Page 130 of Making Choices

After handing Hunter a mirror to check out his hair, I excuse myself. I shut myself inside the laundry and lean my weight against the washing machine. Breathing slowly, in and out, over and over, I work to calm myself. It takes me a few minutes to quell my upset stomach, although I eventually manage it.

Opening the door, I go to step outside, only to find Slash waiting for me.

“Are you okay?”

“Yep.” I offer him a bright smile. “All good.”

When he takes my hand to lead me back outside, I realise that my response was a lie.

I’m not good.

Which is probably to be expected after having my life upended.

The only problem is that that’s not the reason why.

I think I’m upset over Bebe being with Slash.

31

SLASH

Two weeks later

“Not sure how I feel about you playin’ matchmaker,” I grumble as I flop back onto the couch next to Cherub. She peers at me with raised eyebrows, shaking her head in the wake of my little meltdown. “The backstage tickets were supposed to be for Shamrocks only.”

“Mmmm. Yeah.” Nadia snorts. Sitting opposite us, her eyes ping-pong between me and the anxious blonde I’m sharing the couch with. “Sure. That’s a good excuse for your tantrum, Fabio. Maybe try stomping the other foot and see if that works?”

“Not an excuse… a fact. Also, I don’t stamp my feet.”

Cherub looks at me like I’ve lost my mind.

I totally just stomped my foot.

“Why would you have a problem with me inviting Bebe?” she asks with evident concern. Panic flashes across her features as she adds. “Oh, my God… did I screw up? I just wanted to make her feel welcome.” As my duchess works herself into a fluster, I exchange a look with her best friend. Seemingly as perplexed as I am by Cherub’s sudden interest in the success of my relationship with Bebe, Nadia offers me a half-shrug. “It’s just… she barely comes over, and when she dropped by last fortnight and we were having a hangover brunch without her, it really seemed to bother her.”

It takes all my willpower not to mention that Bebe’s presence also seemed to bother Cherub. She was very cagey about the deterioration in her mood, but I could feel the waves of mistrust, and dare I say, jealousy coming off her every time Bebe forced me to touch her. Everyone noticed, including my mumma, who’d patted my cheek extra hard when she said goodbye after our impromptu barbeque breakfast.

Basking in Mumma’s delight had taken a back seat to my worry though.

Bebe has her claws in deep.

She refuses to explain why she’s so desperate to be seen as my girlfriend.

Every time I ask, she simply threatens to send the video of me breaking Jack’s arm to Joseph Kingsley. I’m caught between a rock and a redheaded blackmailer. Normally, I’d put a bullet in my problem’s head, but that doesn’t seem like a viable solution in the circumstances.

At the end of the day, Beatrice Du Bois is a civilian.

I can’t kill her.

Still, my desperation to be done with her has reached the point where I’m on the verge of asking Cub for help. Maybe even Venom… as much as the mere thought of that pisses me off.

“Speakin’ of people bein’ uncomfortable,” I say as I drag Cherub onto my lap. After token resistance, she melts into me. My touch is tender as I smooth a stray lock of hair away from her forehead. “Venom’s in town.”

My news doesn’t ramp up Cherub’s anxiety like I expected.

“Yeah, I know.” She tilts her head back to grin at me mischievously as Nadia matches her expression with a devious one of her own. “He came back for the concert…”

“But?” I prompt when it becomes clear that they’re holding something back.

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