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“Wait—Maddox, no.”
He doesn’t even look at me. “Don’t waste your breath.”
I see the cashier throw some lacy underwear and matching bra sets into the bag as well, and I roll my eyes. The transaction is done before I can fight him on it, and the total makes my eyes bug out. That’s a very high, four-figure number—more than I’ve ever spent on… anything. The cashier hands over...
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“I could’ve paid for my ow...
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“You could’ve,” he agrees easily, carrying the bags toward the ca...
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“Because you didn’t give me...
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He pauses at the passenger door, glancing at me, his gaze steady. “You co...
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Heat prickles along my skin. I don’t know what to say to that, because the worst part is— He’s right. I shouldn’t have enjoyed that as much as I did, the way he took control, the way he decided things without hesitation. It should bothe...
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“Also, the underwear is totally in...
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He smirks, unlocking the car. “Exactly wh...
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Finally, once we’re a few blocks from the vacation house, he speaks. “You liked that.”
My head snaps toward him. “What?”
His lips twitch at the corner, not quite a smile. “Don’t play dumb with me, Ari.” My pulse spikes, and I suddenly feel hot all ove...
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I scoff, but I can’t deny the flush spreading down to my chest. “...
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“I’m r...
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“You don’t know me.”
He lets out a low hum of amusement. “No?”
When we pull into the driveway, Asher is already outside. He watches as we park, his jaw hardening whe...
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“You let him take you?” Asher asks, his voice edged wit...
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I bristle at his choice of words. “It was your parents’ idea,” I say, brushing pas...
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Maddox lingers behind, his presence stretching the moment just long enough to make Asher uncomfortable. He already has my bags in his hands, and he winks once at Asher, whose face turns a bright, purple-ish red with rage. Well, this should be fun. I don’t look back again, but I can feel it—the tension crackling between them, an invisible war waged in silence. I don’t want to be a witness to whatever the fuck kind of family drama they’re involved in.
A shiver rolls through me. Angel. The word lingers, curling around my thoughts like smoke. My breath stutters, and for a split second, my mind jumps somewhere it shouldn’t. Somewhere absurd. The letters at my house… I’ll see you soon, angel. You lock your doors at night. That’s good. But doors don’t keep me out, angel. They only keep you in. “Nothing, angel. Go back to sleep, okay?” But no. That’s ridiculous.
I don’t know why that makes my chest constrict, but suddenly, I feel stuck. Trapped between a mother who’s already decided who I am, a boyfriend who speaks over me, and a man whose silence feels heavier than words.
“Does Asher always do that?”
I glance at him, surprised to see he’s shirtless. Good god. He must’ve spent his whole prison sentence doing pull-ups.
“Do w...
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“Speak fo...
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A small flash of irritation flares in my chest. Not at him. At th...
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“It’s not lik...
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“Isn’...
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“They let you get tattoos in prison?”
His expression doesn’t change, but something flickers behind his gaze. “Some.”
He exhales, running a hand through his damp hair. “Some of these came befor...
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I press my lips together, my curiosity clawing at me. “How did you earn them?”
“Because I needed to remember the people I couldn’t save.” His voice is steady, but I hear the fracture underneath.
“You know,” he murmurs, voice even, unreadable, “I see through the facade you’re putting on for my parents.”
I glance up at him, brows drawing together. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me,” he says, tilting his head slightly. “You’re a good actress, I’ll give you that. Polite. Sweet. The perfect girlfriend.” His voice dips lower, like he’s letting me in on some private joke. “But that’s not who you really are, is it?”
I roll my eyes, trying to brush off the strange pull of his words. “You’ve known me for all of, what? A day? Don’t act like you’ve got me figured out.”
He hums, unconvinced. “No?” His blue eyes don’t waver from mine. “Tell me, then. Has Asher ever noticed how restless you are?”
“I don’t know what you’re getting at.”
“You act like you don’t want more, but I see it. I know it’s why you’re dating my brother. Perfect boyfriend. Perfect job. What’s next… a perfect wedding, perfect beige house, a few perfect kids?”
Something in my chest tightens. That all sounds… horrible.
“I’m not perfect,”
“No,” he agrees. “But you sure as hel...
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“Good girls crack the hardest,” he says absently, almost like he’s talking to himself.
“I’m not—”
“A good girl?” Maddox cuts i...
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I don’t like the way my pulse reacts. I don’t like the way my thighs clench with whatever the fuck is happening right now.
My fingers still tighten around the bag where the snake plant sits, neatly wrapped in crisp brown paper, tied with twine. It’s supposed to be symbolic—resilient, easy to care for, impossible to kill. According to my quick research in the shop, it fits with the idea of midsummer, of new beginnings, of life continuing.
