Total pages in book: 66
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 62972 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 315(@200wpm)___ 252(@250wpm)___ 210(@300wpm)
I was nothing but a pawn in his stupid game. I know he's not a cruel person—though do I really know him at all?—and he probably thought he was doing poor little me a favor, welcoming me into his world. I wonder how long he was planning to wait before he divorced me.
Ember calls; Mom must have told her. She doesn’t lecture me either, though she’d have every right to. I feel so stupid. I should have gone with her when she asked me to on New Year’s Day.
She listens while I sob out my story, and then she gently tells me to rest and take care of myself.
Bliss calls, too. She’s pissed at Conal about the Alan situation, but despite that, she’s still firmly on Team Curran. “I know what I saw when I was there,” she says. “Before you heard this talk with Alan, did you have any doubts about what they felt for you?”
“No,” I whisper. “But I’ve been an idiot.”
“Honestly, Hazel—and remember, I love you, forever and always—it almost sounds to me like this is more about your insecurity, about you feeling like you didn’t belong in their life, like you said to me that day.”
That gives me pause, but I’m so exhausted that I can’t really grapple with what she’s saying right now. “I’ll think about it,” I promise her.
I know Conal deceived me; and though it sounded like Rafe and Bron weren’t in on it, it doesn’t matter. I love all three of them, and I can’t imagine continuing on with only two of them. It’s Conal I’m married to, anyway. What a fucking mess.
“If you decide it really was all a lie,” Bliss goes on, “I’m behind you a thousand percent. Just be sure before you walk away from something so amazing.”
All I’m sure of is that I miss them. Everything about them: their scents, the sound of their laughter, the heat of their bodies, their humor, their gentleness, their music.
The sex. God, I miss the sex. My body craves the men like air. I think I’m addicted to my husbands.
Husbands. Hah. What a joke. It was all a bad joke.
I could forgive Conal for that, if he and his brothers hadn’t made me fall in love with them.
CONAL
It’s a rare day of bad weather in Vegas, with leaden gray skies and rain pelting the windows serving as a perfect accompaniment to my mood. I’m pacing the house, slowly going out of my mind. I can’t focus. Music has always been my joy, my escape, but all I can think of now is how badly I’ve fucked up.
How could I have let this happen? How did I lose Hazel’s trust?
I know how—because she overheard me talking to Alan. But she didn’t believe me when I told her there was more to the story, that our marriage is anything but a joke.
“I knew I didn’t belong in this life.” Her words haunt me. I had no idea she felt so insecure, so out of place. I know our lifestyle is far from ordinary, but she seemed to be adapting amazingly well to all of it—me, my brothers, our work, and everything that comes with it.
I swear, if I get another chance, I’ll make sure she never doubts me again.
My phone rings. It’s an unknown number, and I almost don’t answer it, but maybe it’s Hazel calling from someone else’s phone.
“Conal? This is Ember.”
“Ember.” My hand grips the phone so tightly I have to consciously relax it before I break the damn thing. “Have you—have you talked to her? She won’t answer my calls.” I sound pathetic, but I can’t bring myself to care.
There’s a pause, and when she speaks again, Ember’s tone is strangely gentle. “Conal. Do you love my sister?”
“Yes,” I croak. “Fuck yes. With my whole heart.”
She doesn’t sound at all surprised when she says, “Then what are you prepared to do about it?”
There’s only one answer, and I don’t hesitate to give it. “Anything.”
RAFE
We sent the studio crew home. We’re all too miserable to work. We got a lot of sympathetic looks and claps on the back as they left, but it didn’t make us feel any better.
I don’t know how Hazel became essential to us so quickly, but she has. I feel like half a man without her here.
After talking to Ember, Conal has an idea, a way for us to reach out to her. I hope it works. If it doesn’t, we’ll have to keep trying until we get her back. Living without her feels impossible.
When my phone rings, I frown at the screen. It’s an unknown number. Is Ember calling me, too? I hesitate, then answer.
“Rafe.”
It’s Celeste. My stomach tightens. “Don’t hang up,” she says quickly. “Please. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”
She doesn’t sound desperate, like she wants to plead with me to take her back. She sounds serious … and certain.