Page 21 of The Best of Us

Probably not.

But I searched for a pen anyway.

In the living room, near the glass doors leading to the pool, I grabbed the first thing I could find. A purple marker and a napkin would have to do.

I jotted down my number and message, hoping—praying—she’d call.

Tonight was incredible. And that’s putting it mildly. In case you change your mind and want to be more than strangers in the night, you have my number. I hope you call. - C

Chapter5

Constantine

Present Day

“What in thehell are you doing here?” Colin stared at me from the other side of his front door, his intense, angry eyes sharp on me.

Myeyes, too. Yeah, they’re mine, right?

I propped my hand on the doorframe, attempting to keep it together. “Your mother said she’d be off work at seven.”

It was eight, so I’d assumed she’d be back already. Although it was Friday morning, not the Saturday she’d told me to come.

I’d barely managed to hold off showing up until now. I almost went to the hospital and confronted her last night. Drunk from herfather’sbourbon, no less.

I could count on one hand the number of times I’d been that intoxicated. When I found out my sister had been murdered, for one. Then, on the night of her funeral. And after I’d helped take the life of the man we’d believed killed Bianca. Not to mention the fourth incident when we found out that guywasan evil murderer, just not Bianca’s. Last night made number five.

“She’s not back yet, and you’re not wanted here.” Colin’s words shot like an arrow, bullseyeing me in the heart.

“Is your mom still at work, then?”

“Like I’d tell you shit, man.” He tried to slam the door in my face, but I was too quick for him, shoving my foot against the jamb to block his attempt to shut me out. I’d already been shut out of his entire life, so that wouldn’t be happening.

“We need to talk.”

“No,” he answered with a light, sarcastic laugh I didn’t appreciate, “we really don’t.”

He stumbled back when I won the battle with the door. I stepped inside, flinging the door closed behind me. At least he didn’t come at me swinging—my jaw was still sore from the impressive sting of his elbow to my face the other day.

“Would you like me to tell your mother about the purchase you made while she was at work last night?” I removed my suit jacket and tossed it on the hall table in the foyer, letting him know I had no plans to leave. “Yeah, I know about that.” I stared him down, and he glared right back at me with a defiant lift of his chin, accepting the challenge.Like father, like son, dammit.

“She deleted the photo I had of your Amex.” He folded his arms over his chest, squaring his stance in an attempt to block me from coming any farther inside. “So, I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“And you have a backup.” I rolled my sleeves to my elbows out of habit. “Who’s the Claddagh ring for? Thought your family was Scottish, not Irish.”

I gave in and researched Juliette last night while drunk. Used our security firm’s resources to dig deeper than the average person could, and I confirmed that her father footed the bill for her villa in Aruba. Ithadbeen her I’d met seventeen years ago.

“How do you know what I bought? The receipt didn’t speci?—”

“Nothing gets by me. Better for you to understand that now.” I heaved out a deep breath, trying to keep my cool. I was angry, but not with him. Burning mad at the fact I’d missed out on his whole life, and he had no clue who I was.

“Why didn’t you cancel every card? Why leave the one active?” He secured the hood of his sweatshirt over his head—why are you wearing a hoodie in May?Then he cinched the drawstrings tighter, using the lightweight fabric to conceal part of his face as if he didn’t want me to get a good look at him.

Too late. I see you.And I’d never be able to unsee our similarities now.

Before I could come up with an answer that made sense about my card, I noticed him zeroing in on the scars on my right arm. “What happened to you? Burned or something?”

“Or something,” I bit out. “Now, where’s your mom?”

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