Page 20 of Cruel Love

My cousins stayed for another hour before leaving for practice, and I took a nap on the couch. I wasn’t up to hauling myself off the couch and into my temporary first-floor bedroom. After the workouts and food, there was no option but sleep. The TV remote was on the coffee table. I palmed it and shuffled through a few stations until I found ESPN. I listened to the talking heads dissect the latest games as my eyelids grew heavier. It wasn’t long before I drifted off to sleep.

The doorbell woke me from a deep sleep. Confused and startled, I hurried to the door as quickly as I could, worried that whoever was out there would wake my mom, who slept during the day because she worked third shift.

I yanked open the door to find a tall brunette on the top step. She was gorgeous, and if I hadn’t been so into Aspen, I had a feeling I would be all over her.

“Oh, God. Phoenix.” She launched herself at me.

My arms automatically went around her. Then I pried her off me and put a foot of space between us. I had no idea who she was or what she wanted, and even though my fourteen-year-old brain thought it could be interested, I felt nothing when we embraced and took notice. “Who are you?”

She covered her mouth with a hand, and her brown eyes grew wide. “Jillian. You don’t remember me?”

“Nah. My memories are all fucked up right now.” I swung the door wider because I was tired of being bored and alone. “How do we know each other?”

“I’m your girlfriend.”

She wasn’t. I might not have had any memory of the past five years, but I would’ve felt some attraction if that were true, and there was… nothing. I said nothing. I wanted to see what this chick would spill, especially since everyone else was so tight-lipped.

“You look incredible.” She rested a hand on my bicep.

I moved so her hand fell away and went into the kitchen for a glass of water, knowing she would follow. My immediate urge was to call Aspen and ask her who the hell Jillian was, and I noticed that too. I filled a glass and held it up. “Want some?”

“No, thanks.” She raised her eyebrows looked around the space—dead giveaway that it was her first time inside my home. It might not have been concrete evidence, but I read it all over her face. “You know anything about Jake Flynn? Shane tells me he wants a rematch.”

“Jake Flynn? You fought him the night you got in that wreck. It was that pregnant slut Aspen’s fault.”

My hand tightened around the glass. I said nothing. I needed to hear more and blinked through the sudden surge of pain in my head.

“She started a rumor that you knocked her up. But no way. I didn’t believe it. You always wear a condom.” She batted her hooded eyelids at me. “I should know,” she purred.

“Aspen’s pregnant?”

“So she says, but don’t believe her.” Jillian came around the island and put her hands on my chest, wiggling closer. “She’s trying to trap you. You didn’t believe her either. That night after you beat the hell out of Jake Flynn at the fight, you punched Aspen in the face because she wouldn’t have an abortion.”

She was lying, and I blocked her out. All I’d heard was that Aspen was pregnant. I could be the father.

CHAPTER TEN

ASPEN

I need to talk to you.

I stopped in the middle of the sidewalk about four doors down from Dillon’s, ready to work the evening shift, confused by Phoenix’s text.

NOW.

I didn’t have time for a conversation, so I shot off a message that said I was going to work and would catch up with him later. I dropped my phone into my bag then went inside.

In the back room, I shoved my stuff into the little cubby assigned to me and chatted with Adel, another server just getting off shift. I put on an apron and got ready to work.

Back on the main floor, I leaned against the bar as Nina, one of the other girls I worked with, waited for her drink order. “Hi.” I smiled as she popped her gum.

“Hey, Aspen.” She gave me a quick wave then filled her tray with the bartender's drinks before balancing it and moving away.

She weaved through the tables as Dillon, the owner, motioned me to the other end of the bar. Concern pulled at his usually relaxed features, and he glanced at the ceiling before returning his gaze to me. He absently scratched his short beard.

I waited for whatever he was going to say. He looked a little off, which made me paranoid. Please don’t fire me. I was on time and worked hard, and I was pretty sure I hadn’t done anything wrong or offended any customers. “Is everything okay? I ran into Adel in the back as she was leaving, and she said to cover section three. Did you want me to do something else instead?”

“I was going to have Rose come in and talk to you, but she’s out of town this week.”

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