Page 39 of Starry Skies, Stolen Kisses, and My Best Friend's Brother

He runs a hand through his hair and glares at me.My vision clouds, and my pulse races.

“What the hell were you thinking?”

His lip curls, and he steps into my space.“No woman like you could keep a man satisfied.I’d been cheating on you long before this.I just never got caught.”

The punches come so fast that he doesn’t even see them.First me and then Abi.I get him in the nose, and her shot knocks him to the ground.Todd grabs our arms and shoves us toward my dad.“Keith, take the girls inside.I’ll take care of things out here.”

Dad looks like he wants to argue, but he places his hands gently on our backs and leads us inside.I feel so stupid for giving him another chance.He’s an even bigger asshole than I thought.

My dad drops his eyes and paces back and forth in front of us.“I’m sorry I invited him back.”

“Yeah, well, maybe you should talk to me before interfering in my life again.You know, Seth wouldn’t do this to me.”Never in a million years.

Dad doesn’t say anything else, but I can still feel his anger too.Maybe I shouldn’t be bringing up Seth right now, but this is all Dad’s fault.

The door is closed, blocking out whatever’s happening outside.Abi and I look at each other and dissolve into giggles.I wonder if Rick’s nose will ever be the same.I hope not.

“I think I broke my hand,” Abi says between her fits of laughter.

“Me too,” I wheeze, the pain finally hitting.

My dad just shakes his head.“I’ll go get Terry.She’ll fix you guys right up.”

“Thanks for having my back, sis,” I say.I am so grateful to have her as a friend.Maybe someday I’ll get her as a sister as well.

She grins.“No problem.I’m glad you didn’t marry that guy.”

She has no idea how many different reasons I have for that.

Or maybe she does.

TEN

Seth

“Okay, I want to hear the whole story about how last night went down.”

Mae, Abi, and I are heading to the caterers on a gorgeous day, so we have the top down on my Bentley.I wish I could’ve seen the fight, but I was only there for the aftermath.I didn’t even see Rick, which is probably a good thing because he would’ve gotten punched in the face again.Mae did not deserve what that asshole did to her.

Once Rick left, Mom got me up to help Dad deal with the bride and her group.She had booked not only her bachelorette party but also her wedding.She canceled the whole thing and demanded her money back.If Dad hadn’t had the influx of cash from my investment and the deposits from our influencer Hideaway weekend, he wouldn’t have had any money to give to her.

The longer I’m here, the more I realize how much I’m needed.

But I can’t get stuck here.The thought of it makes my skin crawl.Getting stuck here means giving up everything I’ve gained.I won’t abandon my family again, but I need to find another solution.Maybe the possibility of a dual residence?Six months here.Six months somewhere else.ThatI might be able to do.But it still makes me nervous.

Abi leans forward from the back seat.“It was pretty epic.”

“What I want to know is why you two have bandages on your hands.”

Abi giggles.“Mae, you can tell him.”

“Well, I broke Rick’s nose, and Abi punched him in the jaw.She’s lucky she didn’t break her hand, actually.”

I shouldn’t find the idea of Mae punching a guy in the nose arousing, but strangely I do.“Did Keith really catch him and the bride in the act?”

“He did.Said he saw more of both of them than he wanted to.”Mae flushes, and I’m tempted to reach over and grab her hand.

“I realize that you and Abi made your point with him last night, but I seriously want to turn this car around and pay him a visit.One that he won’t walk away from unharmed.I can’t believe he did that.”

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