kind of game? Fuck me, hire me, then see how far Brock was willing to take things? Play the hero and step in so I'd trust you? Or were you just waiting to take your turn?”
Genuine confusion crossed his face. “What are you talking about?”
The fact that he so obviously didn't know what Brock had done should've softened me, but I didn't let it. Besides, I told myself, I knew he was a good actor. Maybe he was faking this, too.
“I'm talking about Brock putting something in my water at your bachelor party,” I said. “I hadn't been drinking. Since you kept watching me, I figured you must've known that.”
“I didn't know where you were all the time,” he countered. “For all I knew, you were out on the balcony doing shots before I came out there.”
“Yeah, because that's my thing,” I snapped. “Get wasted and hook up with some random guy.”
“Wasn't like you hadn't done that before,” Reed retorted, his almost-black eyes flashing. “For all I knew, I'd just been a warm-up to see if you could fuck someone else like me.”
My stomach twisted again and I had a feeling, at some point very soon, I was going to lose my dinner. I was determined to get my say in before that happened. “Someone like you? You mean an arrogant prick? It's not that hard. Guys like you don't exactly have any sort of integrity to begin with.”
He took a step back, a shocked expression on his face.
I kept going, advancing on him, backing him up another step. “You're all the same. Guys like you and Brock. You don't mind slumming it when it means you're getting laid, but that's all girls like me are. Mistresses, whores, not really much of a difference.”
Reed held up a hand. “What the fuck are you talking about? I had no idea Brock put anything in your water,” Reed insisted. “Had I known, or even suspected it, I would have killed him.”
“Yeah, right. My hero.”
Reed’s eyes narrowed at my sarcasm but I continued, “Don't bother.” I crossed my arms. “Wouldn't want you to do something that might jeopardize knocking up the wife you don't love.”
“Who told you...” he started to ask, then answered his own question. “Brock.” His hands became fists. “Now I'm really going to kill him.”
“Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?” I asked. “Were you thinking I'd be a nice piece of ass while Britni was pregnant, but I wasn't supposed to know the reason?”
“It's not like that.”
I hugged out a breath, not believing he thought me so gullible. “I know about the heir clause, Reed. Did you think that was going to be your out? Your way to excuse the fact that you say you want to be with me, but you're still sleeping with your wife?” I could feel the little bit of control I had slipping away. “If that's what you came here to say, don't bother.”
“That's not why I came here.” He tossed an envelope at me and I caught it reflexively. “I came to apologize for my behavior.”
I stared at him, then looked down at the envelope, rage building inside me again. “What’s this?” I held it up. “Money? Surprise, surprise. That's how men like you 'apologize' to girls like me, isn't it? Buy us off with cash or jewelry.” I walked over to the table and grabbed the roses from their vase. It tipped over, spilling water across the dishes I hadn't yet cleaned up. I didn't care. “Or flowers. That's always a good one. I should be so grateful that someone like you would buy me flowers that I should just forgive you.” I shoved the flowers into the trashcan, keeping my back to Reed so he couldn't see the tears that had finally managed to escape.
“No,” he snapped. “It's not money. It's a place at Madam Emilana's Dance School in Philadelphia.”
Shock broke through my anger enough to make me turn, but he was gone. I took a step toward the door. My mind was spinning. This was too much. I was still reeling from Brock's confession and Reed's accusations, and now I had a hundred questions about the
Genuine confusion crossed his face. “What are you talking about?”
The fact that he so obviously didn't know what Brock had done should've softened me, but I didn't let it. Besides, I told myself, I knew he was a good actor. Maybe he was faking this, too.
“I'm talking about Brock putting something in my water at your bachelor party,” I said. “I hadn't been drinking. Since you kept watching me, I figured you must've known that.”
“I didn't know where you were all the time,” he countered. “For all I knew, you were out on the balcony doing shots before I came out there.”
“Yeah, because that's my thing,” I snapped. “Get wasted and hook up with some random guy.”
“Wasn't like you hadn't done that before,” Reed retorted, his almost-black eyes flashing. “For all I knew, I'd just been a warm-up to see if you could fuck someone else like me.”
My stomach twisted again and I had a feeling, at some point very soon, I was going to lose my dinner. I was determined to get my say in before that happened. “Someone like you? You mean an arrogant prick? It's not that hard. Guys like you don't exactly have any sort of integrity to begin with.”
He took a step back, a shocked expression on his face.
I kept going, advancing on him, backing him up another step. “You're all the same. Guys like you and Brock. You don't mind slumming it when it means you're getting laid, but that's all girls like me are. Mistresses, whores, not really much of a difference.”
Reed held up a hand. “What the fuck are you talking about? I had no idea Brock put anything in your water,” Reed insisted. “Had I known, or even suspected it, I would have killed him.”
“Yeah, right. My hero.”
Reed’s eyes narrowed at my sarcasm but I continued, “Don't bother.” I crossed my arms. “Wouldn't want you to do something that might jeopardize knocking up the wife you don't love.”
“Who told you...” he started to ask, then answered his own question. “Brock.” His hands became fists. “Now I'm really going to kill him.”
“Oh, was that supposed to be a secret?” I asked. “Were you thinking I'd be a nice piece of ass while Britni was pregnant, but I wasn't supposed to know the reason?”
“It's not like that.”
I hugged out a breath, not believing he thought me so gullible. “I know about the heir clause, Reed. Did you think that was going to be your out? Your way to excuse the fact that you say you want to be with me, but you're still sleeping with your wife?” I could feel the little bit of control I had slipping away. “If that's what you came here to say, don't bother.”
“That's not why I came here.” He tossed an envelope at me and I caught it reflexively. “I came to apologize for my behavior.”
I stared at him, then looked down at the envelope, rage building inside me again. “What’s this?” I held it up. “Money? Surprise, surprise. That's how men like you 'apologize' to girls like me, isn't it? Buy us off with cash or jewelry.” I walked over to the table and grabbed the roses from their vase. It tipped over, spilling water across the dishes I hadn't yet cleaned up. I didn't care. “Or flowers. That's always a good one. I should be so grateful that someone like you would buy me flowers that I should just forgive you.” I shoved the flowers into the trashcan, keeping my back to Reed so he couldn't see the tears that had finally managed to escape.
“No,” he snapped. “It's not money. It's a place at Madam Emilana's Dance School in Philadelphia.”
Shock broke through my anger enough to make me turn, but he was gone. I took a step toward the door. My mind was spinning. This was too much. I was still reeling from Brock's confession and Reed's accusations, and now I had a hundred questions about the
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