Page 63 of Reckless With You

At least, I tried for the easy-to-maintain part. Sometimes, things got a little out of control, but it wasn’t my fault. People wanted what they wanted, and while I tried to talk them out of it at times, I also had to listen to the customer.

I shook my head and put away my watering can right as the doorbell rang. I frowned, wondering if Tucker was early. But that couldn’t be. He’d said he had a long shift today, which is why we hadn’t spent the night together. He wouldn’t have been able to get a lot of sleep, and neither would I.

But that was fine, I hadn’t needed to stay with him overnight.

It wouldn’t have been safe for either of us.

I looked through the peephole and frowned, not recognizing the woman on the other side. I opened the door and smiled, even though I really wasn’t in the mood for a solicitor. Nobody ever actually heeded those signs. I really should get one of those doorbells with a video camera or something so I could just talk from my house or my phone from work.

“Hi, can I help you?”

“You need to stay away from him.” She glared.

I blinked, looking over at the woman. I honestly had no idea who she was, but she sure as hell knew me.

She had dark brown hair and wore it in waves hanging over her shoulders and down her back. Her eyes were done up in cat-eye precision, perfect makeup and eyeliner I was kind of jealous about.

She had even contoured her face, something I’d tried and still couldn’t do. Zoey would have to teach me.

The woman had on a lacy turtleneck and a leather jacket, even though it was a little too cold for just that. Her pants looked painted on, and her boots had to have five-inch stiletto heels.

She looked amazing and sexy.

But she sure as hell wasn’t smiling.

“I’m sorry, you have me at a disadvantage. Who are you?”

“Oh, you know who I am.”

“I really don’t.”

Was this one of Tucker’s women? Dear God, how had she found me? A weight settled in my gut, and I rubbed my stomach. I really didn’t want to get in the way of whatever Tucker had going with this woman. He had said he was single, and that we shouldn’t be with anyone else while together. But given the way this woman was glaring at me, apparently, that wasn’t the case.

“I’m Beth, you bitch.”

My eyes widened, and I took an involuntary step back, my hand on the edge of my door. She leaned forward.

I just blinked at her, trying to comprehend exactly what was going on. This was Tobey’s Beth. His other half. The one that he’d said was his everything.

And she was here. Callingmea bitch.

What the hell?

As I looked at her again, I saw the similarities between us, and something slid over me. We had the same color hair, the same shape. She was probably a size smaller, but she looked like she worked out. I did not work out as much as I should, but I was happy with my size. We had similar cheekbones, but different eyes, and she was way better at makeup and styling than I was.

She looked like someone who could have been my friend, someone I’d want to ask for help in figuring out what to wear for a date, or how to do those wings at the edges of her eyelids.

I thought all of that in a bare instant as I studied her, wondering why the person I had thought was my best friend forever would want her.

And not even want her over me.

That ship had sailed.

But I didn’t like the vehemence in her tone. I didn’t like how she made me feel.

“Beth. Tobey’s Beth,” I said.

“Oh, now you know who I am. Stay away from him. You weren’t good for him. I’m his girlfriend. I am going to marry him one day. You need to back off. Every time you call him or get close to him, you just confuse him and make things difficult. And how dare you come onto him like you did? He said no, and you wouldn’t take that as an answer.”