BooksBarbecue
Back Someone Had to Do It
Chapters (39)
  1. Cover
  2. Praise
  3. Dedication
  4. About the Authors
  5. PROLOGUE
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  37. THE STORY BEHIND SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT
  38. SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT: THE PLAYLIST
  39. DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

“Damn. This is your first one, isn’t it?” His hand comes up to touch my chin and my breath hitches in my throat. His fingers are soft, his words softer. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

My jaw tightens and I snatch his hand away. “Will you just go?”

When I look up, I expect to find anger in his eyes, but there’s only surprise. And something else. Something genuine and warm and annoying that tells me I’ve given too much of myself away, more than he needs to know.

“Look, I know it’s none of my business, but you should try to slow down. You might do some serious damage.”

I look away, the truth in his eyes like a light too bright to stare at, and I think about those soft, breathless sounds he made while he was inside me; the way he gripped the back of my neck, his hand heavy and inelegant, like who I was, the person inside this body, didn’t matter. I want him to be that guy. Not this. I can’t handle this.

He takes a breath and his voice is suddenly full of emotion. “I don’t know what you’re looking for, but you’re not going to find it in a line,” he says, which only makes me feel shittier.

I find myself blinking back tears, his softness stealing some part of me away. I’m not going to cry. I stomp away from him and snatch open the door. He doesn’t know what I’m going through. What I’ve been through. He doesn’t know what the fuck he’s talking about.

Carter stares at me like he wants to say something else, then turns to leave, every step slow, unsure.

As soon as he’s gone, I grab my phone and block his number. But by then the tears have already begun to fall, the sobs pulling at my throat.

I lean against the door, pressing my forehead against the wood. I should have stayed there in the tub, under the water, waiting for oblivion.

12

BRANDI

“You almost ready?” Nate calls from the other room.

He’s a guy, so he’s dressed already and has been waiting for me to finish my hair while trying not to get annoyed that I’ve been stuck on a refrain of five more minutes for the past half hour. As I flip through the rest of the clothes in my closet, my mind goes back to Taylor. I’ve been thinking about her nonstop for the past two days, the deal we made. I still can’t believe the money came through. And in less than twenty-four hours. Ten thousand dollars, in my account, just like that. More than I even asked for.