Page 91 of The Marine

Trina shrugs. “The guy was strangling her.”

“That guy was my dad,” I reply, offended despite...well, this is what I do. Stick up for him, despite how he treated me.

I’m seeing that more and more now.

“More reason he shouldn’t have been hurting you.” She stabs the table with her finger. “Look, I am sorry. But I’m not going to sit here as your best friend and tell you I’m sad he’s dead. I bet it wasn’t the first time he ever did this. Am I right?”

I nod my head.

“Then RIP Mr. Sutton. But also, fuck you.”

A laugh escapes me, surprising all of us.

“Oh my god, Trina.” I say, covering my mouth as the laughter continues to boil up.

She smirks as I keep giggling.

I don’t know if it’s nerves or just an emotional release, but for the first time in, well, my entire life, I feel like it’s okay to be relieved that my dad can’t hurt me.

The girls just stare at me, holding the space while I search for my sanity.

“So he wants you back?” Alice asks.

I shrug. “I guess. I went over there last night after Mom saw the photo of us together and lost her mind. I spent the night.”

Trina grins.

“I like him. He’s very handsome. And huge.” Alice flushes.

My body tingles as I recall his muscular frame lying over me, taking me from behind and spooning me when we finally collapsed.

Aidanishuge.

Six foot four and hundreds of pounds of solid muscle. Not dissimilar to all the BHS men he works with.

“You need to divorce Kael first. Girl, how do you have two men, and I can’t even find one decent man?” Trina sighs.

“Because you scare them all away!” Alice and I say simultaneously, and we all laugh.

They know my plan.

Tomorrow is the wedding and my third date with my husband. Then on Monday I will instruct Vanessa, my lawyer, to serve the divorce papers.

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