Later, I docked the boat. Tyson, Mia, and Ashley left together. I watched Mia and Tyson walk away like lovers—hand in hand, Ashley followed behind, quiet and sad-looking. She must’ve drank too much. She’d been silent most of that weekend.
In the car, Mia pushed me out of my thoughts. “I’m sorry to come to you with all of this.”
I shook my head. “Anytime he’s said that he’s been with me, he was lying. After July 4th, the only times I’ve hung with Tyson is when we did the Kingmaker watch party and your birthday. That’s it.”
“But, I thought you two were close?” she asked.
“We’ve been going through a rough patch.”
She took off her seatbelt. “You know what? Let’s not talk about this anymore. It’s the Kingmaker’s release day. Who knows what Tyson’s doing? I’m ending it tonight anyway. It doesn’t matter.”
“Tonight?” I was ashamed to admit it, but anticipation rose in my chest. “You’re really serious?”
They’re finally breaking up. Good. Damn it. I’m a shitty friend. No wonder Tyson hasn’t been answering my phone calls. What type of friend lusts after his friend’s girl?
“Yeah. Tonight,” she said. “I told him that I wanted to talk. I’m not even feeling the relationship anymore, if I’m honest. It doesn’t even matter if he cheated or not.”
We both left the car and two emotions battled in my chest—anger and excitement. Fury raged inside of me because I didn’t like hearing that Tyson had lied and deceived her. If he was going to make a big deal about being with Mia, then he should’ve treated her right. But then, in the back of my mind, there was pure excitement.
They’re finally breaking up!
6
More Stuff
Logan
“L
et’s forget about this.” She got to my side. “We have bigger things happening right now.”
A smile spread across my face. The final book in the Kingmaker series was coming out today. I could deal with this Tyson crap later.
Now, it was time to get my book. Something I’d been waiting on for years. The author had ended on a cliffhanger and spent his sweet time releasing the next book.
“Mulligan has to be alive,” I said.
“He better be.”
I checked my watch.
I hope we’re still early.
We left the parking garage, headed up the ramp, and then walked toward the bookstore.
“I hope we’re the first ones,” Mia said.
“Me too.”
When we rounded the corner, my stomach twisted. A massive line of people stood outside. Most wore Kingmaker stuff.
“Okay.” I worked on a plan. “I love kids, but we’re knocking some of them out the way. This isn’t even a young adult book.”
She giggled and then shrugged. “Exactly.”
“And half of these people only are into the Kingmaker because of the TV show.”
“They haven’t been around for years.”
“Not like us.”
She nodded. “We deserve this.”
“Yes.”
“We won’t leave without a book.”
She nodded. “We just need to jump the line...and not get arrested for bothering people’s kids.”
“Don’t worry about the kids. If we go to jail, I have bail money.”
She grinned. “You’re such a bad influence.”
“Sometimes being bad is the only way to have fun.”
“I bet it’s a lot of fun being bad with you.” She widened her eyes as if shocked she’d said that and then cleared her throat. “I mean—”
“I like what you said the first time.”
“Anyway.” She strolled to my side, those lovely breasts bouncing in her halter top. “What are your plans tonight?”
“Besides reading?”
“We both know you’ll finish that book before the afternoon.”
We got behind a group of little boys. Ahead of them were at least twenty more people munching on donuts and croissants, probably from the bakery right across the street who always opened early on a Kingmaker release day.
“So, what are you doing?” she asked again.
“Nothing really.”
“No date this evening?”
“Not really.”
She eyed me. “Come on. You’re my bestie.”
I hated that word on her tongue but didn’t say anything.
She nudged my arm. “Spill it. Do you have a date or not?”
“I wouldn’t call it a date. It’s more like an adult meet up.”
“To do what? Have sex?”
“Pretty much.”
She smirked. “Wait a minute. You’re just meeting up with some chick to have sex with her?”
“It’s an arrangement. She’s a nice girl. I made it clear from the beginning that I didn’t want anything serious.”
Mia raised her perfectly arched eyebrows. “Why not?”
“I haven’t found the one to make me want more.”
“Never?”
I looked away. “Not really.”
“So, she comes to your condo and—”
“No one comes to my place. We meet at a hotel.”
“But you have dinner and—?”
“No.” I smiled. “I’m not a romantic when it comes to just a sexual relationship. When we agree to what it is, that’s what it is.”
“Just sex?”
“Yes. Just sex.” I shrugged. “That’s my night. That’s my plan. Read the Kingmaker. Have sex. And then go home and head to bed.”
I loved the way she blinked when I mentioned sex. I wondered what popped into her head. There was a second when she licked her lips as if she was thinking about me naked.