“We’ll meet you in a couple of hours,” Ford said, walking past Lola.
Lola’s head snapped up, her eyes widen
ing, and lips parting. Neither of us said a word as Ford and Quinn walked past her. We didn’t move a muscle when the front door clicked closed. We stood there, caught in a web that neither of us could escape.
“Brody.”
I shivered at her soft voice, my body willing me to move forward, but I couldn’t. I was stuck. “Lola.”
Her body swaying toward me, and her hazel eyes shined, but there wasn’t an iota of hatred in them. Maybe she’d forgiven me, or maybe she’d pushed everything that happened to the back of her mind.
“Let me explain,” I said, finally getting control over my body and stepping forward.
Her back straightened, the look disappearing, and in its place a fierce determination. “No,” she ground out, her voice low but deadly. “You don’t get to do this.” She lifted her arms and spread them wide. “Why are you here?”
“I—”
Her laugh cut me off. “Never mind, I don’t know why I asked. You’re here for him.” She stepped away. “I’m so goddamn stupid. For a second there, I thought you’d come back for me, but that’d be another lie, huh, Brody?”
Everything she said was true, even though I didn’t want to admit that part of me had craved to see her, even if it was just one last time. “Please, you don’t understand.”
“I understand just fine.” Her eyes narrowed, and she let her arms drop, clapping them off the sides of her thighs. “I understand that you lied. I understand that you used me. I understand that you have a wife and kid at home.” Her eyes fluttered closed, so I took another step toward her, hoping that closing the space between us would work in my favor.
“I never wanted to hurt you,” I said, my voice carrying over to her on a whisper.
Her eyes snapped open. “Well, tough luck because you did.” She brought her hand to her chest, and I zoned in on her shaking fingers. “I warned you what you could do to me, and you did it anyway. You know what’s worse than a liar?” I opened my mouth to answer, but she beat me to it. “A cheat. You’re a liar and a cheat, Brody.”
“I know, and if I could do anything—”
“Is Brody even your real name?”
I frowned and swiped my hand through my hair. “Yeah, it is.”
“Well”—she clapped her hands—“congratulations on telling one piece of the truth.” She spun around, and I didn’t waste a second chasing after her.
“Please.”
She halted at the door. “Don’t you dare.” She turned her head so she could look at me over her shoulder. “I kept my mouth shut. I told no one what you are. But if you touch me, I’ll scream it from the rooftops.”
I heard her warning loud and clear.
Chapter Three
LOLA
The last day of college brought with it another piece of sadness. At least when I was there, I was focusing on my schoolwork, but now I had the whole summer to do nothing but work and think about what a fool I had been.
All I seemed to be able to do was go over and over every interaction I’d had with Brody, finally able to read between the lines of the words he was saying. I thought he’d meant one thing when it had been the total opposite.
I was naive. Reckless. Stupid.
I’d given him a piece of me, and he’d taken it without a second thought, not caring that he was going to destroy every part of it. It would be easy for me to drink my sadness away, to get high and forget all about him, but how was I meant to do that when he was still coming to the house?
Three days.
Three days and I’d be out of the house and away from Hut and Brody.
A sadness had taken root inside me, and no matter what I did to get rid of it, nothing worked. So when I walked into the house I’d called home for the last seven years, and heard the bass of the music, I knew I couldn’t hide away in my bedroom. Not this time.