Page 51 of One More Song

Just sex.

Did she really believe that?

“Bullshit,” I mutter, slamming back another shot.

Half a bottle later, my head is fuzzy, but my heart still hurts like a son-of-a-bitch.

“Christ,” Synn says, sitting down beside me. “You look like shit.”

I grunt. “How did you find me.”

“Just followed the scent of whiskey.” He pushed the bottle away when I reached to pour another glass. “You doing this to spite me?”

I laugh harshly. “You really think everything is about you?”

He sighs. “I get that you’re pissed—”

“I’m not pissed, I’m in love.”

His brows shoot up, then he shakes his head slowly, before reaching over the bar for a glass and pouring himself a drink. He downs it before turning back to me and saying, “And what the fuck am I supposed to say to that? You want advice, because I doubt you’ll like what I have to say.”

“No shit, it’s because of you that I’m going to lose her.”

He snorts. “Bullshit. If you really loved her, you wouldn’t let me stand in the way.”

I glare at him. “You’re the one with the ultimatum. You need me, right?”

“I need you to grow the fuck up. If you love her, then maybe...” He drags a palm over the back of his neck. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but maybe you have.”

“She doesn’t want me.”

Synn snorts. “I know you’re not that much of an idiot. The woman is in love with you.”

“Maybe. But I’m not good for her. Shit, she’s about to be in the middle of a messy custody battle. The last thing she needs is that douchebag using me against her.”

Synn shrugs. “Yeah, it’s messy all right. But both she and her kid could use someone in their corner.”

“So what are you saying?”

He lets out a heavy breath. “We get this record done and come back here. See if this is what you want. And if it is...figure out a way to make it work.”

I stare into my empty glass, emotions lashing through me. So many that I can’t pick out one from the other.

Synn smacks my back. “Let’s get you back and sober you up before Ember sees you like this.”

I place a wad of bills on the bar, then follow Synn out, the sunshine blinding me and making my head ache like a motherfucker.

Thankfully, Ember isn’t home when I get there, so I manage to make it up to my room without her seeing me pissed out of my head. I kick off my shoes and fall into bed, passing out within minutes.

The room is dark when I wake up to my phone buzzing in my pocket.

“Yeah?” My voice is groggy when I answer, not bothering to check the name on the screen.

“Ash, this is Tina LeBlanc.” My lawyer. “I have some information about Mitchell Hamilton.”

That has me sitting up, and my head spinning with the movement. I pinch the bridge of my nose. “Anything good we can use against him?”

“His record is pretty clean.”

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