“Same old. Working on a really tough case right now and I’ve been stressing out,” I admit, pulling a black band off my wrist to tie up my hair in a messy bun.
“You usually handle pressure well,” she says, tilting her head to the side.
I nod at that. “I know, and I am handling it, it’s just a little harder.”
“You miss Saxon.”
It’s a statement, not a question.
“Yeah I do,” I grumble. “I’ve become one of those women.”
“Absolutely nothing wrong with loving someone,” she replies in a casual tone. “It’s one of the greatest gifts, in fact.”
I give her a pointed look.
She shrugs. “It’s the truth.”
“I haven’t even been out in so long,” I say. “I’ve been sitting on my ass watching every season of Pit bulls and Parolees and Say Yes to the Dress.”
She giggles. “Hey, both great shows.”
“Aren’t they?” I reply on a grin. “Who knew people spent that much money on wedding dresses?”
Layla laughs. “Mine was pretty expensive.”
I wave my hand in the air dismissively. “Chase wouldn’t have had it any other way, knowing him.”
She bobs her head. “He wanted me to have my huge dream wedding.”
He would. He loves the crap out of my sister.
“Mum’s been asking about you,” she continues. “She doesn’t understand why you don’t visit her much.”
I blink a few times. “Seriously? I love her but she is always nagging me about something.”
Layla shrugs. “She wouldn’t be Mum if she wasn’t nagging.”
“If I ever open my mouth to say something and Mum comes out… please slap me.”
“Noted. You know you can come to my place anytime. I’d love to spend more time with you.”
Honestly, I think Chase would chase me out with a pitch fork if I took too much of Layla’s time. I giggle at that. “Why don’t you come and visit me at my apartment?”
She smiles. “Sounds good. How about Saturday?”
“I’m teaching self-defense. Unless you want to attend the class?” I say.
She purses her lips in thought. “That sounds good actually. Can never be too careful these days.”
“Wonderful. Now let’s order something I’m starving,” I say, grabbing the menu and checking it over.
Layla does the same.
“Too many choices,” I mutter.
“Want to get two things and half them?” she asks.
“Hell yes I do,” I reply.
We both glance at each other over our menus and grin.
I love my sister.
*****
A magazine is slammed down on my desk.
Taryn.
What now?
“You really need to get a life, you know that?” I say as I stick my fork into the salad I was eating and leave it there, then wait for her to leave the room before I open it. Turning to page six, I see the picture. That Eliza bitch in bed with Saxon, the title proclaiming her proof as his mistress.
Who wants to be known as a mistress? I don’t even know what to say.
In the photo, Saxon is asleep.
She’s next to him, lifting the camera up to take her own photo.
I smirk, because here’s the thing.
Saxon doesn’t have my name on him, which means this is an old photo. How old I don’t know, but I trust that Saxon wasn’t with her when he was with me. This bitch is pulling out all the stops, but it isn’t going to work. Saxon is mine, and I’m his. No whore is going to get between that.
Like clockwork, my phone rings.
“The awkward moment when you slept with that woman and couldn’t remember,” I say dryly into the phone.
He exhales deeply. “I’m so f**king sorry. I’ve only done two one-night stands before, and I guess she was one of them. What the f**k was I thinking? How did you know it was old?”
“Let’s just say that tattoo of yours saved your life,” I say, sighing. “Can’t your public relations people shut this bitch up? This stuff is getting really old.”
“They’re working on it. I’m sorry this happened. Again.”
He sounds it.
I shrug my shoulders, even though I know he can’t see. “Shit happens, I’ll deal. We weren’t together back then so I can’t exactly hold anything against you.”
“Fucked up part is I told the bitch to leave afterwards, but I guess she came back in my room and took the photo,” he grits out. “I need you right now, Tee. I need to see you, to make sure that I still have you.”
I roll my eyes at his possessiveness.
“Don’t roll your eyes at me, it makes me want to kiss that sass right out of you,” he says.
I glance around my office. “The f**k?”
He laughs through the line. “I know you babe.”
I smile widely. “I have to get back to work, but call me tonight okay?”
“Okay, I love you.”
“I love you too.”
He remains on the line.
“Saxon are you going to hang up?” I ask.
“No you hang up first,” he says, laughing.
I hang up.
Then I start laughing.
Chapter Thirty
Saxon
Twisting the ring in my eyebrow back and forth, I wait impatiently for the taxi driver to take me straight to Tenielle’s house.