Page 58 of Bookworm
I narrowed my eyes. “Iknowshe and Adam are close friends,” I lied. I didn’t know shit about her. Adam kept any info about that beauty queen locked tighter than the secrets of the Pentagon. “But that doesn’t explain whyyouwere with her the other day. Alone.”
“I got to know Jasmine very well. He used to bring her home for holidays when she couldn’t be with her family in California. Any time I’m in the area, we find time to catch up. I don’t doubt for a second that she’ll eventually be my daughter-in-law. If my son knows what’s good for him.”
I tried to steel my heart for the blow his words made. They shouldn’t have caught me off guard. They shouldn’t have shocked and hurt me as much as they did. This wasElijahfor God’s sake. The man found joy in causing me pain.
He was a miserable man who never got the woman he wanted—who just so happened to be my stepmom. And somehow, he saw me as an extension of why he never got to be with Addy. It ate away at him that I, the spawn of the man who won Addy’s heart, was dating his son in high school.
It ate away at him then…
…and apparently, it still did today.
“Hey, Keith,” I said, giving a nod to the bartender and long-time family friend. “Get Mr. Stone another beer on my tab.”
I stood up from the stool, ready to walk away from this man for as long as I could. Until I was forced to have another interaction with him at Adam’s side.
“Well, that’s awfully kind of you,” he said, his voice dripping with faux sweetness. “By the way, Adam came home this weekend to visit his buddies from soccer. You may want to steer clear of Murphy’s Pub tonight.”
I tilted my head. “Adam told you he was visiting Maple Grove this weekend?”
Elijah nodded. “Yeah. He’s staying at Wilson’s house.”
I stood there an extra second, staring at Elijah in a fog.
Adam told his dad he was in town this weekend. But he didn’t tell him he was here with me.
Staying with me.
Back together with me.
Of all the blows tonight, that one was the worst.
It was like a time machine had launched me back to being 18 years old where my boyfriend was too ashamed of me to stand up to his father.
Again.
Not knowing what else to say, I turned to walk away, the sound of Elijah’s voice stopping me. “Be sure to tell yourdadI say hi.”
I don’t know what came over me. Or why that snide little comment was the breaking point. But I grabbed the beer that Keith had just slid over to Elijah and dumped it on his head.
Suddenly, I didn’t feel as bad.
Chapter Seventeen
“Let me get this straight,” Haylee said, pushing her oversized sunglasses higher on her nose. “Elijah is having clandestine dinners with some chick who’s clearly after your boyfriend, and he admitted to knowing that you were listening in on their conversation where he basically said you weren't going anywhere in your life?”
I nodded, taking a sip of my Diet Coke and adjusting myself in the lounge chairs on our deck. After the whole confrontation with Elijah last night, I’d grabbed myself an Uber and called it a night, telling the girls I had a headache. Of course, they didn’t believe me, but they’ve known me long enough to give me space when I need it.
But now I owed them an explanation. “Yep. That about sums it up.”
“Let’s not forget the wholeAdam didn’t tell his dad that you two are here together this weekendthing,” Enzo snapped, turning her glare across the patio where Adam was in the oversized, eight-person hot tub, playing with Coen and Cole.
I inhaled the cool, spring air. It was one of those perfect New England days. Warm enough to sit out when you were in the sun,but cool enough that you could still enjoy time in the hot tub if you wanted to.
“Shhhhh,” Addy said, pressing her palm to her forehead. “Do you all have to yell?”
Haylee and Enzo slid me a look. We were barely speaking above a whisper because we didn’t want Adam to hear us.
Apparently, without me there last night, no one implemented Addy’s no wine rule and she was paying for it today.
