The Dumbf*ck - Part Two of The DumbFuck Series: A Billionaire Bad Boy Humorous New Adult Romance (The DumbF*ck Part Two Book 2)
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THE
DUMBFUCK
~ PART TWO ~
{ INCLUDING A THREE PART EPILOGUE }
A NOVEL IN TWO PARTS
MARIE STANLEY
The Dumbfuck will be released in two parts.
includeS THREE epilogue scenes.
Contents
CHAPTER ONE 8
CHAPTER TWO 10
CHAPTER THREE 12
CHAPTER FOUR 16
CHAPTER FIVE 23
CHAPTER SIX 30
CHAPTER SEVEN 33
CHAPTER EIGHT 46
CHAPTER NINE 52
CHAPTER TEN 58
CHAPTER ELEVEN 60
CHAPTER TWELVE 67
CHAPTER THIRTEEN 73
CHAPTER FOURTEEN 82
CHAPTER FIFTEEN 86
CHAPTER SIXTEEN 89
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN 97
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN 109
CHAPTER NINETEEN 118
CHAPTER TWENTY 122
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE 127
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO 133
CHAPTER TWENTY THREE 142
CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR 150
CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE 159
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX 164
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN 166
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT 168
CHAPTER TWENTY NINE 176
CHAPTER THIRTY 182
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE 188
CHAPTER THIRTY TWO 197
CHAPTER THIRTY THREE 204
CHAPTER THIRTY FOUR 209
CHAPTER THIRTY FIVE 213
CHAPTER THIRTY SIX 219
CHAPTER THIRTY SEVEN 221
EPILOGUE 241
ONE, TWO 247
ONE, TWO, THREE & FOUR 255
CHAPTER ONE
Waverly woke up her eyes burning, still in the same clothes she had worn the day before. Through tears, sobs and hiccuping breaths, she had called and texted trying to get through to Walker, but no answer, even breaking down to call and text Anne - no answer there either. Around three in the morning, she had given up, rolling over, she lay there until exhausted she fell into a restless sleep.
Rolling over, with an aching body from her night spent on the floor she reached pulling her phone close. She hadn’t and wouldn’t call Benn or Kate, they had their own drama right now and, she cared about the two of them too much to burst their new relationship bliss bubble. Toeing off the shoes she slept in, she texted Benn, fresh tears made it difficult to see his contact name, she informed him that she was working from home. His return text flashed a smiley face and a heart. Fucking heart, hers felt shattered into a million pieces. Shrugging off her hoodie she crawled on hands and knees to her sofa, climbed up, and huddled under the blanket puddled up of the sofa back. Why, why had he had left her? Did he have it planned from the start? Did he have some bizarre hatred for her that every six years he felt like he had to fuck up her life? Would she ever know what happened? Maybe it would be another five years until she saw him again? He left her...alone. She had been alone before - a lot. After crying some more she drifted off to sleep.
Walker was hung over, three-quarters of a bottle of whiskey by himself hung over. He couldn’t really say he slept, it was more like he finally just passed out still sitting up on the hotel sofa.
She had played him. With Benn - the mother fucker. He was a smart man, it hadn’t taken long to figure out why she had done it. Payback, karma, revenge. Fucking bullshit. She was good, he would give her that, she had played him and done it well. He had believed every soft look, her hands so gentle on him, her crazy exuberant laugh, the eyes glazed with lust for him. What a fucking fool he was. As, pissed as he was, and he was pissed, a small part of him knew he deserved the payback, there was no denying that he had treated her badly years ago. But couldn’t she see he wasn’t that guy anymore, no longer the privileged frat boy who fucked whatever he wanted with no thought to the consequences? Grabbing the bottle that laying next to him on the sofa he placed it on the coffee table, next to his phone.
Well fuck, he picked up his goddamn phone thinking of the thirteen texts that she had sent and the voicemails. When he was crossed he had an iron will, every one of her texts and voice mails had been deleted, he hadn’t read or looked at them.
Groaning as he noticed the time, he needed to shower, there was another full day of meetings waiting for him. It was harder than fuck getting through them the day before, especially as hung over as he had been, but he did it, not well and not nicely but he did it. It was business and there were negotiations that had to be dealt with, so he negotiated, quickly and efficiently, getting what he wanted, with a vengeance. The frightened looks and averted eyes averted didn’t bother him, the murmurings of what a cold hearted bastard he was as he left the conference room didn’t bother him either.
He wanted to hurt someone. Sighing, he stared at the bottle of whiskey sitting on the coffee table, a golden honey color, just like her hair, that soft wavy wild hair. Picking up the bottle again he hurled it against the wall, watching it explode, enjoying the sound of it shattering into a million pieces. He knew the feeling. Yes, he was a cold hearted bastard when he didn’t get what he wanted.
Waverly was back in the office, staying busy and feeling like shit, sleep was elusive, food was uninteresting. Benn, Kate and all of her friends were all looped into the drama and they were all being very supportive - so supportive that she wanted to scream. She wanted to be left alone. Benn and Kate were blissfully happy, kindly trying to hide when they were around her it but it just seeped out of them. The touches and smiles, the looks between them made her heart clench, every time.
She hadn’t tried to contact Walker again after that night, or Anne either, she did have a small amount of pride left. Pulling out her makeup bag, she looked in her mirror to wipe away any smudged mascara, she looked like hell. It had taken her six hours to accomplish three hours of work, she just couldn’t concentrate. With a stack of work from yesterday waiting for her, she decided that a large amount of caffeine would help. Stopping by Benn’s office to let him know she was heading out and see if he wanted anything, although he smiled, she could see the pain for her in his eyes, she appreciated it, but it also made her want to run screaming from the building. There was enough of that look cast her way when she was a child. She needed no one’s pity, she would get through this like she had gotten through everything else.
Waiting at the corner crosswalk she reached into her bag for her chirping phone, if this was another ‘hang in there’ text she was going to throw the damn thing in the trash. An unknown number flashed loading a Chicago times photo Announcement of Walker Rike and CeCe VanderCrest, Announcing their engagement. Two blue-blood families finally united, the headline read, her eyes blurred with tears, her heart went cold and her knees went weak. Stumbling forward Waverly fell into the oncoming traffic.
CHAPTER TWO
Engaged to Cece VanderCrest, Walker was an engaged man. Fan-fucking-tastic. His parents were ecstatic, her parents were ecstatic and he was pretty fucking miserable. It was a mistake of epic fucking proportions and he knew it before he slid the ring on her finger. Like an oncoming car wreck, he just couldn’t figure out how to stop what he had, in his anger and resentment put into motion. It must be karma for his shitty behavior towards Waverly, sitting with his office door shut, listening to Cece babble some bullshit, about some bullshit party she insisted they ‘simply must attend’ - her exact words. Trying to get some paperwo
rk done, he would occasionally mumble “uh-huh” where it seemed appropriate. Fuck, this was his life now, it wasn’t worth it. He had fucked it all up so badly, wanting to get back at Waverly with the engagement, marrying someone from his own... Anne stormed in frantically waving her hands, shrieking, cell phone clutched in one hand, her face white as a sheet. Reaching over she grabbed his phone off his desk ending Cece’s continued rambling.
“What the fuck, Anne?”
She shoved her phone at him, “Oh Walker, look. Oh my God.”
After reading the text he calmly handed her back the phone, he didn’t want to see any more, didn’t hear any more. Walking straight to the bookcase that housed his liquor, he clenched a bottle of McClellan, pouring a crystal tumbler full he downed it. Behind him he heard sniffling, reminding him that Anne was still in the room, he poured another drink and knocked half of it back. Carefully he set the glass down, placed both hands on the bookcase leaned forward on his hands and letting his head drop.
“Benn said,”
“If you want to keep your job don’t ever say that name to me again,” Walker roared at her, “Just...how bad is it”
Her cell phone buzzed again startling them both.
“All he said is that she was checked into the emergency room yesterday. He didn’t say anything else,” Anne said softly.
He thought of himself as an intelligent man, How did he fuck this up so badly?
“Go, Anne,” Walker mumbled, “Just go.”
CHAPTER THREE
Money may talk, but not in a hospital, even using his family name the hospitals was on lock down with information about Waverly’s condition. Anne also had been frozen out of any further information, due to her association with him he was sure. Hours passed with him shouting and cursing on the phone before he actually tried financially bribing a nurse into giving him information.
After battling with the hospital for information he had been lucky enough to run into a guy he had gone to college with, the guy was now a pediatric surgeon, after one look at him, the guy asked what he could do to help. Dr. Chad Hampton filled him in on hospital protocol, letting him know that actually getting in to see her was going to be damn difficult since they weren’t related. Escorting Walker to Waverly’s floor he provided a full rundown of her injuries and her room number. Chad suggested he go and clean himself up, that he wasn’t going to do Waverly any good showing up the way he looked now. Holy fuck, he thought to himself what good had he ever actually done for her, he had a sinking feeling in his gut that his shitty behavior was somehow responsible for this disaster.
Abrasions, head and leg injuries, currently Waverly was in stable but critical condition.
Positioning himself at nurses station at the far end of the hall so he could see her door but remain unseen himself, he relayed the information to Annee. Walker flinched, seeing Benn coming out of Waverly’s room, he tensed hoping that he would be able to read good news from him, but Benn appeared disheartened leaning against the wall, his hands over his face. Not a good sign. Kate came out of the room turning to Benn who immediately pulled Kate into his arms. Kate reached up and wound her arms around Benn’s neck, Benn lowered his hands to Kate’s ass and then kissed her. On the mouth, pulled back and kissed her again, a deeper kiss. With tongue, he could tell even from this distance. Why the fuck was Benn kissing Kate when he and Waverly had been having sex just days ago.
Working to unclench his fist, a horrifying thought occurred to Walker. Shit. Fuck. He had never actually seen Waverly the other night, only Benn - with the condoms. His mind shifted quickly, Benn had texted him at some point, he had deleted all of Waverly’s texts but he hadn’t even thought to delete Benn’s. Stumbling over to a small grouping of chairs, he could still see Benn and Kate, arms locked around each other, talking and kissing occasionally. Walker scrolled through his texts and found Benn’s texts to him. ‘MOTHER FUCKER. The fuck is going on? Text or call me asap. I’m gonna kick your ass if there’s not a fucking good explanation. If you can’t get a hold of me swing by Kate’s. I’m living there now.’
Walker closed his eyes and threw his head back until it banged against the wall behind him, then he did it again a little harder. He was Walker Sebastian Andrew Rike, of the Mayflower Rikes. Blue-blood Harvard Business school graduate 3.8 GPA. Ran a multi-million dollar company and did it so well that men were intimidated by him when he walked into a room. He succeeded at everything he did.
He had failed Waverly spectacularly.
What kind of man immediately jumped to the conclusion that someone was trying to fuck him over, and not just someone, a woman like Waverly. A flighty, funny woman, who drew people to her warmth and generosity. A woman who daydreamed to escape reality and couldn’t carry a tune but loved to sing. A woman whose loyalty was boundless for anyone she cared about. A woman who was right about him - he was a dumbfuck.
Well after visiting hours were over, he walked down to the room, the nurses chattered away at the nearest station paying him no attention. He stood outside, debating whether he should go in, the last thing, she was already suffering physically, he couldn’t take knowing he might do something to upset her or her condition any further. On the other hand, he was desperate for just a look at her. He had learned from Chad that she had a few broken ribs, a broken left arm and a mild skull fracture, all fairly common and yet still serious. That was all he knew, and it was fucking killing him to not the how, or why of what happened.
Waverly was a woman full of life, it was unnerving to see her face so pale, her body so still, she twitched moaning and mumbling, the light blanket covering her dropping from her shoulders. Studying her face, he realized that he should have told her more often how beautiful she was, even with the bruised forehead, scrapes on her chin and a cut on her bottom lip. Reaching out to raise the fallen cover her moved her hand, his hands were so rough and hers were always so soft, she had confessed to him once that she loved his hands. That they were strong and manly, making her feel like he could protect her from anything. Well, he had certainly fucked that up.
A nurse came in the door startling him from his thoughts.
“Sorry to disturb you, young man. You must be the boyfriend, at first we thought the other one was the boyfriend. But then JoAnne - day nurse, have you met her? Anyhow, JoAnne said she saw the other one and the dark haired girl in the hallway together and that those two were definitely boyfriend and girlfriend. Then the dark haired girl...what’s her name, I’m afraid I’ve forgotten it?”
The nurse scuttled around the entire time she rambled, checking each machine, writing things down, and adjusting dials while she spoke.
“Kate,” Walker responded automatically.
“Yes, that’s it, Kate, well Kate confirmed it, told JoAnne the whole story. Apparently, the two of ‘em were keeping it real quiet that they were starting to be a couple, ‘cause they work together, then they had a big dust up, then it all came out in the wash. Next day our girl here got all banged up. Anyhow, you need to take better care of your pretty miss here and have a long talk with her about keeping that cell phone of hers in her pocket.”
Walker nodded silently, unsure of what to say, JoAnne continued.
“Kate and her new man said she was walking down the street, got some bad news right on her phone. That poor driver is beside himself now, said she just fell right into the street in front of him. Now I know that I’m being a nosey Nellie, but was there a death in the family? Was that the bad news because I hate to think that she has, even more, to deal with right now. She’s going to be just fine after a time, though,” the nurse assured him.
Walker cleared his throat, frozen, his head reeling with all of the information, studying him for a moment, the nurse pulled a chair up for him next to Waverly and he collapsed into it.
“The doctor was a bit worried that she had tried to hurt herself, he said her health was somewhat compromised when emergency brought her in, she hadn’t been eating properly, not sleeping well either, tho
se two...what is her name again?”
Bustling over to another machine she scribbled on another chart On autopilot now he answered again.
“Yes, that’s it. Kate said she would never hurt herself that she had just gotten some very bad news.”
Walker cleared his throat not knowing what to say.
“Well, listen to me, I’ve talked your ear right off. I’m on to the next, but you take very good care our girl here, you’re a lucky man. She must have the men lined up around the block for her. And we know that she’s got buckets of friends, so many flowers we had to pass some on to the chapel. Now don’t be afraid to hold her hand. It’ll make you both feel better,” she trilled out to him as she exited the room.
CHAPTER FOUR
For the first in his life all of his money couldn’t fix his problem. Known for his business acumen, for his skills; negotiation, intimidation, and organization, and yet he couldn’t arrive at a solution. For any of it. Waverly’s physical health, his relationship with Waverly, and he was still fucking engaged - to Cece. Anne was seriously pissed at him and he had even had a stern voicemail from Steve which he hadn’t returned yet. He figured that his best bet was to have a drink or two and let everything simmer before he drafted a definitive plan. Pouring himself a bourbon neat, he took a large gulp and sat down in his office chair. Swiveling his chair around staring out the window, it was two in the morning and Chicago was suffering through a blast of cold, was it only a week ago he had envisioned spending a long winter weekend with Waverly at the farm, a walk through the snow holding hands, getting her up on one of the horses... Fuck, fuck, fuck.
Don’t be a pussy, just rip the fucking bandaid off, he thought to himself picking up the phone to call Cece. Forty-five excruciating minutes of one-sided conversation later and it was done, settled, she certainly wasn’t happy, but not as angry as he thought she might be either. Using his family name, he had forced The Trib to run a retraction in the paper. Cece could have at it, however, whatever she wanted to say to place the blame squarely on him was fine. as long as no other person was mentioned and he had imposed a timeline of only one hour to turn it in to the paper. A hefty donation to any fundraiser she was in charge of for the next five years, helped assuage her anger, but as long as they were un-engaged it was money well spent.