Page 219 of Double Daddies
My curiosity piques, and I can’t resist taking a look. I see a slew of messages and I click on the group chat. I read the words that scroll across the screen.
Hayden:
How’s the bet going? Got your little barista into bed yet?
Bet? What bet?
Nic:
I’m sure they have by now with all the charm the St. James twins have.
Hayden:
I can’t wait to see the look on her face when she finds out they were only with her for a bet.
I stare at the words, my heart pounding in my chest.Bet? What does that even mean? Were they just using me for some fucking bet?The thought makes my heart clench, and tears sting the back of my eyes.
Anger and hurt well up inside me, and I can't believe that I let myself trust them so easily. I thought they were different, but it seems like everyone in my life has ulterior motives.
I need to get out of here and back to the coffee shop. I can’t stay here a second longer, not after reading that. I won’t be played by them, and I can’t handle another man hurting me. Not after Richard.
With my heart pounding, I step back into the kitchen, both Elijah and Ezra standing there, their expressions shifting from casual to concerned as they see my face. I hold up Ezra’s phone,the group chat pulled up on the screen, shaking with anger and hurt.
“I was a fucking bet?” I scream, tears streaming down my face, the raw emotion spilling out of me. “Is that all I am to you?”
Their faces go pale, and I can see the realization dawning on them. Elijah’s mouth opens, but no words come out. Ezra takes a step forward, his eyes wide with shock and regret.
“Wren, wait—” Ezra starts, but I cut him off.
“Don’t you dare ‘Wren, wait’ me! I saw it! I saw everything! You thought you could just play with me like I’m some kind of game?” My voice trembles, the hurt spilling over into anger. “I thought you both cared about me!”
Elijah steps closer, his hands raised in a placating gesture. “It’s not what you think, Wren. Please, let me explain.”
“Explain what?” I snap, backing away, my heart racing. “That you were just trying to see who could get me into bed first? That I was some kind of challenge for you?”
Ezra’s face falls, and he shakes his head. “No, that’s not it at all! It was supposed to be a joke. We didn’t mean it like that!”
“A joke?” I scoff, the bitterness rising in my throat. “You think it’s funny to bet on someone’s feelings? To use me like that?”
Ezra’s eyes soften with regret. “Wren, you are special to us. The bet was a mistake, and we’re sorry. We care about you, more than you know.”
“Do you?” I challenge, my heart aching. “Because right now, all I see is two guys who think they can toy with me and my emotions. I can’t do this. I won’t let someone hurt me again.”
I turn to leave, my heart heavy with betrayal. But before I can reach the door, Elijah steps in front of me, his expression pleading. “Wren, don’t go. We can fix this. Just give us a chance to show you how much you mean to us.”
I shake my head, tears streaming down my cheeks. “You’ve already shown me what I mean to you. I need to get out of here.”
“You know this conversation isn’t over,” Elijah calls after me, his voice filled with urgency.
I pause at the door, my hand resting on the handle, and turn slightly to face them. “Then I guess you’ll have to catch me after work.” My voice is steady, but inside, I’m a whirlwind of emotions—hurt, anger, and a flicker of something else I can’t quite identify.
As I make my way to the coffee shop, I replay the conversation in my mind, the sting of their betrayal fresh and raw. I can’t shake the feeling of being used, of being a pawn in their game. But deep down, I also recognize the connection we shared, the moments that felt real amidst the chaos.
Chapter Twelve
Wren
My shift at the coffee shop inches by slowly, each tick of the clock echoing in my mind like a countdown. I wipe down the counter for what feels like the hundredth time, my thoughts drifting back to the kitchen—the heat, the intensity, the way their hands felt against my skin. But then my mind instantly reminds me of what I found on Ezra’s phone. I was nothing to them just like I said in the beginning. We are from different worlds and they could never want someone like me.
