Total pages in book: 95
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88350 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 442(@200wpm)___ 353(@250wpm)___ 295(@300wpm)
Finally finding the wherewithal to move, Beau took a step back in an effort to extricate himself from Renee’s unwelcome embrace. Not only did he feel absolutely nothing for her, he found her crude attempts at seduction insulting to them both. But she only clung harder, wrapping her arms around his waist as she kept her mouth locked on his.
At that moment, Beau heard someone clomping determinedly along the cement walk that fronted the complex. Over Renee’s head, a small, pink-haired girl came into view. She was dressed in leather and torn jeans, a look of sweet, nervous determination on her lovely face.
As their eyes met, her mouth fell open, her expression one of pure horror.
Feeling as if he were caught in the grip of a hideous nightmare, Beau grabbed Renee’s arms and yanked them from his waist. Pushing her aside, he took a step toward Lia.
Lia, meanwhile, took a step back, and then another. Her face was etched with shock and hurt. Before he could speak, she turned on her heel and ran.
Fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck.
As Beau turned to run after her, Renee grabbed his arm with surprising strength, tugging at him like a child demanding attention.
“Beau,” she whined, dragging out the word. “What is wrong with you? How dare you push me away? I’ve come back to you. Don’t you get it? Your baby girl has come back to you.”
Barely processing what Renee said, he shrugged her off. “Wait,” he shouted as he sprinted after Lia. “Come back. Please, it’s not what you think.”
But Lia was out of sight now, her footsteps rapidly receding. A moment later, he heard the roar of a motorcycle.
She was gone.
≈
Lia was numb with shock as she tore out of Beau’s parking lot. She felt literally sick with humiliation, her gut heaving, her hands clenched in a death grip on the handlebars of her motorcycle.
The sound of screeching tires and the angry blare of a horn startled her so badly she swerved sharply to the right and rode over a curb into the parking lot of a liquor store. The car streaked past her, the driver shooting the finger at her in his rearview mirror.
Deeply shaken, heart pounding, Lia turned off her engine and dismounted. She walked the bike into a space and put down the kickstand. She unbuckled her helmet and set it on the seat of the bike. Reaching into her jacket, she pulled out her phone and texted the one person who would understand.
So much for telling Beau how I feel. When I got to his place, he was in the arms of another woman. I feel like such a total idiot.
Lia stared down at the screen, tears coursing down her cheeks. The message remained unread. Maybe Lucia was already busy entertaining Julian’s guests and Lia’s text would remain unseen until the morning.
She was about to shove her phone back into her jacket when it vibrated in her hand. Glancing down, she saw it was an incoming call from Lucia.
“Hey,” she said, her voice cracking on the word.
“Oh, my god. What happened?”
The floodgates burst open at the sound of Lucia’s sweet, sympathetic voice. Between sobs, Lia choked out the story.
“So, wait,” Lucia said. “He was just standing outside his apartment door making out with some woman? Did he see you?”
“He saw me, yeah. He clearly wasn’t expecting me,” she added bitterly.
“So, he saw you and he just kept on kissing this other woman?”
“Well, no,” Lia admitted. “He had enough grace to act embarrassed at being caught in the act. He kind of pushed her away.”
“Hmm. And did he say anything?”
The burning humiliation and chagrin still churned in Lia’s gut. “I hightailed it out of there so fast I’m not even sure.” She replayed the hideous scene in her head. “He might have said something but I sure wasn’t sticking around to find out.”
“I’m so sorry, Lia. I don’t know Beau all that well, but I have to say, this doesn’t sound like him. Maybe there’s a rational explanation for whatever you saw.”
“Yeah, right. The explanation is I’m a shitty picker. I keep falling for guys who turn out to be involved with someone else.” Another sob escaped and she angrily wiped at her eyes.
“Where are you right now?” Lucia persisted. “I hear traffic sounds.”
Lia glanced around. “I’m in the parking lot of some liquor store near his place. I was heading home but I pulled over to calm down.”
“Are you okay to ride home now? Do you want to come up to The Enclave? Do you need me to come to you?”
“I think I’m okay to head home,” Lia said. “Thanks for your kind offer, but I think I just want to be alone right now.”
Lucia sighed. “Okay. I understand. I’ll check in with you later to see how you’re doing.”