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CHAPTER 129
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Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 130
I was kind of annoyed at his short response, but I was equally amused at his smugness about it. And his amusement—damn, I wanted to laugh while I slap it off his handsome face.For the first time, it stroke me that this fake relationship could be rather dangerous.I stayed quiet as we drove down the country road that’ll take us to Percival Town, a couple of miles up the coast. I had been before—it was the stereotypical little beach town, more so than Santa Monica, even—but it wasn’t my favorite place. For one, the size of the town and its population made Santa Monica looked like a minuscule village unworthy of a supermarket or school of its own, and almost everyone who lived there acted like they were from a city, when they were not.We also had a high school football rivalry, so that could play in, especially since I was head cheerleader and may or may not have gotten into a catfight with Percival’s head cheerleader in senior year.Who also happened to be Titus’s girlfriend at the tim
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 1
“Ouch! Shit!”I jumped back from the car and flapped my hand around. My finger stung like hell—and when I looked at it, I saw why. My nail had broken lifting a suitcase. Just another reason why coming back to Santa Monica was a mistake. If I’d stayed in Charlotte, at least all ten of my nails would still be intact.I sucked on my finger to soothe the sting and glanced through the back window of the car. Milka was still asleep, thankfully. If she was awake and caught me cussing there, she’d be shouting, “Mama! Bad!” and following it up with a few excited rounds of the bad word.I breathed a sigh of relief and moved back to the trunk. I gave the offending suitcase one last tug and it flied out of the car. The gravel crunched as it hit the floor, and I jumped to the side. I pulled the envelope the lawyer gave me out of the glove box and dug for the key. I found it hiding between the creased papers, and with another glance at Mila in the backseat, I walked to the front door.I hesitated,
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 2
“Dadddddyyyyy!” Milka clapped her hands.I turned around sharply. She pulled herself up on the TV stand and stared at the screen like a lovesick teenager. But my heart was thumping double time, my palms almost sweating. It took a few beats of the music to realize it was just Dirty J(Conor’s) latest song on MTV and not the man himself walking through the door.I forced a laugh at myself. Shit, I had been back in Santa Clarita for ten minutes, and I was already thinking James Conor would burst my door down for the daughter he didn’t even know existed.I ran my fingers through my hair. Crap.My stomach twisted with the same guilt I had carried around for nearly two and a half years—the guilt of keeping her away.Milka shrieked when Conor’s face filled the screen. He was smiling, his voice crooning through the speakers and sending wave after wave of tremors through my body. The way it always had. He was living the dream, his dream. I could never take that from him.I knew what I did was f
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 3
She tucked her ombré hair behind her ear. “You told Tina she wasn’t.”“I didn’t tell Tina a damn thing.” I opened my car door and got in, starting it before she could speak again.There was no way I could hold a conversation with her and not want to break down. I knew I wouldn’t get away with this trip to Santa Monica unscathed—but I thought I might be able to make it longer than a few hours without seeing the girl I spent my life attached to, my best friend.Without seeing his family. Milka’s family.I drove out of the parking lot and towards the house. I couldn’t think of it as mine yet. I didn’t know what I was doing with it yet. If I could move it to Charlotte, it would be perfect. . . . But I couldn’t. The house was here, and . . .I shook my head. I was not doing this today. There was plenty of time to make that decision. Right now, I had to focus on getting through today. On getting through this fucked-up situation I caused.I killed the engine in the driveway and got out as Le
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 4
“How the fuck are we going to get home without being stripped naked by local fangirls?” Titus shoved his phone in my face. “It’s a motherfucking mob!”I focused on the image on the screen. “Who sent you that?”“Leah. Said she’s never seen them so bad.”“Must be after you, bro,” I muttered, pushing his phone away.“Shit, Conor. I can take pussy, but not that much pussy. Well, not in one go, at least.” He smirked at me.“We’ll just go through the woods,” Carl shouted from the other end of the bus. “Get them to park behind Chloe’s old place, and we’ll cut through.”I swallowed the bitterness at the mention of Chloe’s name. Obviously, though, I don’t hide it too well, because Titus nudged me in the ribs.“Still brokenhearted, baby brother?”I clenched my jaw. “She disappeared without a fuckin’ word. It’s been two and half years. She ain’t my favorite person, but I’m not heartbroke.”He laughed. “I’m messin’ with ya, man. Shit, doesn’t take a genius to see that you’re still hung up on her.
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 5
I trudged forward with the knowledge she was really never coming back. That she was staying wherever the hell she was, and I’ll probably never find her again no matter how hard I try.She was gone. I should have accepted that two and a half years ago, but every time I came home I half-hoped she’ll be here, like a sad fucking kid hoping his lost dog would be home when he gets back from school.Home came into view with the gentle sound of waves crashing. Salty air overcame woodland as we moved closer to the sprawling property, expanded after we “made it.” I picked up the pace. Getting to the place I loved in this fucking town I hated was my priority. Being around my crazy-as-fuck family.Leah was waiting on the back porch, and the second she saw us, she jumped and clapped her hands over her mouth so she didn’t shout out. I guess she got the memo about the back-way homecoming, too.She hugged us, one by one, her hold on me lingering longer than on the others. The babies of the family, we
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 6
“Crap. Crap crap crap crap!”I leaned against Milka’s closed bedroom door and slid down it until my butt hit the floor and I was hugging my knees. My hands were trembling harder than they ever had before.Seeing him there, in front of me, had shaken me right to my core. He looked exactly like a memory come to life, only better. Hotter. Sexier. Infinitely more . . . Conor.His hair was still messy, his eyes still startlingly blue. They still betrayed every emotion he hid in his words, and I saw them all. Shock, bitterness, disbelief, anger, hurt. Each one flickered in and out of his gaze until he heard Milka and shock took over.But it was his jaw I noticed most. The one difference in his face, the strong curve I had kissed every inch of. It was once smooth, perfectly clean-shaven, but now it was rough, ghosted with the shadow of a few forgotten shaves.He was still tall and built, though. His shoulders were wider and his biceps were more defined. His half sleeve peeked out from beneat
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 7
Leah grunted in response, and I snatched the controller up and turned off the television. “No! No! No! Conor! No!” Milka screeched, waving her arms frantically. “Noooo!” I covered my eyes with my hand briefly. “Baby girl, you can dance later, okay?” “No! Conor now! Noooow!” Leah coughed. My head snapped around to her, and the second our eyes met, I knew she had just gotten the confirmation she was looking for. I took a deep breath and shook my head, telling her no, we’re still not talking, and grabbed Milka’s dolly. “Come on. Into the stroller.” She continued, screaming about “Conor now! Conor now, Mama!” I strapped her in and did a quick check of her bag to make sure I had everything I needed. Leah followed us out of the door and I locked it behind us. The sun was getting hot above us, a beacon of brightness in a clear blue sky. For the first time in a long time, the view was unencumbered by skyscrapers and high-rises. It was pure and free and completely beautiful. I breathed
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