Chapter 3

3 When I woke up, the sun wasn't even up. It took me a minute to realize I'd slept with a total stranger, an escort.

The guy was still asleep, so I got dressed and slipped out.

I walked past the glass windows of the shops on the Main Street. My top was ripped, and my neck was covered in hickeys.

Before my brother was awake, I made it back home and covered the worst of it with concealer. I barely got in the door before a voice said,

"Where were you last night?"

Jake was leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed, staring at me.

He wasn't at the hotel with Brittany?

His neck had a few hickeys on it, but his eyes were hard.

I looked down, feeling guilty. I thought that after last night, Jake and I were done, and I could move on.

"Just… out. What are you doing back so soon?"

Jake's new house was being renovated, and he was staying with us.

I glanced around. "Where's Brittany? Didn't she come back with you?"

Jake's eyes turned to ice.

"Sunny, where did you really go last night? Who did this to you?"

He was talking about the marks on my neck.

I pulled my collar higher. "Mosquitoes."

Jake laughed, a cold, humorless sound. "Don't think I don't know, Ethan spiked your drink last night, too."

"What, you and your brother cooked this up together? You didn't get me, so you ran off and slept with some other guy?"

"Sunny, you thought you could trick me by sending Brittany to the hotel and then disappearing? That little game didn't work!"

I stared. Why was Jake so pissed?

I'd done what he wanted!

I felt a pang of sadness. So, he thought I'd set the whole thing up as some kind of twisted play?

His voice cut through my thoughts.

"As you can see, Brittany and I got together last night. I'm going to marry her. So, whatever you're planning, cut it out."

I smiled weakly. "Okay."

"I'm sorry about the drugs, but…"

"I really don't like you anymore."

Jake's eyes snapped to mine, disbelief written on his face.

Everyone in our little circle knew how I felt about Jake. I'd turned down dates for years, basically shut myself off from other guys.

But now, I knew better.

I wasn't going to let my daughter be born into that kind of life again.

Jake was about to say something when Ethan came bursting in, yelling.

"Holy crap! We got a ghost! Who the hell is that upstairs?"

He came closer, pointing at the ceiling.

"Brittany! When did she move in?"

Jake shut the door to the guest room and explained calmly, "She was tired of the hotel, so I brought her back here."

"What?!"

Ethan looked at Jake, then at me, a strange expression on his face. "You… didn't?"

He squinted at our necks.

I took off. "Gotta go get some sleep!"

I slammed the door to my room.