Page 90 of Griffin

What the fuck is going on?

Kevin sneers in her direction, and hurt flickers across his face.

“Were you bored with waiting for me, huh?”

What?.

“Well, you know what? You two fucking deserve each other.” Kevin shakes his head, and the realization hits me like a freight train.

My mind boggles, but I take a risk, not sure if I’m even on the right track, but knowing I have to.

“Are you talking about Shelby and me?” I ask, my eyebrows raising rapidly.

Kevin grunts something in response before telling me he doesn’t give a fuck.

Shelby turns green, and I step forward, knowing it’s now or never.

Years of friendship hang in the balance.

My daughter laughs from outside, and I know if this goes wrong, it’s fucking over. For all of us.

My heart aches.

Kevin is like a brother to me, but I can’t help falling for his daughter. I’ve tried to resist it, but I can’t.

I meet his gaze, the confusion evident on his face.

“Shelby stayed at my house last night.” I pause, taking a deep breath. “Because Ivy did.”

Kevin’s eyes widen as he looks at Ivy in the garden, his face changing. His mouth opens, but no sound comes out as he turns back to me, then to Shelby.

“But you left early in the morning.” Kevin frowns at her, pinching the bridge of his nose. “Andyoujust fucking told me you have feelings for her, Griffin!”

Shelby looks horrified, but I shake my head quickly, spreading my feet apart just in case my best friend sends his notoriously hard right hook into my jaw.

“Not for Shelby.”

Three words are all it took for Kevin to realize what I’m saying — who I’m referring to.

“Wait … ” Kevin mutters, still staring at me in disbelief. “You andIvy?”

Shelby makes a small moan and dashes between us, placing a hand on either of our chests. Her head whips between us, and the panic in her eyes makes me step back.

“You and mydaughter?”

Holy shit, he’s fucking raging.

One minute he’s glaring at me, his chest heaving and his words spluttering from his mouth; the next, he shoves Shelby away, then there’s a crack and splintering pain in my left cheek. Shock keeps me standing, but only as Shelby runs back, pushing Kevin away with both hands, her tiny frame somehow holding him back from giving me a second punch.

“Ow, fuck!” I mutter as pain slices through my cheekbone and into my eye.

“Tell me you’re fucking with me,” Kevin snarls, moving Shelby out of his way with surprisingly gentle ease. Shelby runs for the garden to get Ivy, and I face Kevin in defeat.

“I’m serious, Kev. I’m in love with her.”

When Kevin hits me again, I don’t remain standing. I fall back into a bookcase, the wooden shelves digging into my back as blood explodes from my nose.

My body aches as he drags me to him, so I’m staring into his feral eyes.

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