Page 37 of Restorations

I have to find a way to stay away from both of them.

17

VIVIENNE

The masculine scent is the first thing invading my senses, followed by a godawful throbbing in my head.

Oh my God. Last night wasn’t a dream.

I force my eyes to open only a sliver and see a hard chest under my head. I groan and squeeze my eyes tight again.What the hell is wrong with me?

I just let everything happen. And there’s no excuse for it. Not heartbreak. Not alcohol. Nothing.

I can’t believe my own actions.

It was clear Sawyer wanted to hurt Asher, and he used me to do it. I just let him. I wanted him to do it. I looked into Asher’s eyes and saw the spark of jealousy. And I liked it.

Why?

I feel sick as I lay there knowing exactly why. When Sawyer whispered in my ear and told me I needed to let Asher know he doesn’t own me, my own muddled brain decided then and there I would go as far as I needed to so I could prove just that.

I sit up, my stomach rolling as I open my eyes and the room spins. I look down at Sawyer, who is still asleep but stirs at my movement.

He’s so impossibly beautiful but clearly has a darker side to him than I realized.

I’m met with brown eyes and a lazy grin as he wakes, tucking a hand behind his head. His voice sounds gravely. “You’re wishing it was him you woke up with, right?”

I don’t argue. “It wouldn’t have bothered you in the slightest if I would have gone to his bed last night.”

And he doesn’t either as he sits up slowly, letting his back rest against my headboard. “I mean, my balls would have been angry.”

I roll my eyes, and he offers a sad smile. “I’m sorry, Viv. I shouldn’t have fucking done that to you.” He looks pained as his eyes hold mine. “It wasn’t about you.”

I nod my head, already knowing that. “I know. But why did you want to hurt Asher so badly?”

I mean, I know why Sawyer wanted to hurt him after Asher implied he messed around with his Piper, but it was ominous before that.

He finds his swim trunks from last night and tugs them on over his ass as he stands up from my bed, looking a little green. I guess I’m not the only one who’s hungover. “It wasn’t even really about him at first.” His hand runs through his hair as he takes a seat on the edge of the bed. “She’s working for my brother.”

I look at him in confusion, hoping for some clarity. “Piper?”

He nods. “She’s here in California.”

I gape at him, wide-eyed. “What? How is that even possible?” His eyes meet mine, and I nearly gasp when it clicks. “You already knew she was here? When we all moved here?”

He pales and nods his head. “I did.”

“Sawyer.” I move to sit next to him, not caring about my nakedness at the moment. “If your brother works here, why didn’t you just work for him instead of Linc?”

His eyes turn dark again, leaving a sinking feeling in my stomach. “Because I hate my brother. And the feeling is mutual.”

My throat feels dry, and I suddenly realize I don’t know Sawyer at all. “And Piper is working for him?”

He nods once, and I can see the pain in his eyes as I brush my hand over his cheek. “It’s one fucked-up, tangled mess.”

He turns away from me, and I lay my head on his shoulder. “What does all of this have to do with last night?”

“I saw her.”

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