The Bet (The Bet 1)

Her parents had been away on vacation, but little did she know that if she’d have called them, they wouldn’t have answered anyway. It had been the same night they’d died in a car accident on the way back from the airport.

A week later, Jake had mumbled an apology, then said he was going to be really busy with classes for a while.

He’d begun calling only once a week, then once a month, until finally she’d only received cards from him and his family on the holidays.

The pain washed over her anew. She hadn’t realized until now that she’d lost every loved one she had ever had in her life that fateful night.

Her parents, Jake, Grandma Nadine, and his family. Everyone, taken from her in an instant. And she suddenly wondered how she had made it so far without having a nervous breakdown.

With a shuddering breath she ran up the stairs. There would be time for self-pity and reflection later, but now, now she needed to get ready to hang on Jake’s arm, even though it was the last place she wanted to be.

Chapter Sixteen

Travis kept telling himself it wasn’t creepy or weird or even slightly strange that he was tailing Kacey and Jake to the brunch.

He had it all worked out. He’d hang out in the background, mingle, have a mimosa, and once he saw that Jake wasn’t making a complete ass of out himself and actually paying attention to Kacey, he’d leave.

Despite the hurtful things said between them, he still felt this raw possession for her. It was intense and strange, but he couldn’t fight it any more than he could tell his body to stop breathing. He needed to know she was going to survive the brunch. Even he wasn’t deluded enough to think people change that much after high school.

They boasted about their maturity, yet still gossiped on Facebook.

They said they’re above the drama, yet held grudges against one another when one became more successful. In fact, adulthood was almost worse than high school because for some reason it was suddenly okay to be manipulative. “Oh I’m so concerned about so and so. Did you hear what happened?”

How was that not gossip?

Or when his mother’s friends came over and asked about Jake because some of their daughters were still single. He’d never mentioned to Kacey what people said behind her back once she and Jake were no longer talking as much.

It was awful, to say the least.

Rumors ran rampant through their little social circle that Kacey had cheated on Jake, gotten pregnant by some other guy, and the worst of it was that he had downright rejected her and she was institutionalized.

That one was fun.

His poor mother nearly had a stroke, but managed to set everyone straight, because according to her, Jake and Kacey were just busy with work but still constantly in touch, though nobody ever saw her car at the house anymore.

People talked.

And Travis hated them for it.

So, yeah, he was following them, playing the crazy stalker, but if it meant that he could somehow jump in and save the day, he was okay with it. He didn’t want to see her hurt again. He wasn’t sure he could handle it. Jealousy aside, he truly just wanted her to be happy.

Even if it meant she was going to end up with Jake, the lucky bastard.

The family BMW pulled into the driveway for the River Walk restaurant. Travis pulled onto the opposite side of the street and turned off his truck.

He contemplated ducking in his seat, then realized his truck was already a dead giveaway, so it didn’t really matter much.

Kacey emerged from the BMW in a form-fitting white dress. It was completely open-backed except for a line of fabric by her neck, and had capped sleeves and a scoop neckline. His throat went dry when she turned to Jake, her body perfect.

Obviously Jake noticed, if his smug grin was any indication. Travis clenched his fist and watched as Kacey threw back her head and laughed. Her purse clutched tightly against her, she walked up ahead of Jake as he placed his hand on the bare skin of her back.

If Travis could have growled or roared or maybe even run into something with his fist, he would have felt a hell of a lot better. Instead he tortured himself by watching and imagining what it would be like if the roles were reversed. What if it was his hand? What if she laughed at his joke?

“Don’t go there,” he said aloud and cleared his throat.

Finally, after endless minutes of torture, they disappeared into the restaurant and Travis was able to relax, at least a bit.

He glanced in the mirror to make sure he looked all right. He hadn’t dressed up for the occasion much. But his style was different than his brother’s. It would be like comparing the finest of champagne against an expensive whiskey.