Page 63 of The Publicity Stunt

"I don't know. Maybe."

"Has he been reaching out?"

Has he ever. "Yeah, but I can't read the texts. I read the first couple, but I just broke down. I'm not ready to hear any type of explanation right now."

"I can't believe he'd be stupid enough to tell someone."

"I told you."

"I'm not getting drunk with your archnemesis. What was Brett thinking? I thought he was a better guy than that."

Raising an eyebrow, Bri tilts her head. "You know Brett well?"

"Well, no, but I know of him. And I thought he seemed better than that. He always seemed like a guy's guy, and that is not what a guy's guy does."

"I think you're thinking of a girl's girl. I don't think it necessarily applies exactly the same as you want it to."

"Whatever. He made a stupid mistake, and he's just as much to blame as Kace for the humiliation."

Licking her lips, Bri looks at the ground. "That's how I know what we had wasn't real for him. Not like it was for me."

"What do you mean?"

"He never thought to tell the person he said was his best friend that it wasn't fake anymore. You knew shortly after I knew. It really feels like he was only in it for the attention."

"Well, he was probably in it for the amazing sex you two were having, too."

The comment should make her angry, but she just laughs. "Maybe that wasn't that good for him like I thought it was. I mean, it was good for me, but it was maybe just another Tuesday for him."

"I hate to break it to you, babe, but men can't fake it like women can. It's either good or it's not. There's a very definitive ending that occurs when it's good, and it tells you they made it to their happy place. Usually a sticky mess."

"When you talk like that, I have so many questions I'm scared to death to ask because I don't know if I actually want the answers."

Tessa beams. "One of us had to be a little bit whore-ish. It wasn't gonna be you, so that got put on my task list by default."

"You're not whore-ish," Bri scolds. "Besides, there is no slut shaming in this house. Women can go out and get their pleasure just like men can. No double standards. Samantha from Sex and the City was just the female version of every powerful man in history."

"Look at my little feminist. Now, what movie are we watching when we get back from the grocery store?"

Chapter Twenty-One

Kace

Sitting at the dining room table at his father's house, Kace stares at the bottle of bourbon in front of him. He hasn't had a drink since college. With his extreme workout and diet, he refuses to waste any calories on the mind-altering substance. That's what he tells everyone anyway. The truth is, after he got so wasted he hooked up with a random girl his freshman year of college, he cut all alcohol cold turkey. The reality hit him that there could have been STDs or a pregnancy. He could have lost his entire future because of a drunken mistake.

No good decision has ever been made while intoxicated with anyone he's ever known. But with him being benched until the New Year because of the bad press makes him question whether it's necessary to keep his conviction to staying sober.

"What would it hurt? It's not like I'm playing anyway," Kace says.

"Where's everyone at?" Victor asks and walks in to sit down next to him, both still in their red, plaid flannels.

Kace points over his shoulder towards the window. "The kids wanted to play outside. They almost destroyed their presents because of the unleashed energy. It's probably safest for all of us for them to get some of it out of their systems."

The doorbell rings, and his heart races. Did Bri finally read his messages and decide to talk to him? Did she show up to have the conversation in person like he's begged her in the various texts and voicemails? He rushes to the door, but he deflates the moment he sees a delivery man holding a red Santa sack of gifts.

"I have a package for Kace Lyons."

"I didn't think anyone delivered on Christmas morning," Kace says and signs for it.

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