“Not as often as you should have.”
He laughs. “Well, you took my breath away, Selene.” Brody tugs me tight against him and whispers into my ear, his lips brushing my ear. “Don’t forget you need to remind me about the reward.”
There’s one thing for sure. The man can turn me on and sometimes it’s as simple as a look or even an innocent touch. “How could I forget? You look very handsome, Mr. Ross.”
“Why, thank you.”
We arrive in front of my house, and Brody gets out to open my door. I’ll have to text Allison soon, so she can bring Bonkers back to me. The limo pulls away and we’re halfway to my door when a car pulls up to the curb.
“Fuck,” Brody mutters.
“Who is it?” I ask, confused.
“The crazy chick at the benefit, who is also the girl who thought I was her boyfriend,” he answers, looking over his shoulder as he tries to usher me to my house. Oh. “She must have followed us here.” Brody stands in front of me, blocking her view of me, but also my view of her as she gets out of her car and storms up to us.
“Who is she?” she spits vehemently. “Why have you been ignoring me, Brody? We belong together. Don’t you understand that? She can’t be anything more than some whore. Brody, baby, please come home with me.”
Brody’s voice is hard as stone to match his tense muscles. “Leave. You have no right to be here, Jessica. I don’t want you and you’ve pushed me to contact my lawyer. I won’t tell you again. Go home and don’t come back.”
I almost feel like I’m intruding and should go inside, but I don’t want to leave Brody out here either. He was right. The girl is nuts.
“Brody,” she whines, and I hear her step closer, which causes Brody to take a step back, pushing me a step back as well.
“I mean it,” he warns. “I’ll call the police if I have to.”
Her voice converts from pleading to rage. “Are you seriously going to pick her over me? We were seeing each other for months! I can’t believe you!”
Brody reaches behind him, finds my waist, and squeezes it. “Call the police.”
I reach for my cell and the girl huffs.
“Fine! I’m leaving. No need to overreact, Brody.”
I peer around Brody’s shoulder to watch her turn and leave. That seemed too easy. He turns to face me, obviously stressed.
“Let’s get you inside.” So I turn around, unlock my door, and I step through the entry. Brody doesn’t follow. “I need to call my lawyer, but I’ll come back as soon as I get that done, okay?”
“Okay.” I nod. “I’ll stay up. Don’t worry too much, Brody.”
He shakes his head. “It’s time to worry.” He leans forward, kisses me softly, and then walks to his place.
I lock the door with a deep breath. Hopefully, she’ll leave him alone from now on. I’d hate for him to have to deal with that. I send Allison a text. She should be here and gone by the time Brody comes back over. I was hoping to have Brody take my dress off, but Jessica ruined that for us. Making my way upstairs to my room, I turn on the radio to some soothing music as I dress into yoga pants and an old Indiana Mustangs t-shirt. I take my time washing off all my makeup and putting my clothes up.
When I come down the stairs, there’s a rapid banging on my door.
“Selene?!” I hear Allison’s frantic voice. I rush over to open the door. Bonkers jumps out of her arms and into the house. Allison wraps me in a hug. “Oh, thank God! I was worried.”
“Worried?” I question, completely confused.
“Yes! After I saw your car, I got worried. What the fuck happened?”
“My car?” Allison pulls me outside and it’s then that I see my car. “Oh, my God,” I whisper. My tires have been slashed and ‘slut’, ‘whore’, and other choice words are painted all over it. The driver’s side window has been busted as well.
“Who the hell did you piss off, Selene?”
The paint is still wet as I run a finger over it. My car is ruined. Who knows what it’s going to cost to fix this. A glimpse of something white in the driver’s seat catches my eye. I lean in and pick up the piece of paper that was laying on top of the broken glass. In a fast, rushed handwriting, I read the note as ice freezes my blood.
This time, it’s only your car.