Page 14 of Never Going to Care

But…maybe that’s just me trying to talk myself out of it more than being honest with myself. The realization, the acceptance of it, rocks my soul back a little bit and I force myself not to stumble backwards right along with it.

Barrett must see the sadness the same as everyone else. His voice is strong and sure, “You’ll find her.”

“Find who?”

I let out a groan when I hear Easton behind me. I know if he’s there then Weston is as well. The twins rarely go anywhere without the other. It’s annoying as fuck a lot of the time, but it’s useful as well. I swear they have some sort of twin telepathy.

Owen doesn’t take pity on me, not even a little bit. “His soulmate.”

“Are we having a party out here or something?” I hear a snort behind me and when I look over my shoulder, I see that Blaze and Colt are with the twins. Fuck. “Shit, we’re all here, might as well have some streamers up or something.”

Weston looks confused. “What are we celebrating?”

Easton’s voice is innocently sly, “Are we finally going to celebrate Hale finding his woman?”

Blaze’s eyebrows hit his hairline, but he doesn’t say anything. The rest of the guys snicker like Easton is the most hilarious man they’ve ever met. He’s not.

“How the fuck would you know that?”

Easton smirks, sounding triumphant, “I notice how you didn’t deny it.” I slide my eyes closed and shake my head slowly, looking for strength. “I noticed you were doing a little research into a certain Payne, and I put two and two together. I’m rather smart,” he sounds way too fucking happy with himself.

“You’re spying on our browser history now?”

Easton grins at me like he’s been given a fucking treasure. “Again, no denial. Interesting,” he scratches his jaw and grins. “I set an alert when we were doing our investigation so I could pull information faster and I didn’t take it off.”

“I hate you guys,” I groan when everyone starts to chuckle. Even. Fucking. Blaze. I look at Landon, my eyes boring into him. “Don’t we have a meeting or something?”

Landon’s shoulders straighten and he gives a curt nod before striding to the other side of the floor where the conference room is. I try and forget about the last time I tried to enter this room. I was met with spitfire in the form of one pint-sized woman. This time the only thing greeting me are folders.

I’m not sure which version I like better.

Owen teases me, “Bringing back memories, huh?”

I glare at him as we sit at the table. Did I choose the seat Celeste was sitting in? Yes, but it’s my fucking seat whenever we’re around this table. They aren’t assigned or anything, but I’ve been sitting here since my first briefing at SP, and I’ll continue to sit in it.

The fact that Celeste chose this seat as well is merely a coincidence.

Except you’ve never been one to write things off as a coincidence before.

Maybe it’s time to start because there was no way she knew it was my seat before she even met me. Hell, she doesn’t even know it’s my seat now. If she had known and we had met, I bet she would have chosen it out of spite and to fuck with me.

I swear I can still smell a hint of her perfume on the chair even though it’s been way too long for it to still be lingering. I push the thought away, but not before I look up and lock eyes with Landon. He gives me a smirk as if he knows exactly what I’m thinking.

He doesn’t. it’s not possible.

I flip him off and then it’s all business. We have a new client, a beauty queen who has been getting some threats. They contacted us because we’re the best and they want around the clock care for this woman. It seems she’s freaked out and doesn’t want to risk it any longer.

Looking down at her picture, I can appreciate that Peyton Briggs is a gorgeous woman. I’m sure she would have to be with the whole beauty pageant thing, but she does nothing for me. Nothing at all.

The only woman I can think of as I look down at Peyton is Celeste. How her black hair would look wrapped around my fist. The way she’d look as she falls apart for me. How her pink lips would part as she moans my name.

I try and shake it off and the things the guys said to me, but it’s difficult. It feels like they’re all worming their way into me and burying themselves deep. I don’t know if I like it or if I hate it. It feels itchy, but also warm.

It’s kind of freaking me out.

“It says here she suspects it’s someone in the pageant world?” Remington’s voice is hard and filled with steel.

It snaps me back to the here and now and I look up at him. His jaw is set in determination and there is so much rage coming off him I’m tempted to stand up and take a step back. Woah. Total 180 for the golden retriever.

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