Psycho Ex Boyfriend (Standalone New Adult Romance) (The Alpha Brotherhood Book 2) (23 page)

Sabrina

Age 27

We stare at each other awkwardly for a moment. “I haven’t forgiven you,” he finally says. “I don’t think I ever will.”

I guess it’s okay to bite my nails now, so I do. “Trent survived, right?”

“Yes.” Adam looks perplexed. “You didn’t know that?”

“I don’t keep private investigators on retainer and you wouldn’t pick up your phone. Or answer the texts that asked that specific question.”

He looks like he’s about to apologize, but his ego wins as always. “I’ll give him your regards.”

Geez, I didn’t even sleep with him. Should I say that? I don’t want to give him the satisfaction. “I haven’t forgiven you, either, you know,” I tell him.

“For what?”

“Oh, I don’t know, Adam. Maybe keeping a harem of sex slaves?”

“I didn’t exactly…” He runs his hand through his hair. I haven’t see that in a while. It’s longer now, but the blond has faded considerably. “It’s a lifestyle that I inherited.”

“Sure. Blame the system. Blame your father. Don’t take any responsibility at all.”

“Look, those girls… You can’t believe everything you read in the papers.”

“Thus spoke every single high powered asshole caught up in a sex scandal,” I scoff.

“Let me get this straight. You were so disgusted with me that you decided to fuck my brother who was doing the exact same thing?” he shoots back. “That makes perfect sense.”

“I came out there to see you. I didn’t have a plan.”

“So it just happened?” he asks sarcastically.

“Something like that.” I fight this dress until I can pull my knees up to my chest and do my best not to look at him. Or start crying. I fail at the latter. “I’m sorry,” I whisper. “I didn’t mean to hurt you.” He might not be able to say the words, but that doesn’t me I can’t.

“I find that hard to believe.”

“You’re right,” I croak, wiping my eyes on one of the many layers of tulle under my skirt. “I did want to hurt you. And I’m
so
sorry.”

Adam’s face softens. He tries to keep up the stone like expression he wears so well, but he can’t. “I’m sorry, too.”

“For what?”

“Take your pick,” he replies, sliding across the seat to get closer to me. “But not for crashing your wedding.”

“Yeah, I figured.”

“What were you thinking?” he asks. “He hit you.”

“He also knocked me up,” I confess.

“What?” His shocked eyes meet mine, but I turn away. He grips my chin and lifts it up. “Sabrina, are you…”

“Not anymore. I lost it.”

“When?”

“Seventeen days ago.”

“Fuck…” he breathes. “But if you… why did you go through with the wedding?”

“I don’t know,” I sob. “Because that’s what everyone expected. Because if I didn’t then I’d have to admit that I never loved him. Because I’m getting older and I didn’t want to start over
again
.” I wince, pulling away from Adam’s touch. “Because I was a little scared of him. Because it was already paid for. Because I invited everyone from work. There are a hundred more reasons, Adam. Want me to keep going?”

His eyes flutter closed. “Come here.”

He wraps his arm around my shoulders and I can’t resist melting into him. His body is rigid at first, relaxing the longer I stay glued to his side, crying into the soft fabric of his jacket. He kisses the top of my head and holds me closer, whispering that everything will be alright even though it won’t.

The car slows to a halt and the whole grisly scene replays in my mind. Holy shit, my boss was there. My entire family. I’ve worked so hard to impress everyone, to overcome their stereotypes and prejudice. Then I get pregnant out of wedlock, half ass plan a rush job wedding, miscarry, and leave the groom at the altar in literally the most dramatic way possible.

I’ll never recover from this. What if I get fired? I’m as good as disowned. My father will never speak to me again, which isn’t a huge loss in the grand scheme of things. Oh fuck. Sun lives with me now, her choice after the divorce. Will he take her away?

“Bree, calm down,” Adam says, gripping my wrists.

“I want this dress off!” I struggle against him. “
Now!
”

“Okay, okay.”

I struggle with the bodice, but it’s useless. Then I start ripping at my skirt and let out a howl. “Fuck!”

“Here, let me help you,” Adam insists as I thrash. “Christ. How the hell does this work?”

“What, you’ve never taken some slut’s corset off before?”

“No!” he replies. I screech in frustration, trapped in this mockery of a gown like I’m trapped in my charade of a life. Adam huffs impatiently and holds my arms to my side as I sob. “Calm down, baby.”

“Don’t call me that!”

“Goddamn it.” He pulls something from his pocket. “Hold still. I don’t want to cut you.”

“You carry a pocket knife?”

“I do when I crash people’s weddings.”

I hear a pop and one of the laces near my shoulders comes free, then another and another. The moment I think I can fit, I squirm downwards, getting trapped in the waist as Adam struggles with the closure.

“Why is this thing so fucking complicated?” I growl.

“You tell me.” He rips it apart. “There.”

I slither out from the mound of white tulle and satin and emerge wearing a red silk strapless bra and matching panties. I’m panting, my face scorching hot and two of my fingernails torn off down to the bed and bleeding, but I’m free.

Adam’s mouth drops open. His eyes fall to my breasts, the knot in his throat jerking has he swallows. I can see the vein in his neck throbbing faster with his pulse as he licks his lips.

He’s on top of me before I can tell him to stop. His hand runs through my hair as his tongue pushes into my mouth with a growl. I resist for a second, then gasp as he pulls my head back and his hungry mouth teases my neck.

“Your hair,” he breathes, kissing up my throat until his mouth is with mine again. “It’s so long. Is this straight thing permanent?”

“No.”

“Good. I miss the curls.”

“I miss you,” I choke.

Adam’s lips still below my ear, his fingertips gliding down my spine, leaving a trail of sparks. “I miss you, too.”

With a grunt, his hand slips into my panties and find my clit. I squirm away from him at first, then I shudder against his chest. It’s been so long since I felt anything like this. Spreading my legs, I pull myself closer to him, skimming my fingers through his hair.

Adam draws back and my breath catches in my throat. Nostrils flaring, his mouth twists into a cruel smile as his spiteful eyes bore into me. “Keep your fucking hands off me.”

“Adam…”

He reaches to his neck, searching for a tie that isn’t there. “Shit.” Then he looks at my dress and goes for the remnants of the laces on my gown.

“No,” I protest as he grabs my arm. He just laughs deviously. “Stop it!”

“You knew this was coming,” he snaps, winding the lace around my wrist so tightly my fingers throb.

I hide my other hand behind my back. “I am not having angry, control freak sex with you right now.”

“Oh yes, you fucking are.”

“No, I’m not!” I say. He struggles to get a hold of my other hand. “Adam, let me go.”

“I can’t.” His hands hold mine away from him, but his mouth tells a different story, worshiping every inch of my skin.

“Please,” I whisper. “I just stopped bleeding a few days ago and—”

He cuts me off with a kiss, winding his hand into mine as the laces on my wrist loosen and slide down my arm. I hold his hands tighter, taking control of the kiss as his lips tremble against mine.

“How did everything get so fucked up?” he chokes, his face falling into my shoulder.

“It just did.”

“You broke my fucking heart,” he murmurs, shuddering at my touch. “You ripped it out of my chest and tore it to shreds.”

“Adam…”

“I was almost done with all the shit keeping us apart. I was free less than a year after that, but
you weren’t there anymore!
” He hugs me tighter. “I should have been the one standing next to you today.”

I choke out a sob that mingles with his. “I’m sorry.”

His finger traces a circle around my navel. “It should have been mine. I should be devastated right along with you. Instead I’m incredibly relieved.”

“That’s alright.” I’d be lying if I said I felt nothing but grief. I didn’t want to have a baby with Everett.

Adam pulls his face up to mine, our foreheads pressed together as I wipe the tears from his cheeks. “I am enough of an asshole on my own, Sabrina. I do not need any help from you.”

“I know.” I breathe out hint of a laugh and kiss his brow. He gives me a sad smile, his eyes closing slowly. “What happens now?”

“I don’t know,” he replies.

“Do you want to try again?” I ask him without thinking.

“I don’t know if I can.” Adam winces, drawing away from me, leaving my body cold and shaking. “I honestly don’t.”

“I…” I can’t tell him what really happened, or rather, what didn’t really happen. Not here, not like this. I don’t think he’ll believe me. “I guess it wasn’t meant to be.”

He scoffs, folding his arms across his chest as he slumps down in his seat. “Since when did you start believing in fate?”

“When did you stop?”

“The morning I found you naked in bed with my brother,” he shoots back.

My lips roll together and I nod. We ride in silence for a while. Adam tells the driver to stop at the next store that sells clothes. It’s a Target. I wonder if he’s ever been inside one of those and will know what to do when he doesn’t find any personal shoppers. He emerges a few minutes later with a simple black maxi dress.

“Here.” He tosses it at me. “You can’t wander around the streets naked.”

“So you’re going home,” I surmise, pulling the shapeless piece of fabric over my head.

“I don’t know where else to go.”

Home would be fine, if he’d invite me to go with him. “I don’t want you to leave,” I say softly.

“Well, I don’t want to stay.” Adam leans on his arm, staring out the window. “This city. It’s no good for me. Too many memories. And now that I’m…” he trails off, his jaw tensing.

“What?”

“Nothing.”

My heart drops as I watch him shut down and I refuse to give in to the urge to pry. “I could go with you,” I suggest.

“I cannot handle you in California. I just can’t.”

I have to tell him, I can’t let it end like this. But the words won’t come out of my mouth. I grow more and more anxious as we get closer to the airport. So does he, tapping his foot and checking the time every few seconds as we both struggle to find the right thing to say to each other.

“You have the next week off, right?” he finally asks, tentatively glancing my direction.

“Ten days.”

“Where were you headed for your honeymoon?”

“I’m not sure. The groom plans that.”

“He didn’t even tell you?” Adam asks.

“It was supposed to be a surprise.”

“That is a ridiculous custom.”

Adam has always said stuff like that about traditional relationships. He would like my little sister. I can only imagine the conversations. “Can we at least try to be friends?” I suggest. It’s the only thing I can think of that will keep us together now.

“Friends?”

“Why not?”

“I can think of a few reasons…”

“I bet that I can come up with more pros than you can cons,” I challenge him. He tries to keep his mouth hardened into a line, but it curls upwards until he’s smiling. “I want you back in my life.”

“You do?”

I nod. “I’ve missed talking to you just as much as I’ve missed fucking you.”

He covers his mouth with his hand, but I can still see his skin crinkling around his eyes. “I wouldn’t say just as much, but I can appreciate your point.”

“And I can’t get in a relationship right now anyway,” I say. It’s the truth. “I mean, I just ended my engagement in the most fucked up way .”

“I’m pretty sure that I technically ended it.”

“Whatever.” I shrug at him and he shakes his head laughing. God, he looks just like a kid right now. “That’s not the reason anyway. Sun lives with me now.”

“She does?”

“How did you not know that?”

“I don’t keep up on you like I used to,” he admits. “I skimmed through everything until I got to the part where that shithead hit you and then I got on a plane.”

I could tell him how romantic that is. Instead I say, “Because you couldn’t let an old friend make a huge mistake.”

His gaze holds mine and my heart beats faster. “Something like that.”