“Hey, Hil.” Rebecca, the old school band leader, embraced me. It was all for show since we only spoke during run-ins with each other, which were always full of the latest gossip.
“Can you believe it? Caleb Townsend returns—and with more money than his family could dream of, from what I hear.”
“Oh, yeah.” I feigned disinterest, greeting her “friend” Molly. They were totally lovers, and had been since we were seventeen. They were the perfect couple aside from the fact that they’d never admit it aloud.
“Hear anything else of interest?” I asked as casually as possible.
“Just that he has yet to see his father, who supposedly isn’t making any attempts to reach out either. Same with Luke. But then again, we shouldn’t be too surprised. Caleb was always…I don’t know. Different.”
Molly laughed, cutting in. “Different because he slapped my ass once? Or because half the guys in town were scared of him?”
Rebecca shot her a scathing look that only made Molly and me laugh.
“I heard he stole this place from Josh,” Rebecca scoffed, suddenly defensive. “Poor guy had just inherited it and in strolls Caleb to rip it out from under him.”
Feeling suddenly protective, I replied, “This place was a dump that Josh couldn’t handle, and we all know it.”
“Exactly,” Molly said. “And from what I heard, he lost it in a poker game to Caleb, so I’m not gonna sit and feel sorry for the idiot. Who wagers a restaurant?”
She chuckled and answered her own rhetorical question. “Actually, he probably figured no one would want it.” She motioned to my untouched wine, and I handed it to her with a friendly smile.
“Whatever the reason, it’s still shady.” Rebecca flagged down the bartender, then glanced at Cassandra behind me and lowered her voice. “And what do you know about the new guy Logan living out by Cassandra? Heard he’s a single father? I have lots of friends interested to learn more.”
“He’s already got his eye on someone.” I gave her a smile, albeit not my friendliest one, and added, “Best to leave him alone.”
“Right,” they said in unconvinced unison before walking away toward another group of women, for more gossip no doubt.
I swiveled my stool toward Cassandra, taken aback at the tension radiating from her.
“You all right?” I asked, my eyes darting around the room for an answer before settling back on the dejected anger in her expression. Defiance was thick in her stance.
My gaze followed hers to zero in quickly on the raven-haired slut who’d spread-eagled for every moron with the ability to get hard—including Cassandra’s ex Mark, while they were living together. Of course she was there, and already pawing at an oblivious Logan.
I forced my pity into hiding. “Cassandra…”
I’d barely spoken before she was gone, shoving her way through the crowd toward the door.
Without a backward glance at Caleb or anyone else in the room, I followed, catching up to her just outside. “I’ll drive.”
She didn’t argue as she pulled out her keys and tossed them in my direction.
Chapter Four
Cassandra all but forced me out of her front door not two minutes after we got to her place, shielding her pain behind a facade of excuses she knew I was immune to. Still, with a hug, I gave her the space I knew she needed. As much as she was over her ex, the scar he left was very much still present.
Once I was situated in my Mustang that had been parked at her place, ready to pull out onto the dark road, headlights appeared. I smiled, watching Logan’s car pull into his driveway next door.
I hesitated, wondering why he’d leave Haven so early. He didn’t know Cassandra enough to worry about her, but he seemed like a decent guy, with a cute and happy little boy. So while I gave Logan the benefit of the doubt, I knew she needed to be left alone tonight.
My musings left me sitting at the end of the driveway and before I could pull out, I saw a tall shadow jogging toward my car from his driveway.
My brows pinched together tightly. I slowly recognized the face emerging from the darkness as Logan’s just as his knuckles rapped on my driver-side window.
“Everything all right?” I asked after lowering the window quickly.
“You tell me.” His abrupt reply caught me off guard, colored in something heavy. Concern? Irritation?
I followed the subtle glance he gave toward Cassandra’s house and understood instantly. My grin was hard pressed to remain in check and considering this was my first actual conversation with the man, I wasn’t in the mood to skip over proper introductions.
“Logan, right?” I asked, smiling.
He gave a curt nod. “And you’re Hilary. Now, what the hell was that?”
All the friendliness I’d felt fell away at his hostile tone. “Excuse me?”
Logan’s entire body hovered closer to my door, dipping down to make eye contact through the shadows. “Why the hell did you two run out of Haven like that?”
Is he serious? This guy wasn’t Caleb, the only person who had me fumbling over myself. He was nothing to me. Logan fell under the category of ordinary men, and those I could handle. No way was he about to intimidate me.
“And this is your business because…?”
“If Cassandra’s involved,” he replied, his voice thickening with alarming possession, “it’s my business.”
Something inside me exploded. No way was Cassandra going to go from a cheating asshole to a territorial asshole. Slowly, I unbuckled my seatbelt, allowing my fury time to fester and build. The smart man moved back when I opened my door.
His shoulders fell as I stood in front of him, which was a good move. I was wound tightly and ready to spring if he had anything but Cassandra’s best interest in mind.
My finger shot out and jabbed at his chest. “You listen to me. Whoever the fuck you think you are, you are not about to—”
“Look, I just needed to—” he started, finally seeming to understand that just because he might’ve seen some pansy-ass version of me at Haven tonight that I was more than capable of standing up to those who pissed me off.
“No, you look! That girl in there?” I motioned toward Cassandra’s house, with only one light glowing inside. “She’s my best fucking friend, and I’ve had to stand by and watch one piece of shit rip out her heart and parade it all over this godforsaken town, so if you think for one minute—”
“I get it,” he dared to speak.
“You get it?” My laugh was far from comical. “Really?”
Logan released a heavy sigh, shoving his hands in his trouser pockets. By now, we’d somehow ended up toward the front side of my car, the bright headlights offering enough light to better see the clarity in his eyes.
“I met Mark, her ex,” Logan said, more calmly. “And I agree he’s an ass. But you don’t know me, and I have no intention of doing anything with her heart.”
“Then what do you want with her? You leave Haven early and come running over here because you’re what—interested in being a good friend?”
When his reply was only a stare through me, I knew what he wanted.
“You’re attracted to her, obviously—who isn’t? So you just want a fling.” I scoffed at the word, but the truth was it seemed like exactly what she needed. “Tough luck. She’s not that type of girl. Cassandra’s one of the few good ones left.”
My anger dissipated at the confusion coloring his expression. He looked torn, yet had a slight smile on his lips. “Yeah, she’s too good for me, I get that. But I’m not that bad of a guy.”
“Really?” I challenged, hands on my hips, eyes sliced his way. No man who ever looked that good and was still single in his late twenties didn’t have a trail of broken hearts behind him. I wasn’t naïve, but I was all too familiar with his type: players, charming and sweet until they get exactly what they want.
“You’re right,” he said, moving away. “To be honest, I’m not sure why I came over. I’m not like myself
lately.”
He looked toward Cassandra’s house once more, and for the first time that night I saw something I couldn’t ignore: a mix of regret and concern.
“Have a good night, Hilary. And don’t worry about Cassandra. I’ll leave her virtue intact.”
As he began to leave, his hard stare trained on his boots, I heard him mutter, “My apologies.”
And suddenly, unlike the other “players” I’d clumped him with, I saw something deeper: heart. He may have kept it buried, but it was there.
“Your son’s a cutie. He ready for school to start?”
Logan stopped and peered back at me, slowly and silently.
I shrugged with a small smile. “I heard you’re a pretty doting father, so that’s a plus in your column.”
“Is it?”
“I think so.” I stepped forward. “Cassandra needs a reason to get out a little. She’s in a funk—not that she’ll admit it—and I want to see her happy again.”
He tilted his head curiously, listening as I continued.
“Now I’m not saying that men are the answer to a woman’s happiness, but I do think she needs to see that not every date has to be so serious.” Reluctantly, I spilled, “Mark was her entire life, her first everything, and she was ready to settle down because that was enough for her. But I wish she could really experience dating and have a little fun.”
Silence spread between us, slowly growing uncomfortable. I’d said too much, but if Logan only wanted a hookup, why was he still standing there?
I was ready to tell him I needed to get home when he looked my way with renewed determination bright in his eyes. “When’s the last time Cassandra was on a date?”
My heart sank and, lowering my gaze to the ground, I sighed. “She’s only been out with Mark.”
“Thought so.” He stepped forward. “How about we strike a deal in the best interest of Cassandra?”
I looked up, curious where this was heading.
He continued, “I’ll never lie to her or make her believe that I’m offering something that I’m not. I’ll make it clear that I’m only offering some…harmless fun, but that she’ll always be safe with me. I’ll also keep an eye on her out here and make sure no one messes with her.”
“No feeding her lines of bullshit!”
“Never, but I need you to promise to ease up on that vicious glare of yours.” Logan smirked, holding out his hand. “Deal?”
Reluctantly, I shook it. “Deal,” I mumbled, already stepping away to climb back inside my car. What was the worst that could happen? If he hurt her, I’d kill him. It wasn’t like I could stop him anyway, with or without his so-called “deal.”
“Caleb’s got no clue the kind of fury hiding inside of you, huh?” I heard him ask, chuckling to himself as he walked away.
Was he friends with Caleb? Guess it made sense, seeing as they both came to town around the same time.
“Good night, Logan,” was my only reply before getting back into the car and pulling out onto the road.
I arrived home with a content heart but heavy head, not quite ready for the night to end and reality to crash back down. By the time I parked outside my building, the intoxicating sensations Caleb’s presence had subdued me with were slowly blurring into the growing darkness. It was that same oppressive shadow I knew would be awaiting me, full of loneliness—and also an angry Rafe, since I’d felt compelled to turn my phone off and leave it at home to avoid his attempts at contact.
Exhaustion seized my limbs the moment I stepped inside, my clutch falling to the foyer table as I balanced there to kick off my heels—not just any heels, but ones that his money had paid for. I straightened and flipped on the light. This entire apartment was paid for by Rafe, and I knew the second my phone was back on that he’d be there waiting to remind me.
With a sigh of resignation, I stumbled through the apartment to my bathroom to clean up for bed. No shower tonight—the soothing scent of Caleb was still a lingering delight I ached to join me in my dreams, and there was no way I was washing it away yet.
Face clean and teeth brushed, I climbed into bed and curled up under the blankets. My gaze landed on the phone atop my nightstand, exactly where I’d left it.
Might as well get it over with.
I snatched it up and, holding down the on button, I allowed a wave of hope to cascade over me. I had no doubt his wife had told him about our interaction, so maybe he wouldn’t try to get ahold of me and instead just disappear back to the ’burbs with his family. It was bad enough when I felt like a gold digger, allowing him to pay my bills and shower me with gifts, but add in a wife and kids…
My stomach lurched. I was officially a homewrecker, without even meaning to be.
My phone pinged to life, then lit up faster than a winning slot machine. The constant chiming brought nothing but nausea. I cursed, scrolling through an entire day and night of texts. I’d turned the phone off after I’d left my dad’s and suddenly wished I’d never turned it back on.
Rafe, 1:04 p.m.: We need to talk.
Rafe, 1:22 p.m.: What did you tell her?
Rafe, 1:28 p.m.: We need to get our story straight. You were never my girlfriend like she thinks, so what did you say?
Rafe, 1:32 p.m.: Call me! Now!
Rafe, 2:18 p.m.: Hilary, just call me. Friends don’t leave friends hanging like this. I won’t take the car back, you can keep it, but I need your help here.
I snorted. As if I wanted it anymore. That car stood for everything I hated about myself.
Rafe, 5:26 p.m.: Why are you ignoring me? We had an arrangement. Don’t make this personal and act all hurt. I helped you, you helped me. Now let me explain.
Rafe, 6:42 p.m.: Damn it! I’m begging you to call me.
Rafe, 6:58 p.m.: This week has been shit for me and you’re not making it any better. You DO NOT want to get on my bad side!
Bad side? Rafe was twenty years my senior and the nicest guy I knew, or thought I knew. Goosebumps raced across my arms.
Rafe, 7:22 p.m.: I’m outside your place. Where are you? Talk to me.
Rafe, 7:23 p.m.: I didn’t want to hurt them or you, that’s why I hid the truth. I’m sorry, now please answer the phone.
Rafe, 7:26 p.m.: I love my family and my wife, but she can’t satisfy me. Not like you did. I’m sorry I lied, but I want to end this on good terms. I’m going home for dinner. I’ll give you space for now.
I’d spent eleven months at that man’s beck and call and never once felt anything even resembling love, which made it extremely easy to hate him. He was right—it was an arrangement—but he’d never divulged what I was getting into. If I’d known he was married…
Anger increased my heart rate. He took me to at least two conferences a month, always out of town. I let him dress me up and show me off. All I had to do was smile, as arm candy did, and spread my legs at the hotel suite afterwards. We were friends—at least, that’s what I’d told myself. I wasn’t sleeping with anyone else, and he’d said the same. It seemed innocent enough.
But I knew, and had always known, that it was wrong. In exchange for my attention, he surprised me with a brand-new car that I never asked for and even tried to return at first. Then there was the beautiful apartment he helped me secure since he was the building owner, convincing me the first month and deposit were a loan but never allowing me to repay. He gave me $1,000 every time we went out of town. He said it was to buy a new dress, shoes, manicure/pedicure, and all that crap, but we both knew I didn’t need that much.
Part of me wished I could’ve told Cassandra from the start, but fear stopped me every time I ever tried. She’d have gotten giddy that I had what she’d believe to be a boyfriend, and expect to hear gushy bullshit love stories. It would’ve been even worse if she’d found out he was the one who bought the car she was surprised I could afford. I was a shitty friend, and even worse human being.
I rolled to my side, shame festering in my stomach, fighting the tears that had nothing to do with
Rafe and everything to do with my own pathetic life that had derailed so catastrophically I wasn’t even sure where to start the rebuild.
Looking back at it all made me sick—so much, in fact, that I was suddenly on my feet, racing to the bathroom. Bent over the toilet bowl, I emptied my stomach along with all the shame and guilt and flushed it away.
My dad always told me to never let the hurdles slow you down or stop you, and I wasn’t about to start now. I may have unknowingly let something that began as a simple dinner date turn me into a high-price call girl, but I would do my best to make things right and learn from this mistake.
My phone pinged again just as I returned to my bed, and it took all my strength to lift it to see the screen.
Rafe, 11:48 p.m.: I know you’re home.
I closed my eyes, sending up a silent prayer to make him go away only to hear another ping.
Rafe, 11:49 p.m.: Damn it, call me! Do not make me come over there!
Was he seriously going to try and be an asshole and threaten me? And how did he know I was home? The thought set off a wave of fear I refused to let penetrate me. No fucking way was he doing this. Time to make it clear where we stood.
My fingers slid over the keys with quick precision.
Me, 11:50 p.m.: It’s over. Done. Finished. I told her nothing but the truth. I’ll leave the keys in the car tomorrow for you to pick up, and you can expect a rent check for the remainder of the month while I look for a new place.
Me, 11:51 p.m.: Time to move on! Go find a counselor for your marriage, unless she’s smart enough to divorce you. GOODBYE!
I dropped the phone, smiling to myself until it pinged a moment later.
Rafe, 11:52 p.m.: You need me as much as I need you.
Me, 11:53 p.m.: Wrong! Never really did. We gave each other what we wanted, and now it’s over. I need NOTHING from you!
Rafe, 11:55 p.m.: Not that easy. Teaching won’t pay your bills. Sleep off the attitude. I’ll be over in the morning.
Me, 11:55 p.m.: Seriously? Fuck you, fuck off, and get out of my life!
Inferno (A Harmony Love Story) Page 4