Sass

by Laramie Briscoe

  “I slept with Reed last night. Twice.” There’s no shame in my voice. I’m not ashamed of it, but I’m assuming it meant nothing to him. And since I didn’t stick around to find out, it’s tearing my heart apart. It’s an ache I hadn’t counted on, a knife twisting painfully.

  “Oohhh, honey,” she answers. “Let me guess, this wasn’t part of the whole ‘pretend to be together’ plan?”

  I shake my head and then realize she can’t see me. “It wasn’t in mine, and I’m almost positive it wasn’t in his. We both had a bad day yesterday, and one thing lead to another, and it kind of happened the first time. The second time I think it happened because we both wanted it. Neither one of us realized the first time would be so good.”

  “This is something you’ve wanted for years, Sass. Explain to me what’s wrong with this situation.”

  I’m trying to figure out why this bothers me so much. I’m not entirely sure, but I’m panicked in a way I never have been before. “Because it meant too much to me,” I admit. “I don’t think it meant much to Reed. I’m positive he was happy to get off.”

  There it is. What I’m afraid of, and I want to smack my own head because I knew this was inevitable with this stupid plan we’ve come up with.

  Morgan is quiet on the other end of the line. “Why don’t you not jump to conclusions? Why don’t you ask him?”

  “And then make things awkward when I confess things about myself that only you know? No thank you. He doesn’t need me to confirm I’ve harbored this crush since I was a kid,” I yell, biting my thumbnail as I realize I’ve seriously fucked myself over.

  “Then what are you going to do? Pretend like nothing happened?” she asks, and I can tell by her tone of voice she thinks it’s a horrible idea.

  I’m trying to figure this out, really trying to figure it out. I’ve gotten myself into a situation that’s going to be a bitch to get out of. It’s of my own doing, and that’s what hurts the most—the fact I have completely done this to myself. What kind of an idiot am I?

  “Maybe it’s time we stage our break up?”

  Morgan snorts. “You’ve only been together a few days.”

  “So we tried it and it didn’t work. We’re just better as friends,” I defend my decision. People would believe that, right? Or maybe we can blame it on Justin. Right now, my brother is on my shit list, and he can take the blame for everything in my life.

  “You keep tellin’ yourself that, Sass, but anyone who’s seen the two of you together knows there’s no way the two of you are only friends.” Her voice is quiet as she finishes her thought. “I wish the two of you could see what everyone else sees. What we’ve all been seeing for years.”

  I don’t know what she means, and I’m not sure I really do want to know. It’s a loaded statement, and to be honest, I’ve had enough revelations for the day. This one is better left untouched.

  “I’m gonna think about it.” It’s the closest thing to a promise I can make. “I’ll figure out what to do, and it’ll be all good.”

  The problem? Her sigh says she doesn’t believe it, and I know deep in my heart I don’t believe it.

  When did all of this become so complicated? I know with clarity it was the moment I agreed to this stunt. I had hoped to keep my heart out of it, but I know now it was stupid to even consider it.

  When this is over, my heart will not be broken—it’ll be completely shattered.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Reed

  It’s another hot day in Alabama, and I should be in the best mood ever after what happened with Sass last night, but I’m not. Right now I’m in a foul mood—again—because she skipped out on me this morning. I’ve escaped to my office so I’m not in danger of injuring myself on the job site. I can’t figure it out; I thought she was into it. The way she came on my cock told me she was into it, but this morning, she was gone. Not just gone in the fact she was in the shower while I was in bed. No, she was gone without a trace. I’ve called her, and the call’s gone straight to voicemail. Even that’s pissing me off.

  “You need to check on those applicants who have applied for the new positions we put the ads in the paper for,” my secretary, Alexa, is telling me.

  I nod, but I’m not really listening to her. She’s been with me since I started the company. She’d been a single mom who needed a job; I was a young guy who needed someone cheap. In the early years, she brought her kids to the office, and I paid her minimum wage. Luckily for both of us, we’ve been around to see each other grow.

  “Are you listening to me?” she asks as she slams the folder down on the desk hard enough to get my attention.

  “Applicants. I need to look at them,” I bite off in a voice that tells her not to fuck with me. Again, we’ve worked together long enough we know when to leave each other alone.

  “I’ll grab the applications I’ve weeded out and put them on your desk.” She eyes me. “In the meantime, Justin pulled up. Maybe you should go talk to your best friend about what’s crawled up your ass.”

  I groan in frustration. Justin is not who I want to see, but this has been brewing for a while, and I know it. Rolling my head, I let out a deep sigh as I walk through the front door of my office and catch Justin right as he’s getting out of his truck. “Long time no see,” I tell him, hoping that’s a good place to open up dialogue.

  “It’s been a minute.” He holds his hand out to mine for a handshake.

  When I grasp it, I know it’s the wrong thing to do. He pulls me towards him and lays a right hook into my jaw. I shake my head, moving my jaw, making sure it’s not broken. Not even going to lie; I’m seeing stars. “I deserved that.” I wince. Especially after last night, and I know without a doubt he doesn’t know about that yet. It’s too early. His ass probably hasn’t even made it into the office yet. He goes to job sites first, not dragging ass into the office until after two usually.

  Getting my footing back, I deliver him a hook of my own. “That’s for makin’ her cry yesterday.”

  We’re quiet for a few minutes, both of us trying to get our bearings, Justin trying to staunch the flow at his eyebrow. “Did you have to aim for my fuckin’ eyebrow? What if I need stiches?” he asks as he uses the edge of his shirt while looking into his truck’s side-view mirror.

  “I can’t help it that you’re shorter than me. That’s where it’s most comfortable for me to swing,” I defend from where I sit on the bed of his pickup, willing my jaw to stop aching.

  Eventually he comes back and sits on the tailgate next to me. We’re silent for what seems like a long time.

  “She’s my sister, Reed, and it pisses me off; you’re using her.”

  Those are the words I’ve waited to hear from him, and I wonder if I can be honest with him. “I don’t know what to say to you.”

  “I know.” Justin nods. “You’ve treated me differently since all the shit went down with Taylor, but you gotta know, dude. I ain’t jealous of you or anything you’ve got. If nothing else, I know if you really care about Sass, she’s gonna be well taken care of.”

  I sigh as I lean my head back. Two weeks after I found Lacey and Taylor, I confronted Taylor, and it was the worst conversation of my life. I’d be lying if I wasn’t honest and admit it had changed my relationship with Justin, but only because I didn’t want the same thing to happen with him.

  “Why?” I ask, my voice hoarse as I confront the man I once called one of my best friends.

  The smile on his face is slimy, and for the first time, I realize what a cold, calculating bastard this guy can be. I’ve known for a little while something’s been off with him, but this wasn’t what I expected at all.

  “You’ve got it all, Golden Boy Reed. You were the captain of the football team, king of our Senior Prom, you’ve always gotten the girl, and everything you touch works. That loan you took out for RS Construction? Never in your wildest dreams should you have been able to pay that fucker off. Justin and I? We’ve struggled trying to pay ours back. You
’ve thrived, and while Justin’s not jealous of you, fuck if I am. I want what you got, Reed, so I started with your girl.”

  I can’t believe what I’m hearing, and I’ll be damned if this little shit gets anything of mine. Gone is the cross promotion I’ve used with his body shop, gone is my fucking good word. I won’t badmouth him, but I sure as fuck won’t try to help him out ever again.

  “How did you do it, Taylor?” Because I want to know. I want to know how five years went down the drain. What does he have that I don’t?

  Taylor gives me the same cold grin. “Time, my brother.”

  “I ain’t your fuckin’ brother.” I shove him back against the wall of his body shop. “Nobody will ever mistake us for that again, believe that shit.”

  “Lacey is the type of woman who needs time. She needs to know she’s important and you won’t call off a night of sex because you’ve worked hard on a job site or maybe you gotta work late. She needs the dick, my man, and I was there to give it to her.”

  The anger coursing through my body is palpable. I don’t know if he realizes how close I am to killing him with a single blow to the head.

  “She’s a party girl, you know that.”

  “Yeah, I know she’s always been the type of girl who likes to go out and have a good time.” I don’t understand why we’re talking about this.

  “You’re not getting it. She likes to party, you know? Do a little blow once in a while. She craves it a little now.” Taylor winks at me.

  Blow? “You’re doin’ drugs?”

  “Not everybody is a boy scout like you. There’s a lot you don’t know about your best friend, Reed. If you only knew the shit I’ve pulled under your nose over the years.”

  That’s it, I can’t wait anymore. There’s a reason Taylor never started on the football team or went all-state like Justin and I did. He wasn’t committed to the weight room. I reach back, and with all the anger I have in my body, I hit him. The sound is sickening, and he falls in a heap on the floor. Knocked the fuck out.

  I use my boot to kick his foot, all too aware he’s not moving. I reach into his pants pocket and pull his cell phone out, searching for Lacey’s number. It’s long since gone from my own cell phone. I take a picture of her boy toy and text her, letting her know what dick has just knocked hers out.

  I throw the cell phone down and walk out.

  I hadn’t realized until this moment how much that had affected my relationship with Justin, but he’s right, it has.

  “I haven’t meant for it to affect us, but hearing those words he said, knowing I’d spent so much of my life looking out for him and having him repay me like that,” I run my hand through my hair, “it fucked me up.”

  Justin takes a deep breath. “It would anybody, but I’m tellin’ you, I’m gonna be here for you, no matter what happens, unless you fuck Sass over.” He shoots me a glare. “I don’t know what’s going on between the two of you, but I suggest you figure it out, because I know both of you. Neither of you do shit half-assed, and this had bad idea written on it from the get-go, but the crazy thing is, I’ve never seen either one of you so happy. If this is what it takes, then this is what it takes, but I won’t be put in the middle if it goes south.”

  “Understood.”

  “Good.” He nods. “Now let’s do something neither of us have ever done before. Let’s go have a beer in the middle of a work day. Given the fact I have a shiner, you’ve got a bruise on your jaw, and both of our knuckles are cut up, I think we deserve it.”

  An idea has never held as much appeal to me as this one does. “Let’s go.” I laugh as I hop off the tailgate and go to the passenger side.

  “Wait, I’m drivin’?”

  I climb up into the truck. “Your idea. If we get too drunk, Morgan can drive us home.”

  I’m not sure Sass wants to see me today, so I don’t mention her name. For the first time in a year, it seems like life is finally getting back to normal.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Reed

  Three days. Three really long days. Sass has ignored my attempts to contact her for that long, and I can’t understand it. I thought she had a good time the other night. Sure, I hadn’t planned on us having sex, and I’m almost positive she didn’t either, but I can’t figure out why she’s gone dark on me. From the way she was moaning and thrusting, I know it wasn’t me being bad in the sack. Doing it the second time was even better than the first, and I can’t figure out what the fuck I’ve done wrong.

  She won’t even return my calls when I leave nice, sweet voicemails. Or when I tell her Justin and I have come to agreement, we fought it out and drank it out, and now we’re good.

  Grabbing my phone out of my jeans pocket, this time I try a text.

  How’s it going? I hope you’re doing okay after the other night. I’d like to do it again.

  I contemplate adding a smiley face, but that seems like a douche move. The whole text idea seems like a douche move, but I send it anyway and hope she doesn’t take it as me trying to solicit her. It makes it sound almost as if all I want from her is sex, and I hate that, but we’re at this fucking awkward stage, and we have to get past it. I should have clarified I liked it all. The company, the dinner, the companionship, and yes, the sex, but it all felt good.

  “Boss, someone’s here to see you.”

  I’m in the office again today, signing off on a bunch of invoices and orders my secretary has been bitching about me signing for weeks. This is tedious, and I fucking hate it, so I welcome the distraction.

  “Yeah, I’m free.” I have no idea who might be here to see me, but if it means not having to do this paperwork, it could be the sheriff and I’d be happy.

  The air sucks from the room when I notice Sass standing in the doorway.

  “Hey.” She smiles softly at me. She’s carrying a folder in her hands, and I struggle with the need to scream at her. Ask her where the fuck she’s been for three days. Ask her why she hasn’t returned my calls, why she’s been ignoring me. It makes me angry, but I’m trying like hell to keep my temper in check, to keep in control.

  “Hey yourself.” I hold up my cell phone. “I’ve been trying to get hold of you. In fact I just sent you a text.”

  “Yeah.” She licks her lips as she has a seat from across me, putting the folder on my desk. “About that.” She sighs. “Things have been a little crazy.”

  I reach for the folder. “Obviously you’re here on both business and personal, so let’s get the business outta the way first. Then we can get to the personal. You’re not running away again without the personal being discussed.”

  She nods and crosses her legs. I can see an expanse of tanned skin, and I want nothing more than to walk over to the other side of my desk and get all up in that skin. Instead I shake my head and try to pay attention to what she’s telling me.

  “Those are the purchase orders for the three homes you’ve contracted for with Justin. We need your signature to confirm.” The way she talks is so controlled, and the polite way with which she conducts business transactions pisses me off immediately.

  I know this; I’ve done this with him a million times. Our businesses are entwined together. Her attitude rubs salt in a wound I didn’t know was there. It feels like it did with Lacey, when I realized all she cared about was the money, the fact I’m a respected businessman, and being on my arm. This hurts ten times more, and makes me a hundred times more pissed.

  I angrily open the folder, scribble my signature on the contracts, and close it with a flourish.

  “Now onto the personal.”

  Her eyes flash at me and her face flushes. “Reed, I…your face looks just as bad as Justin’s,” she finishes lamely.

  I talk about what’s really going on here, because it’s obvious she doesn’t want to. I’m not the kind of guy who can bury my head in the sand and hope things go away. I’m a man of action, and I want to know what the fuck happened. “Why were you not there when I woke up in the morning?” It’
s the question I’ve asked myself over and over again. Why did she leave?

  She’s quiet, and I know at this point I have to push her. She’s withdrawing into herself, and I have to make her speak. If I don’t, we’re going to get nowhere. She may hate me for this, but I need answers. I need her to talk, and I need her to fight for this.

  “I woke up hard as a rock, looking for you.” My voice is dark with desire, even I can hear it. “Imagine my surprise when I realized you were gone.”

  “I can’t do this,” she blurts out, getting up, heading for the door. “We moved too fast. This is all too much, and I can’t do it.”

  Confusion swirls in my head, because she was all on board with this the other night, and I have to wonder what’s changed. What’s got her running scared? This isn’t the Sass I’ve always known. “What’s going on, Sass? And I want the fuckin’ truth.”

  Tears are bright in her eyes as she turns back to look at me. “I think we should stage a breakup. I can’t keep doing this. Reed, you’re a hard guy to keep up with, and I don’t think I’m the person to help you do this.”

  It’s a bullshit excuse, and even I know that, but looking at her, she’s devastated. I’m a bastard, but I’ll use anything to help me get to the bottom of this. “You promised to help me,” I accuse. “Lacey ripped my fucking heart out, and you promised.”

  She turns away from me. “I know. I know I did, but there’s so much going on right now.”

  “Tell me how to fix it,” I beg her. As crazy as this seems, I can’t let two women walk away from me. This one is becoming a fixture in my thoughts, and I like having her around my house. I don’t want to let her go. She’s wormed herself into my life, like Justin warned me she would. I look forward to seeing her, talking to her, eating dinner with her.

  She bites her lip. “I don’t think you can, but please, give it some thought, Reed. Let me know what you want to do. I’ll let you call the shots because I did offer this, it was my idea, but I want you to think it through clearly. Examine all sides and all scenarios.”