Page 126 of Bad Love

"You missed last week. And the weekbefore.”

"Last week we had a private game. Hunter's been licking his wounds." Nellie moves his chips around the table, and I feel my jawtic.

Last week. The day everything went to shit. The day I made a play to avoid losingsomething…

And wound up losingeverything.

My stomach feels raw, my muscles aching for no goodreason.

"Finish your hand," I grind out because they're still staring. They finish playing, and I glance around the room. "What're we doing uphere?"

"Parents are renovating the basement. Not up to standards anymore, apparently. Dad got back from touring hotel properties in Japan. Said you could eat off the laundry roomtile."

"Is he buying more hotels?" Montyasks.

Nellie nods. "Building anempire."

"Making up for his tiny dick," Tanner decides. "Must run in thefamily."

I go to grab a beer, still halflistening.

"Models in the Riviera didn't have a problem with my dick." Nellie raises the bet. "I'm sure they would've put up with yours too, Hunter, if you'd bothered toshow."

I don't rise to the bait. "Maybe nextyear."

He cocks his head. "Who the fuck are youlately?"

Three sets of eyes stare atme.

I can’t remember the last time my fist connected with some guy’s face, but I swear if someone picks a fight with me tonight, I'm up forit.

Monty shifts in his seat, rubbing his jaw. "Hunter. You’re drinkingHeineken."

I stare at the bottle in myhand.

It's not my friends' fault. They're just in thecrossfire.

It's been more than a week since I went to see Kendall. We haven’t seen one anothersince.

I set the beer on the table with aclunkas Nellie nods at the chips. "I'll deal youin."

He does, and we play a couple hands. Then he's betting big, ratchetingup.

"You can't top my hand," Nellietaunts.

I glance at my cards. Toss in a stack of chips. Andwin.

"Shit. That's the biggest pot in weeks," Tannerwhistles.

I ignore him, and Nellie sneers. "Don't you want yourchips?"

I sweep the chips right off the table, then send my chair rolling across the carpet as I stalk toward the kitchen. It's all slate and wood, and I remember thinking last year of redoing my kitchen to look like this one. Now, I couldn't careless.

I grab a beer and pick at the label, tearing a strip off it as if it'll fix what I'm feeling right now. Because I haven't felt like thisever.

The past two months with Kendall, I’ve found something I didn't know I was looking for. Something I hadn't found in years of traveling theworld.

I'd lay down everything I fucking have for her, everything Iam.

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