Page 68 of Beau

“Do you know something I don’t?” Beau cocked his head to the side, a smirk tugging at his lips.

“I know my wife—” Eric began.

“Brenna is not your wife,” Beau interrupted with a sharp tone, stepping closer to Eric who instinctively leaned away from him. “Or is this all because she’s with me now? Is there a reason why you always want the woman I have?”

“I miss her,” Eric admitted.

“Bullshit,” Beau sneered. “You two are just trying to break us apart for God knows what reason.” He took another step toward Eric, causing him to lean even further back in fear. “Get out of here before I do what I’ve been wanting to do since I found you hiding in my bathroom, you fucking pussy.”

“I’m not afraid of you, Beau,” Eric retorted, apparently trying to regain some control over the situation.

“Yes, you are.” A satisfied grin spread across Beau’s face as he watched Eric visibly swallow hard. “Now get the fuck away from me before I really lose my temper. And you can tell Liz your little plan didn’t work. Brenna and I are happy together and that’s something you both hate. Stay out of our way, Phillips. You have no idea how close I am to throttling you.”

“Because deep down, you still love Liz,” Eric added smugly.

“Because I trusted you,” Beau snapped back. “You were my best friend and you betrayed me.”

“I’m not giving up on Brenna,” Eric stated defiantly.

“You really should,” Beau retorted with a hint of warning in his voice. “But if you insist on trying to win her back, go ahead and see how far that gets you. I trust Brenna and I know she won’t fall for your manipulations.”

“Since you have given me your permission, I will,” Eric said with a mocking tone before opening the door of his car. Beau stood rooted to the spot as he watched Eric get into his vehicle and drive off. Then he strode across the lot and got into his truck, and with a frustrated growl, Beau slammed his fist against the steering wheel. He had a feeling Eric and Liz would stop at nothing to try and break them apart, but he was determined to fight for what he had with Brenna.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered as he drove home.

****

Brenna sat on her sofa, hunched over a stack of papers, intently correcting homework. She was so glad tomorrow was Friday. She was going to Beau’s house after school. Suddenly, the sound of someone knocking on her door broke the silence. With a frustrated sigh, she set the papers aside and made her way to the door. Peeking through the window curtain, she was taken aback to see Eric standing on her porch.

Her hand paused on the doorknob as she muttered under her breath, “What the hell?” Slowly opening the door, she asked, “Eric? What are you doing here?”

He looked cold and uncomfortable standing in the chilly air.

“Can I come in? It’s cold out here,” he said with a pleading tone.

Brenna hesitated for a moment before finally stepping aside to let him in. As he entered her cozy apartment, he immediately removed his coat and hung it up. She closed the door with more force than necessary and stood with her arms crossed, glaring at him. She couldn’t fathom why he was here.

He took a casual look around the room and she fought back the urge to smack him when she saw his smug smirk at the sight of her humble surroundings.

“What are you doing here?” she asked again, annoyance lacing her words.

Eric shrugged nonchalantly. “I wanted to see you.”

“For what?”

“What’s going on with you and Beau?” he asked bluntly.

She couldn’t help but laugh at his audacity. “None of your business.”

Ignoring her response, he walked over to the sofa and took a seat. Patting the cushion beside him, he gestured for Brenna to join him. However, she purposefully chose to sit in the overstuffed chair instead, crossing her legs and folding her arms across her chest in a defensive stance. She remained silent, refusing to give him the satisfaction of knowing her thoughts.

After a moment of tense silence, Eric spoke again. “How long have you and McCallister been seeing each other?”

“How long were you and Liz fucking behind our backs?” Brenna replied coolly, refusing to entertain his line of questioning. Sensing that he was beating around the bush, she asked directly, “Is that why you’re here? Because if it is, you’re wasting your time... and mine.”

“Brenna, I didn’t realize how much I missed you until I saw you with him,” Eric finally admitted.

She snorted out a laugh. “You cannot be serious.”

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