Page 110 of Muted

“We’ll figure it out. Go. Get in the shower.” He sets me down and turns me toward my bathroom with a smack to my ass.

I yelp and flip them off when they both laugh at my noise. Without another word, I head to my bathroom and fight back the tears, hating that I have to only pick one.

This is an impossible decision.

Chapter 31

Last Word

Chester

After Susu gets settled in the car and her belt fastened, she turns to me with a shy smile. I’m not sure why, but she seems a bit embarrassed, so before I pull away from the curb, I tap my cheek and shift toward her a bit.

She huffs out a laugh, then leans in to kiss me where I pointed. Just before she makes the contact, I turn my head and accept her affection on my lips. This time, her laugh is louder, and my grin is wide as I swipe my tongue across the crease of her mouth, asking for entrance.

Parting for me, I taste her toothpaste and cup the side of her face to enjoy her. Just before anything heats up further, I pull back and brush my nose against hers. “Morning, baby girl.”

A soft blush curls up her neck into her cheeks and she grabs her phone to type something out. I wish she would feel comfortable talking to me, but I refuse to push her. I know she’s talking to Vance. Theo, I’m not sure of yet, but even if it takes another few months, I’ll wait her out. She hands me her phone once she’s finished.

‘I need to tell you something.’

Nodding my head, I hand her phone back and wait for her to type before I drive. “Alright. What do you need to tell me?” This time when she types, it takes her longer and her hands are shaking slightly. I grow concerned the longer she writes, worried that it’s something bad. When she finally hands me her phone again, I take a deep breath and read.

‘Theo stayed the night with me. Vance came over this morning as well, and Theo was still here. Things escalated between us, and I was intimate with both of them. I wanted you to know because I don’t want there to be any secrets or surprises. It doesn’t mean that I’m not still interested in you, because I very much am, but I wanted you to know. I know you’re waiting for me to make a choice, but you need to know that I just can’t right now. Are you upset?’

Her message hits me hard. I feel like I’m way behind in the game now and I murmur, “I’m just going to read again,” to give myself time to collect my thoughts. Obviously, I had no idea that Theo came over here last night and I’m almost embarrassed that I came all the way here to pick her up when either of them could have brought her in today.

Handing her phone back, I put the car in drive to begin our trek to the bar and say, “I’m not upset in the way you think. Why didn’t you just have one of them drive you to work instead?”

She’s typing as I pull up to a stop sign, then touches my arm to gain my attention when we stop.

‘I wanted to see you.’

“Did…” I trail off, not sure how to ask what I want, but go for it anyway, carefully mincing my words. “Did they treat you well?”

Her lip curves up slightly, still seemingly embarrassed by the conversation. I can’t be upset at her honesty, but fuck if I don’t want to get rid of them both to remove the obstacles I now face. She nods gently and I pat her hand, then grip the steering wheel with both hands to stop myself from jerking the car over to drag her over onto my lap. I’m tempted to show her what I have going for me.

We drive in silence for a few moments, the tension palpable as visions of the three of them flicker through my head.Did they both fuck her at the same time?

A soft humming fills the space and I eye her, only to feel a sense of peace fill me at the way she’s soothing me. Her tone is soft and beautiful, so I let her continue as I accelerate to catch up with traffic on the highway. My phone rings just as we merge into a comfortable flow on the road and the number displays on the screen.

I know she recognizes the area code when her humming cuts off.Fuck. I don’t want to tell her I’ve been looking into things, not until I know everything. But I also need to take this call, assuming that it’s Officer Mercer from the police department. “Do you mind if I grab this?” I ask her, playing it off like it’s nothing important.

She jerks her head up and down once, then leans away to look out the window. Sighing, I answer on my phone instead of Bluetooth to keep the conversation private. I can tell she’s pulling away from me, but there’s nothing I can do about that now if I want to take the call. Sliding the button to answer, I hold the phone up to my ear.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Chester. This is Vincent Mercer. Do you have a few minutes to talk?” Vincent’s voice comes through loudly, so I shift the phone to my left ear and turn down the volume a bit in case Susu can hear.

Trying to sound nonchalant, I smile and say, “I have a few minutes. Just driving to work with a friend of mine.” I notice the way her shoulders inch up toward her ear and I blow out a quiet sigh of regret for minimizing what’s between us.

“Do you have to be careful of what you say to me?” he asks, and I appreciate that he read between the lines.

Chuckling, I act like he’s said something funny. “I do. How haveyoubeen?”

He sounds tired when he laughs. “I’ve been good buddy. Okay, so I managed to get my hands on something I wasn’t supposed to see, but I think it’s a piece of the puzzle we’ve been looking for. Do you remember when I said that just before Susanna left town, she had tried to file a report stating that someone had attacked her, but there were no details?”

“I remember,” I say, keeping my answers simple, hoping Susu won’t know we’re talking about her.

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