Page 59 of Bought and Broken

“That was different.”

“How so?”

“I don’t know. It just was.”

She’s growing frustrated. I don’t want to push it and ruin the night.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves and worry about it now. When we get to that bridge, we’ll cross it.”

She takes a breath and nods, finishing her wine. I pour her more.

As we wait for our food, we make small talk. She tells me about her friend, Summer, and her daughter, Astrid. Her birthday is coming up soon and Summer is planning a big party for her. I knew Summer had a kid and have seen her a few times over the years, but I’m not sure I’ve ever spoken to her. Devon asks about work, and the conversation flows naturally and easily. When our food comes, we eat and still talk.

It’s the most normal and stress-free dinner I’ve had in a long time. What a fucking conundrum this is.

Chapter Thirty

Devon

Dinner went differently than I expected it to. I’m not entirely sure what I expected, but for it to go so smoothly and us not fight even once wasn’t it. I thought there would be tension. Maybe it would be awkward at times. Points when neither of us knew what to say. But that never happened. Crazy how we’ve so simply gone back to the way things were. Sure, it’s different now that we’re older and have more responsibilities—well, he does—but we haven’t changed otherwise. Even after all the crap between us these last five years. Letting go of it has been easy—after the initial hard parts, of course.

Tate was the perfect gentlemen tonight, walking me to the door and everything. He said he had some work to do at the office, so he won’t be staying, but Dane will be home soon. He kissed me goodnight, a simple, sweet kiss. Then that was it.

I always knew what Tate was capable of. I saw him be mean and aggressive towards other people through the years. His dark side was never hidden from me, it just wasn’t aimed towards me, so I looked the other way. Even when Tate was mean to me, it was different from the way he was to other people. I never understood that.

When I get up to my room, I change and get into bed. I’m somewhere between awake and sleep when I’m hit with a dream that is all too familiar.

I bang on my brother’s bathroom door.

“Have you talked to Tate?” I shout.

On the other side, I hear his shower going and music, but I’m sure I yelled loud enough for him to hear me.

“Not today,” he answers.

“Well, is he supposed to be coming by?” I yell back.

The shower shuts off, and a moment later, so does the music. Dane swings the door open, and I have to step back because of the steam that billows out. He has a fluffy white towel wrapped around his waist and his hair is dripping wet.

“I said I haven’t talked to him.” He moves by me, going to his closet.

I swing in his direction. “But did he say anything about it yesterday?”

Dane looks at me over his shoulder. “He’s your boyfriend, Dev. Don’t you keep tabs on him?”

“Don’t be like that, Dane. You know it’s not like that with us.”

But maybe it should be… because I haven’t seen him or talked to him since the party last night.

“Which is exactly the problem,” he mutters, yanking a black button-up from a hanger.

“If you talk to him, can you please just tell him to call me?”

“Sure thing!” Dane calls as I leave his room.

Once I’m back in mine, I pick up my phone and call Tate for the tenth time. It isn’t like him to not answer me. It isn’t like him to not be here. We’re always together. And when we’re not, we know where the other is. Not because we have to, but because we want to. I trust Tate, and I don’t care what he does, but this is out of the ordinary for him and I’m worried.

We separated last night at the party. I texted him to tell him I was leaving early with Summer because she wasn’t feeling good. I only realized this morning that he read it but never answered me.

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