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Chapters (50)
  1. Prologue
  2. Chapter One
  3. Chapter Two
  4. Chapter Three
  5. Chapter Four
  6. Chapter Five
  7. Chapter Six
  8. Chapter Seven
  9. Chapter Eight
  10. Chapter Nine
  11. Chapter Ten
  12. Chapter Eleven
  13. Chapter Twelve
  14. Chapter Thirteen
  15. Chapter Fourteen
  16. Chapter Fifteen
  17. Part Two
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Chapter Forty-Two
  45. Part Three
  46. Chapter Forty-Three
  47. Chapter Forty-Four
  48. Chapter Forty-Five
  49. Chapter Forty-Six
  50. Epilogue

Clearing my throat, it’s becoming clear that coming here was a bad idea. How am I supposed to act normal around him when I feel anything but? And does my presence affect him as much as his does me?

“Do you come here often?” I finally manage to ask.

“Not a ton, but maybe a few times a month. Molly is here a lot—she’ll be here soon—and for a long time, they were the only people I knew in Texas, so I’d come with them.”

“That’s cool,” I mumble before finishing my drink. “This place is nice. Thanks for inviting us.”

He turns his head, gaze colliding with mine, as his lip curls into a grin. “Of course. I’m glad you guys could come. So, that’s pretty much it. There’s an upstairs, but it’s mostly just bedrooms. Wanna go get another drink?”

Bedrooms. If only things were different, I could be getting a tour of the bedrooms right now.

No. Absolutely not. I cannot let myself go there. It’ll only lead me down a path of disappointment.

“Sure, let’s do it.”

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Stone Philips

“How’re you doing, little bro?”

Molly got here about two hours ago. We all just ate, and Cash and Kylie are talking to some of the guys while I finish cleaning up with Mol. We’ve all had a shit ton of booze since they arrived earlier today—there’s probably not a sober person in here—and it’s been such a good fucking time. The sun is setting, and we’re all about to take the party outside for a bonfire once we finish cleaning up.

“Not too bad. What about you?”

“Tonight’s been pretty sweet, right? Cash is fun. I can see what you see in him.”

“Mol…”

“I know, I know. It’s not like that, or whatever it is you insist on saying. But… it kind of is. The way you guys are around each other—”

“Is friendly.”

“Riiiight. He can’t take his eyes off you, Stone. He’s looked over here at least four times in the last fifteen minutes.”

Rolling my eyes, I scoff. “He has not.”

“Yes, he has. C’mon, let’s head outside now. I want some s’mores.”

I dry my hands before we all make our way out back. The backyard of this place is enormous. It’s gotta be almost as big as the entire first level of the inside.

Mak is getting the firepit started and Julian is turning on the music. With the sun setting, the sky is a glowing cotton candy mix of pinks and oranges. I turn my attention to Cash and Kylie. They’re both still chatting with Cyanide and Doc. Doc has his arm around Kylie’s shoulders. They’ve been flirting all afternoon, and it’s been funny as hell to watch.