Page 89 of Wilde Abandon
“The guy from the bar, who hangs out with the drug dealer?”
“Yeah.Him.”
“Why?”
“Because Amy had some interesting things to say about the two of them.”
“Consider the source,” Dean shot back.
He did.But something didn’t add up.Why did Josh lie to Amy?“Can you just do some digging and find out what they really are to each other.”
“Why don’t you just ask her?”
“I’m going to.”
Dean let out a heavy sigh.“You don’t trust her?”
“It’s not that.”
“Then what is it?Because checking up on your girlfriend is not cool.”
“I know.”But something didn’t seem right about all this.It niggled at the back of his mind and he needed more information to make it make sense.“Just do it.”Fox hung up before Dean could protest more.
By the time Fox made it to the ranch, parked by the house, and found Melody in the green barn, he was wound tight.But the second she looked up from cutting a thin piece of leather with a rolling cutter, the tightness in his chest eased.
It still didn’t stop him from asking, “What’s your relationship with Josh?”
The smile on her lips died and her eyes narrowed.“Hi to you, too.”She sat up straight on the stool and studied him.
“You made it seem like you weren’t friends.”
She raised a brow.“What is this about?”
“Just answer the question.”
“We grew up in the same town and went to the same schools.We know each other, but we’ve never been close friends.We went on a few dates that ended with him being a possessive asshole.I never slept with him.The end.”
“Are you sure?”
She set the tool down and stood, anger flashing in her eyes.“Are you calling me a liar?”
Fox folded his arms over his chest.“Why is he telling people you and he were together before you started seeing me?”
“Two years ago is before you,” she quipped.
“Why is he saying that you used guys to get what you wanted?”
Her face flushed red with anger.“Because he’s an asshole.And what exactly didhethink I wanted from those guys?A connection?Love?A partner?No.Had to be something a guy like Josh wants but can’t seem to get easily because of the way he goes about it.So sex and money?”
He must have had some reaction to the last.
Her eyes went wide, then narrowed with fury.“Your own mother is using you for your money, so I get that you’re hypersensitive to others doing the same.And now, what?Because a guy I kicked to the curb for being a jerk says some shit about me, you think I’m after your money.Fuck you.I haven’t asked you for anything.I have everything I need.Or at least I thought I did until you came in here accusing me of lying and being some gold-digger.”Tears gathered in her eyes.
The anger didn’t stir him.No, it was the pain in her eyes that overshadowed all the other emotions in her eyes.Betrayal.
“Melody…” He reached out for her.
She stepped back, shoving the stool and making it topple.She held up her hand, finger pointed at his chest.“Don’t you fucking touch me.”