Page 146 of Forbidden Harmony

His head spinning, Preacher tried to schoolhis features. The little fuckwit had told Addie to sleep with someone else andshe had. She’d slept with him. Was everything she’d told him a lie?

“Look, I get that maybe you thought this couldbe something more. Addison’s a sweet girl and she wouldn’t want to hurt yourfeelings, but she’s obviously not in this for the long run with you. I guaranteeyou that she’ll be back with me before the month is over. You need to walk away,Preacher.”

“Thanks for the fucking suggestion, but I’lltalk to Addison about what she actually wants,” Preacher said. “Now get thefuck out of my shop.”

Harrison’s look of pity shredded hisalready frayed nerves. “You think what she wants is an ex-convict?”

All of the air sucked out of Preacher’slungs and the shop suddenly seemed too small and too hot.

“I know you went to prison,Simon,”Harrison said. “Simon Wells, a proud inmate of the New Cassel Correctional Centerfor four years.”

He wanted to tell Harrison to get out ofhis shop. He wanted to punch his fucking face in, but his legs were wobbly andthere was still no goddamn air in his lungs.

“You’re probably wondering how I found out,right? Trust me, it wasn’t that difficult. I’m a defense lawyer at a firm specializingin criminal law. We deal with the scum of the earth like you, all the fuckingtime. One phone call to a private detective and a shockingly cheap amount of moneyand I know everything there is to know about you, Preacher. What do you thinkAddison will say when she finds out you’re a convict?”

Preacher’s fucking stomach was somewherenear his feet and he couldn’t get the image of Addison’s sweet face out of hishead. Of the look of horror and disgust that would cover it when she discoveredhis past.

“Even if Addison was willing to overlookyour criminal past,” the fucking dipshit wouldn’t stop his yapping, “herparents never would. She’s close to her mom and her dad and if she chooses youover me, they’ll cut her out of her life. They’re important to her, maybe almostas important as I am to her, and do you really want to be the guy who destroysher relationship with them? They love me, Simon. Do you know why? Because I’ma good guy.”

“Get out of my shop.” Preacher’s heart wasthudding, and the rush of adrenaline was making him feel sick. His ears werestarting to ring, and he could barely hear Harrison, but the fucker still wouldn’tshut up.

“You don’t have a future with her, and youknow it. Do the right thing and walk away,” Harrison said. “Don’t destroy herlife just because you think you deserve someone like Addison. You don’t. Younever will.”

Preacher’s hands clenched into fists. Hestared Harrison in the eye and Harrison’s face paled. He groped for the doorhandle as Preacher said, “Get the fuck out of my shop and don’t come back. Iwon’t tell you again.”

Harrison’s groping, trembling hand finally foundthe handle. He yanked open the door and when it was obvious that he was goingto say something else, Preacher said, “Say one more word and I will rip yourfucking tongue out of your mouth.”

Harrison’s mouth shut with a snap and hequickly left the shop, letting the door slam shut behind him. Preacher locked thedoor and staggered the few steps to his tattoo station. He sank down on the stool,the adrenaline fading and his heartbeat slowing. He stared at his tremblinghands as his stomach churned before reaching for his phone. He sent a quicktext off to Addie and then turned off his phone.

* * *

Addison, don’t do this. He doesn’t wantto see you.

She ignored her inner voice as she slipped hershoes on. Okay, so Preacher had been very obviously avoiding her since the weirdtext she got from him last night. So, yeah, maybe driving over to his tattooshop was a mistake, but what else was she supposed to do?

She opened her messages and stared at thetext from Preacher.

Something’s come up, I can’t make ittonight.

She hadn’t heard from him since. She’d onlymanaged a few hours last night before she’d texted him. Just a casual,hey,no problem, hope your day was okay, message that she obsessed over for halfan hour before sending.

This morning when she still hadn’t heard fromhim, she’d texted him again, another brilliant and casually worded,goodmorning, hope your night went okay, are you free for dinner, message thathe’d seen but not answered.

Girl, he’s ghosting you. Are you reallygoing to be so pathetic and go to his shop when it’s obvious that he’s over you?

She hesitated with her purse in her hand.Maybe she shouldn’t go. It was barely twenty-four hours since he texted her.Maybe he’d just had a bad day. Maybe he just needed some alone time. Beingthe clingy, needy girlfriend would not be a good look. Preacher would be annoyedas hell by that.

Girlfriend?

She blew her breath out in a frustratedrush. Okay, maybe not girlfriend, but they had to be something more than justfuck buddies, right? He spent his time off with her, stayed overnight in her bed,they’d eaten out together where anyone in the town could see them. Hell, hewas letting her borrow his car. That was more than just a casual thing. Ithad to be.

Besides, this didn’t feel like a ghostingthing. Something was wrong, something had happened to upset him, and askinghim if he was okay wasn’t being clingy or needy. It was being thoughtful andkind.

She opened the door, letting out a softshriek when she saw Harrison standing in the doorway with his hand raised toknock. She staggered back, glaring at him when he stepped into her apartment.

“What are you doing here, Harrison?”

“I came to talk,” he said.

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