Page 38 of The Rebound
When I wake up from my nap a while later, my phone taunts me.
Blinking to clear my bleary eyes, I try to resist the temptation to internet stalk Saint, but that little devil on my shoulder wins out. I snatch up my phone and enter his name in the search bar, not surprised to see hundreds of results.
Wincing, I click on the first link and stare down at the internet article in disbelief as doubts swirl inside me.This right here has been what my brother has been trying to tell me. Saint is actually a sinner, it seems.
I clench my phone and let out a loud sigh. I don’t want to read anything more about Saint’swild night,which allegedly ended in a threesome.
A threesome? Like, who even is this guy?
The Saint I’m falling for buysme prenatal vitamins and takes me to the farmers’ market. He’s flirty, sure, but he’s been as wholesome as they come. A complete gentleman. He makes sure I’m fed and rubs mysore feet. He texts me for no reason, just to check on me.
Unless I’ve been duped, this isn’t the man the world knows. They know the party boy who goes clubbing on a random weeknight and gets caught in compromising photos with women of every variety.
My heart throbs painfully and I draw in a slow breath.
I hate this, and I especially hate my brotherbeing rightabout it. I hate thatevenifSaint has had some sudden desire to clean up his act, I’ll never be enough for him. I’m not kinky or exciting or into threesomes. I’m about tobe amom. I like sex, of course, but it’s all been fairly vanilla, and I’m certainly not a party girl.
Maybe that would have been fun when I was younger, but now I never will be. I’m entering a new season of my life, which includes responsibility and stability and making good decisions for my future. My future doesn’t include hockey playboys. It can’t.
I touch a hand to mybelly, feeling a lump form in mythroat as a knock sounds on my door.Walker has plans, so it can’t be him, which leaves only one person.Saint.
Great. I guess I have to deal with this now.
I answer the door and let Saint inside. But he must sense my energy, because he lingers beside me in the entryway.
“What’s wrong?”
I chew on my lip, looking for the right words to say. I wish I’d had time to rehearse them, to practice what I should say. Instead, it’s like ripping off a Band-Aid.
“I’m sorry. I can’t do this anymore.” I gesture between us.
“Why? What happened?”
“This.” I hand him my phone, which is still pulled up to the article.
He takes a quick glance, and his expression sours. “So, that’s it then? You catch wind of my past, cast your judgment, and just bail?”
Suddenly uncomfortable, I shift from one sore foot to the other. “What? No, I ...”
Saint has never once judged me or looked down on my past. And,hello, I clearly have one, including a baby daddy. My life was a little turbulent before Saint came into it.
“I’m notjudgingyou,” I say to clarify. “More like establishing some boundaries.”
Saint raises his eyebrows. “Boundaries?”
I nod. “I’ve never had a threesome in my life, and I probably never will.”
His lips tilt up. “And that’s what you think I want because—”
“Because, um, because of that.” I glare at thephone still in his hands.
“I’ve always been atry anything oncekind ofguy, Kin. Believe me, one woman is all I need.”
Tilting my head, I weigh his words. I wishI could believe him, but part of me isn’t sure. I don’t know what to think anymore.
Saint hands me back my phone, then places a carton of shiny plums in my other hand. “I actually came by to bring you these. Just ... let me know if you need anything.”
My chest squeezes, and I swallow a lump in my throat. “Okay.”
