Page 83 of Honey Pot

“So she has a boyfriend?” Arlo narrowed his eyes on me.

“Maybe?” I shrugged. There was something off in her voice when spoke to him, and she hadn’t responded to any of his flirting, just brushed him off. “But she sounded weird on the phone with him. I just want to know who he is.”

“She sounded weird on the phone because she’s been sleeping with you the entire time she’s been in Rhode Island.” Silas rolled his eyes. “If I look this guy up, will you drop it?”

Arlo laughed at the answer before it even formed on my lips.

“Not a chance.”

Silas looked him up anyways, first searching through Clementine’s business profiles until he found her personal Instagram and then from there he found one single tagged photo of Clem that wasn’t even posted by her. It was posted by an account namedBobbicantbebothered,and it was of Clementine smiling up at a tall, goofy-looking, asshole in a fitted suit, who was laughing at something behind the camera.

Her big brown eyes glimmered in the bar light. Her hair was long around her face, the picture was old, from two years before. She was in a black dress that fitted to her perfect, round curves and breasts. She took my breath away.

“Look,” Silas pointed to the caption.

Congrats M&J, to life well lived.

“Shit,” Arlo swore under his breath as his eyes dragged to her left hand.

An engagement ring sparkled on her finger like it was mocking me.

MATTHEWS

Thanksgiving came faster than expected.

I had everyone breathing down my neck about the timeline. When are you coming home? When will I have that piece? Are you finished yet? Stop wasting my time.

I had two interviews left.

The two I had been avoiding.

Dean Tucker and Ryan Cody.

Julien had called fifteen times in three days because I had missed his birthday and Bobbi had even reminded me but I just didn’t care anymore. I didn’t want to hurt him, but my heart hadn’t been Julien’s, ever. I knew that even before coming to Rhode Island, but Cael just reminded me that life didn’t have to be hard.

I hated him for it.

It was going to make it harder to leave.

“Mary.” Dean appeared from the side of the living room with two coffees in his massive hands and handed one to me. “Black,” he said, settling down onto the couch across from me in a pair of black shorts and a Hornet’s shirt that looked a size too small across his broad chest and round biceps.

“Morning,” I said, setting the coffee on the table and flipping open my binder.

The tension between the two of us had started to fizzle, but sometimes I caught him looking at me like I might spontaneously combust and take the Nest with me. The jury was still out on that one.

“How are you?” I asked him when the silence stretched too tight.

“Fine.” Dean sipped his coffee and laughed. “Probably shouldn’t do that, act like I haven’t uh…” he swallowed.

“I feel like I’m back in highschool.” I sighed.

“If it makes you feel better, I feel like that everyday.” He grimaced.

“I’m sorry. We can get this done quickly, I’m sure you have a lot to do.”

“Offseason has its perks. Take your time,” he said with the shake of his head.

He had his curls tucked neatly back and they curled at his neck. He really was handsome, glassy sea-green eyes and a big genuine smile that was full of teeth.

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