Page 55 of Breaking Bristol
My upper body swung back with his words. “No.”
“No, it hasn’t occurred to you?”
“No, he doesn’t love me,” I whispered.
Beau’s head tilted, and he squinted. “Are you okay?”
No, I wasn’t. “I’m fine. Sorry.” I cleared my throat. “Thank you for driving me home. It’s clear I overreacted.”
“It would take my brother four seconds to find out what your ex is up to.”
I shook my head again. “I have someone keeping tabs on him already. I don’t need your brother’s help.”
His jaw set hard, and his nostrils flared. “I’m still gonna have my guys do a few patrols tonight, so deal with it. Lock the door behind me.”
He slammed it closed, and I flicked the deadbolt and slid down to the floor, wrapping my arms around my bended knees. Beau was right, and I knew it.
Shane wanted me to make a move? Fine. I’d make a move. It was time to put an end to this shit, and I would. But first, I needed to know if Matthew was all in because if he was, he deserved to know what he was getting himself into and the risks that came with what I was going to do.
CHAPTER 15
Matthew
I rolled up the gravel driveway and wanted so badly to crank the wheel to Bristol’s, even more than I did the day before, but I continued straight ahead. “Finally,” Susie exclaimed as she pulled the front door open. “What’s it been, a year?”
“You saw me yesterday.”
She rolled her eyes. “I’m talking about family dinner, Beck.”
I was having a hard time focusing right now. I had been all week. “I know. But you were the one who couldn’t come last time I was here.”
“Just because I’m not off saving lives doesn’t mean I don’t have a job.”
I bent down and kissed her cheek. “How ya doin’?”
“Oh, just fine.” She wrapped her arms around me for a hug. “How about you? Better?”
“I’m all right.”
Her fingers gripped my shoulders, and she leaned back. “Okay, enough with the crap. What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re a liar.” She shot me a look. “Is it about Bristol?”
“How do you know about her?”
She sighed and tilted her head. “You’re seriously asking me that?”
Right. Small town. We weren’t hiding it, either. “I’m good, Suze.”
“You’re not. We’ll go for a walk after we eat and you can tell me all about it.”
I should have argued with her, but she wouldn’t have let me leave without getting her way.
“What are y’all doing standing in the hallway?” Aunt Heidi hollered from the kitchen.
“We’re coming, Mother.”