Page 33 of Irresistible

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Wednesday Afternoon

It seemed to happen every time she got in the groove of writing. Distractions. Nothing would happen for days, and then the moment she sat down and words were flying, someone or something would demand her attention. She’d successfully ignored several calls she’d gotten earlier and was planning on doing it for a while longer when the sound of her doorbell bounced off the walls. Popcorn greeted the sound with a bark, and she threw up her hands.

“Fine,” she muttered to herself. Saving her work, she closed her laptop and stretched. Some places were sore that had nothing to do with being hunched over a computer for hours. Several knocks on her door told her whoever it was wasn’t going away. Sometimes if she took a long while to answer, people just gave up. It wasn’t like her family or friends were at the door.

Everyone knew to call before they showed up at her house. If she didn’t respond, that meant she was writing and didn’t want to talk to anyone. The only person who ignored that rule was Brock. He came whether he’d been invited or not. Which, surprisingly, didn’t bother her.

Must have something to do with what he did when he got here. He brought her yummy treats, or fixed something, or kissed her until he stole her breath. Now that they were intimate, he made her body sing, her mind relax, and her heart feel full. As far as she could see, there wasn’t any downside to him showing up whenever he wanted. Not that she would tell him that. Come to think of it, he probably already knew.

Walking slowly to the door, she saw the face of the last person she expected to see. What in the hell was Drew doing at her house? He was not welcome and not anyone she wanted to waste time on. The only person she wanted to see less was Ruth.

She grabbed her phone. A conversation with Drew might require her calling 911, and she wanted to be ready. Underneath that polished façade lay a temper that he couldn’t always control. The last thing she wanted was to put herself in danger if he decided today was the day he gave up civility. Though why he had anything to be angry about was a mystery.

She did not want to open the door, but it might be better to see what he wanted and get it over with. Popcorn stood at her feet, and she patted his head. “If you want to take a bite out of him, I give you my permission. I know that you don’t like him, so feel free to growl.”

Opening the front door, she stepped out with Popcorn on her heels. She blocked the entrance because there was no way she was letting him in. This was going to be over before it started. “Yes?” she said firmly.

“Hey, Lilly. I wanted to stop by and talk.”

Crossing her arms, she heard Popcorn growl. Seemed he’d taken her advice and was going to let Drew know that he’d protect her. “My attorney has instructed me not to communicate with you without her presence. I’m confident that your girlfriend or attorney or whatever she is would feel the same way.”

“Did Loren call you this morning?”

“Yes, but I haven’t had time to listen to her message.”

“Can I come in to have a civilized conversation?”

Throwing her head back, she let out a loud laugh. “You have lost your ever-loving mind if you think I would let you into my home. What you and Tina have done over the last year is disgusting. Asking me something like that makes me think you’ve mistaken me for a woman who will take your shit.” Watching his shoulders tense and his eyes get hard told her that whatever this was needed to end. Popcorn moved in front of her and growled again. Couldn’t blame him. He saw an asshole and acted accordingly. “There is nothing to say.”

“Yes, there is. I’m going to tell you whether you want to hear it or not.”

“Spit it out, then.”

“Why are you being such a bitch? I came over here to tell you that I dropped the lawsuit.”

“First off, don’t call me a bitch. I don’t owe you my good manners. You sued me because you wanted to make your girlfriend happy. We both know you had nothing to do with my books. You never even listened to me the few times I talked about them. In fact, you told me that I should go out and get a real job. The last year we were together was a disaster. And we both know it.”

His face grew red, and she recognized that his anger was about to get the better of him. He didn’t like hearing the truth, especially when it conflicted with his view of reality. Whatever carefully constructed reality he’d created allowed him to believe the lies he told himself. If anyone or anything came along that didn’t support those lies, he lost his mind.

He hadn’t always been like that. In fact, he was a decent guy in college. But something snapped when they graduated, and she believed it was the pressure his parents put on him. Which sounded lame, considering he could walk away from their demands anytime he chose. But that would mean giving up the money, and that wasn’t something he was ever going to do. So he ended up acquiescing to their rules and was pissed at the world. Which made him miserable to be around.

Looking at the angry man in front of her, she realized that she probably never really knew him. He ended up being exactly what his parents wanted him to be. An uptight jerk who was more worried about money, social position, and power than being a good human being. Why he was still in her life was one of life’s cruel jokes.

“None of that matters,” he said, “because I’ve withdrawn my claim.”

“Did your mama and daddy make you? I bet they didn’t like the negative publicity their money-grubbing son was getting.” When he took a step forward, she realized that now would be a good time to shut her mouth. Her anger and frustration over his actions did not need to be expressed here on her front doorstep. He’d become physically aggressive once before, and she didn’t need to put herself in a position where it would happen again. Popcorn butted his leg and growled, and she took hold of his collar.

“Shut up,” Drew said slowly. “Why can’t you ever do what you’re supposed to do and act like a lady? I could’ve given you a nice life and you never would’ve had to work. All you had to do was behave.”

A hot wave of anger slowly spread through her body. What he was saying made no sense, and the best thing she could do was end this conversation and get in the house. No good would come of this, and she needed to get away from him before things escalated further. She silently admonished herself for opening the door in the first place. Taking a step back, she nodded. “Let’s agree to disagree. No need to keep rehashing the past. We’ve both moved on and have happy lives.” Popcorn moved quickly enough that she lost her grip on his collar. He jumped up on Drew and growled again.

“Get him off me,” Drew shouted as he batted the dog away. Popcorn lost his footing and skidded on the slick stone.

“Don’t touch my dog.” Just as she was about to lean down, Drew backhanded her across the face and hit her nose. The phone slipped from her hand and she fell back against the door. The sharp pain from her nose made her eyes water as she tried to grab a breath. When he loomed over her and blocked out the last of the winter sun, she knew he wasn’t done.

Blood flowed down her face as Drew grabbed her arms and dragged her up. The palpitations of her heart made it hard to focus. What had caused this? How could she make it stop?”

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