Total pages in book: 125
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 115763 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 579(@200wpm)___ 463(@250wpm)___ 386(@300wpm)
“You came to see him without me? And without telling me? Damn it, Griffin, you can’t keep hiding stuff from me and keeping secrets. What else is there? What else haven’t you told me?” Penny demands.
Is she fucking serious?
I’ve laid my heart bare for her, all the ugly, traumatic broken shards I have left. And she’s throwing it back in my face that I didn’t tell her sooner. As though there’s some acceptable timetable of when to reveal your darkest shame or deepest feelings, and I’ve totally fucked it up.
“Nothing,” I spit out. “I’ve told you everything, more than anybody else knows. Even Dominic. And I would’ve told you about this when I saw you today, except when I got to your place, you weren’t there. So, hi,” I say, waving a hand like we’re buddies who haven’t seen each other in a long time, not people in a really bumpy start of a new relationship, “last night after I left your place, I came to see Conniver, and told him what’s been going on. He was surprisingly understanding, and said you’d be okay and he would handle getting the ring back. Now it’s your turn. What are you doing here? With him?”
I’m not jealous. I’m scared of Conniver and don’t want him this close to Penny, especially when he’s watching our back-and-forth like it’s a daytime soap opera playing out in front of him. To be fair, he’s not the only one. The rest of the restaurant is doing the same thing because we’re making quite a scene.
She blinks, still processing what I’ve said, and is probably about to fillet me wide open for daring to speak to her in such a harsh manner. I can’t say it’s the smartest thing I’ve ever done when I want her to give me a chance, but there was no right answer here. If I’d texted her last night, I would’ve been smothering her when she asked for space. Same thing if I’d shown up on her doorstep this morning. And now? I’ve blown everything by apparently not telling her? There’s no right, only wrongs.
Maybe that’s all I’m capable of, all I’ll ever do. No matter how well intentioned I am, I just fuck up.
“Redesigning the ring for Mr. Conniver?” Penny says, her voice unsure. Of me? Of him? Of herself? I’m not sure.
“Johnny K come through with the ring?” I ask Conniver, and he nods. I almost ask if the unluckiest thief in the world is still alive but quickly decide I don’t want to know the answer to that question. Not that Conniver would tell me anyway. I’m sure he’s well versed in speaking precisely to stay out of legal trouble.
Turning back to Penny, I clarify, “And you’re going to redesign it the way you wanted to do in the beginning of this whole thing?” She gives a tiny shrug. “Great. Everything’s golden, then. Guess my work here is done.”
Chapter 26
Penny
I watch Griffin spin away. See Dominic give him a sad puppy-dog look. In a second, all I can do is study Griffin’s broad, muscled back as he simply leaves.
What just happened?
“Sis, I told him that I hoped he hadn’t screwed things up too badly with you, but now, I think you’re the one screwing up. That asshole loves you,” Dom says as soon as the door closes. “He was damn near reciting sonnets about you, waxing poetic about how cute your babies would be and looking forward to matching rocking chairs when you’re old and gray. And after he cracked open his cold, dead heart, you just told him it wasn’t good enough. That he wasn’t good enough.” He pins me with a glare of barely restrained anger. “And I think you know how many times he’s heard that.”
My mind spins, the world turning upside down. Is Dominic on Griffin’s side? I thought he was mad at Griffin? It seems like the tables have not only turned but entirely flipped, and my brother is protecting Griffin from me rather than the other way around now.
“He can’t keep secrets from me, hiding things like I can’t handle it,” I argue.
“Agreed. And he knows that. You know he does.” When I don’t disagree, Dominic continues, his voice a bit gentler. “But that’s not what this was. He told me about his late-night rendezvous as soon as we walked out of the meeting with Coach. I’m guessing he would’ve told you as soon as he saw you too.”
He was going to tell me? He wasn’t hiding it?
Confused, I glance from my brother to Mr. Conniver as though either of them might have insight on what I should do.
Mr. Conniver leans back and says in that same almost predatory way that I’m starting to understand he has when he touches on the seedier side of his profession, “Miss Lee, I think you’d agree that I am not an easy man to approach. Yet Mr. Mahoney came to see me, telling me potentially upsetting information without regard for his own safety. His only concern was . . . you. If I may say so, it was quite romantic.”