Page 45 of Property of Fox

“Please just leave,” I sob as I feel tears welling up in my eyes.

“She asked you to leave, asshole. Just go. Your sick game with her is over.” Fox looks at me before letting out a defeated sigh and walking past both of us, exiting the room.

Only when I hear his truck's engines roar to life do I allow myself to collapse into Keira's arms, crying uncontrollably.

FOX

The engineof my truck roars as I drive away from Brea's house, the tires scattering rocks and gravel behind me. The sun rises in the sky, promising a new day. The road ahead is lined with branches, casting a golden hue onto the pavement. It's a beautiful morning, but beauty means nothing when your heart feels twisted and empty.

I messed up—this time, more than ever before. I hurt Brea, the one person I felt genuinely connected to after so many years of numbness. And it's all because I agreed to Eden's stupidpublicity stunt. I brought this upon myself. If only I had been honest from the start, maybe I could have avoided this disaster. But there's no going back now. The look of disgust on Brea's face tells me everything. It's over, and it's all my fault.

My fingers clench tightly around the steering wheel, leaving white marks on its leather surface as I try to breathe through the boiling rage in my chest. The rumble of the engine beneath me is a stark contrast to the turmoil in my heart. I pull over to the side of the road, my knuckles still white as I fight against the urge to punch something, anything, to relieve the frustration coiling inside me like a snake ready to strike.

"You're an idiot, Fox," I mutter, shaking my head at my reflection in the rearview mirror. The image staring back at me is a man torn between wanting two different things. Wanting to be the reckless biker and wanting to be someone’s person, to cultivate something real, something lasting. Brea could have been my escape from all that, but I threw it away.

I stare ahead into the thick line of trees. A gust of wind catches my hair. It reminds me of Brea’s long curls bouncing as she laughed. God, how could I have been so stupid?

With gritted teeth, I take a deep breath before firing up the engine again. My mind races back to Eden's latest text that lit up my phone earlier—something about getting ready for her brunch Q&A session. As if that matters now.

I merge back onto the highway, pressing my foot down harder on the gas pedal than necessary, seeking solace in speed. The road becomes a blur beneath me as I sink deeper into my thoughts. I ruined my chance at finding something real, maybe even experiencing what Az has with Hallie. A painful tightness grips my chest. My flirtation with Brea was nothing more than a bit of fun, a way to drown out all the bullshit with Eden, but I’d be a fool to admit that what happened last night was just about fun. There’s a connection between her and I that I can’t explain.A connection that I just threw away by hiding my deal with Eden from her. If she knew, if I had told her from the beginning the real reason I came to this signing, maybe she would have understood. Or maybe she would have sent me on my merry way before I knew how she felt against my lips or the sound she makes when she comes against my tongue. Every fiber in my being screams for me to go back, to make Brea listen to reason, but it’s no use. It’s over before it ever really began.

The thought churns my stomach in knots.

“Fuck this. I’m not running,” I declare to myself before I whip my truck around on the road, heading back towards Brea’s place. It may not be my best idea and it has the potential to end up with me in cuffs again for the second time on this trip but fuck it. I’d gladly walk away in cuffs if it meant explaining everything to her. The house comes up on the horizon, and my nerves dip.Now is not the time to lose your nerves, asshole. Man up. This is your only chance to make things right.

I slam the truck into park, the tires screeching against the gravel as I hop out, adrenaline coursing through my veins. My heart pounds in my chest as I sprint up the path to Brea’s front door. The chill in the air doesn't faze me. My focus is on her. I reach for the doorbell but hesitate, my finger hovering just above the button. What if she slams the door in my face? What if she tells me to get lost?

Pushing those thoughts aside, I press the button and take a half-step back, bracing myself for whatever comes next. The door creaks open slowly, revealing a pissed-off Keira with Brea behind her in faded t-shirt and sweatpants, looking both adorable and utterly heartbreakingly vulnerable. Her once bright green eyes were now red and swollen.

“What do you want, Fox?” Keira asks flatly, crossing her arms over her chest as if bracing herself against a sudden chill. “Wetold you to leave. Do you want me to call the cops and have you removed? Because so help me, I will.”

“I know I messed up,” I say, my words tumbling out almost like an apology. “I need to talk to her.”

“Talk?” Keira scoffs, eyes narrowing at me like I'm some irritating bug that needs squashing. “Just so you can lie to her again.”

“I didn’t lie to her, I mean, well, I did, but not in the way you both think,” I shoot back.

“You have a pregnant girlfriend, Ares. You should go back to her and leave my friend alone,” Keira snarls back.

“Don’t call me that.”

“What? Ares? Isn’t that your real name or did you lie about that, too?”

“My name is Fox Sutton,” I stutter, fumbling for my wallet in my pocket. I quickly pull out my ID and show it to Keira. “See? I’m not fucking Ares. Eden just named the damn character that and made me go by it this weekend. I have no connection to Eden, and that baby is definitely not mine. Please, let me explain, and it will all make sense. Just hear me out, Brea. If you don’t like what you hear, I’ll leave.”

Keira turns back to Brea, awaiting her response. “What do you want to do? I can call the cops and have him hauled out of here.”

“No,” she mutters quietly. “That’s not necessary.”

“Are you sure, B?”

“Yeah,” she sighs.

Keira shifts back, allowing me through the door before Brea leads us back into the living room where all of this fucking started earlier. Keira settles on the couch, and Brea joins her. I opt to stand. If I am going to be on trial, it might as well feel like it.

“Say what you need to say,” Keira declares.

I take a deep breath. "Listen, I understand that this situation looks terrible. Absolutely terrible. But Eden and I...it was just one night. One night of reckless abandon and foolish choices at the last event. That was the last time I saw her before she showed up on my doorstep, pregnant, a few weeks ago."

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