Page 51 of All Bets are Off

“Are you okay?” West asks softly, glancing at me as he drives.

I nod slowly.

“God, Logan. This is…I just can’t believe it.”

I remain quiet. There isn’t anything to say.

West drives a couple of towns over, and we eat at a restaurant on the beach. The ocean’s beautiful and calm, and a balmy breeze wafts over my skin. Finishing my second beer, I sigh, eyes on the dark expanse of water and the sun sinking low in the sky, struggling with a brewing anger at fate. How is this fair? My mother’s a good person. She doesn’t deserve to have her dignity ripped out from under her like this.

“I need to get out of here,” I say, standing abruptly. Leaving West to take care of the bill, I stride out of the restaurant to the parking lot to wait for him at the car. When West comes out minutes later, he unlocks the doors, and I slide into the passenger seat. Without speaking, he drives us to a nearby hotel.

“What are we doing here?” I ask him.

“We need some time before going home.” Getting out, he disappears into the office, returning with a key card. Driving us around back, he parks the car.

The motel room is small but clean. I sag into a chair and put my face in my hands. “I’m so tired.”

“I know you are. Let’s rest. Come on. Take off your shoes.” Tugging the bedspread off the bed, West toes off his shoes and strips to his underwear before lying down and patting the mattress. Like a zombie, I follow suit.

Taking my hand, West kisses it. “This is going to be hard, but I’ll be with you every step of the way.”

I scoot closer to him, resting my ear over his heart, listening to its steady beat, so thankful I don’t have to do this alone.

West hugs me tightly, and we stay like that a long time, the whir of the air conditioning unit lulling me into a light doze.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Dex

“West and I had a great time. I swear, Dex, if you could see us together, and then see the awful change in him when Logan’s around, you’d understand what I’m saying. God, that man brings him down.”

“I see him with Logan all the time, and the more I see of them, the more I can tell how much they care about each other. You need to let go of this, Anna. I can’t believe you moved here to pursue a dead relationship.”

“I told you…”

“I don’t believe you moved to be near me, so you can stop saying it.”

Anna sighs. “You don’t understand, Dex. You’ve never been in love.”

Sitting in a lounge chair by the beach, cell phone to my ear as I listen to Anna wax eloquent about her love for West, I watch Colt and Seo-jun surfing the waves. Colt’s really good. It’s Seo-jun’s first time, and he’s trying hard, a determined look on his face every time he wipes out and then drags himself back on the board. Which is often. My eyes are glued to his firm, lithe body.

“I want you to invite me over there,” Anna says, snapping my attention back to our conversation.

“What? Why?”

“So I can get closer to West. I barely see him when he comes to Garden Oasis. He’s always in a hurry to visit Logan’s mother.”

“This is my job,” I say.

“It’s also where you live. Can’t I pay my brother a visit?”

“Don’t you think West’s going to pick up on the coincidence? It’s weird enough you moved so close to him and work where Logan’s mom lives. I never should have told you his business.”

“Oh, stop. You’re helping West in the long run.”

“He’s going to find out you’re stalking him and run for the hills.”

“I’m notstalkinghim! Whose side are you on?”

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