Page 131 of Oblivion

I should have called her. Told her about Forrest and why I had to leave without warning. Had that hard conversation instead of pushing her away, ignoring her, and now, fucking with my ex.

None of this was deserved.

Sadie didn’t deserve me.

I didn’t deserve Penny.

And Forrest didn’t deserve to fucking die.

CHAPTERFIFTY

Dante

Footsteps shuffled into the kitchen and paused. I lay on the floor, quiet and out of sight, where the morning chill of the tiles could eat away my lingering disgust over Sadie.

“Lote?” came Chen’s stern voice.

“What?”

I remained staring at the kitchen ceiling fan until he came into view. Arriving at my head, he stood over me wearing nothing but underwear. He stared down with a tight expression.

“She’s gone.”

“I know,” I rasped.

He extended a hand. “C’mon, brother. Get your ass off my kitchen floor.”

I hesitated slapping my hand into his. “Is Mei waiting to rip my balls off?”

His mouth twitched and he chuckled. “She’s not. In fact, your little romp made her a little hot under the sheets, if you know what I mean.”

I ran a hand down my face, and barely had it in me to snigger. “Jesus, don’t tell me that. I’m already unable to look her in the damn eye. I owe you both a huge-ass apology.”

Jenny grunted as he hauled me to my feet. “You don’t. Shit happens, man. And we all process in our own way. Though, what the fuck were youthinking!Last night you were telling me all about Pen—”

I cut him off. “Don’t. Just fucking don’t. I can’t even process that right now.”

My stomach churned, and it had nothing to do with feeling like shit after drinking too much last night.

“How’d Sadie know I was here?”

Jenny scrubbed a hand over his face. “My guess is that she heard about it at the bar. Last night, I only told the guys you were staying here, so someone must have overheard. You know how news travels. Though I’m betting she won’t be back for round two.”

I bent over the kitchen counter and pressed my forearms to the cool laminate.

“She’s insane enough to try.”

He cracked out a laugh. “Fuck, I hope Mei answers the door next time. I’d pay to see that.”

A smirk tugged the corner of my mouth. “She’s scary as hell, brother. More so now with all those pregnancy hormones.”

Pride shone in Chen’s eyes. “Pregnant or not, no one fucks with my woman. Not even me.”

I snorted. “She’s half your size and would have you on your ass in a single second.”

He grinned. “Is it wrong that I kinda like that?”

For a six-foot-two Chinese man who’d served multiple tours to Iraq and the greater Middle East, Jenny was happily smitten with his feisty little wife.

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