deal. And you can’t possibly understand how sick I am of promising myself it’ll be the last time. It’s always supposed to be the last time. I can’t stop that cycle if I’m constantly letting him into my house, into my life, into my heart… I can’t do it anymore.”

He mutters something too low for me to hear before lifting Corbin out of my lap. I immediately feel the chill in place of his warm body that was just wrapped around me so tightly, and I watch as Maverick heaves him over his shoulder while standing up with a grunt.

“I wish you weren’t a chick,” Maverick mumbles as he struggles his way through the door.

“Why’s that?”

He turns around before rolling his eyes. “Because then I could just kick your ass until you got it all off your chest. Maybe you’d be as easy to wake up as him.”

With that, he leaves, and I move to the living room on unsteady legs. The couch is as far as I make it before I collapse and have a staring contest with the ceiling.

CHAPTER 42

CORBIN

“This isn’t healthy,” Maverick says as I continue to sledgehammer my way through the floor, finding each and every fucking box I’ve ever planted.

It’s a hell of a lot more than two.

“I forgot where I put them all,” I say dryly, finding another finally.

I pull it up and toss it aside. Ruby’s fucking ready to cut me out and move on, then so be it. But she’s not going to force me to read all the fucking shit she’s written, see all the things she’s saved, and just think I won’t give her the same motherfucking thing.

She doesn’t get off that easy.

Her damn boxes ripped my heart out and scarred my soul. I’ve never felt lower in my life.

Trying to walk a straight line proves to be problematic. My stagger only causes Maverick to curse again as I drop the fourth box at his feet.

I should have bought bigger boxes. All the small ones weren’t too brilliant in hindsight. Makes them harder to find.

“Damn it, Corbin!” Maverick barks as I slam the sledgehammer down in a new spot.

“It was time for a new floor anyway,” I say with a shrug, slamming the hammer down once more.

He walks away, pulling his phone out as he goes. Kode. He’s calling Kode.

Like Kode can do anything. Hell, maybe he’ll bring another sledgehammer. I could use some help finding the last two. Why did I think it was a good idea to hide them under my floor? Why did I get tile put in when I knew they were under there? That’s the better question.

I guess I never fucking thought we’d ever finish our game, because to finish would be the damn end.

He goes outside, leaving me alone for another ten minutes, while I continue to bash in the tiles. It’s like Easter, only there aren’t any eggs.

Another box found.

I toss it over with the others, and start digging for the last one. I buried it two years ago. I know exactly what’s in it; I just don’t know where the fuck it is.

“What the hell are you doing?” Her voice has me stopping the hammer mid-swing, and I hold it at an angle, feeling frozen to my spot.

Slowly, I turn around, and sure enough, the very fucking bane of my existence is standing at the edge of my dining room. She’s wearing a red shirt, tight jeans, and black heels like she came over with the intentions to torture me with more than just her presence.

My eyes cut to Maverick as he walks in, looking every bit as guilty as I know he is.

“I’ll remember this,” I tell him before turning around.

Since she’s already seen me at my lowest, there’s no reason to hold back now. After renewing my swing, I slam the hammer down and bash in the tile once more.

“Damn it, Corbin! Stop!” she barks, sounding just damn fine, while I continue feeling like someone has ripped my soul out through my chest.