“It was you,” Tucker growls.
He smirks and looks at me again. “Sorry, Phoebe. You were just a means to an end. I needed to get my brother’s attention, and he’s not as smart as he used to be. He should’ve figured it out long before now.”
“What are you doing here,Ryan?”
Sarah and I share a look when Ryan just smiles even brighter. The tone directed towards his brother hasmetrembling. There is something terrifying about a pissed-off Tucker.
I guess that explains why he’s the enforcer. I get it now.
“Father wants to talk to you.”
“Tell Father he can fuck off. I don’t give a fuck what he wants. Haven’t since the day I walked away from the family.”
Okay, so definitely not needing to find a way to get him two hundred cupcakes. Thank God. But this seems bad. Really bad.
“He won’t let up until you come home.”
“Come for me, but you leave her out of this. She has nothing to do with this.”
Ryan tilts his head, the smirk still on his face. He looks so different from Tucker. About the same height, but he’s a lot smaller. Much less muscular. And he looks out of place wearing an expensive suit while Tucker wears his leather, T-shirt, and jeans.
“You know that’s not how he works, Tuck. Until you come home, she’ll be his target. Especially because the plan has just started to work. I had to put a lot more effort into getting your attention, but hey, I have it now.”
Wait, am I the she he’s talking about? Why would they come after me? Tucker didn’t know I existed until the robbery.
Oh…
“You broke into a bakery and stole twelve grand?” Tucker asks with a humorless chuckle. “That’s what he had you do to get my attention?”
Ryan shrugs, and suddenly I hate the family resemblance. He seems like such a sleazy guy. “Yep.”
“She’s not Joanna. I’m not in love with her. Father made sure I’ll never fall in love again,” Tucker says, his words stabbing meright in the heart. “It won’t hit me like it did before if you hurt her.”
If I wasn’t hungover, that comment alone would make me want to throw up. He can’t fall in love. I’m nothing. Just the temporary girl in his house he screws until he’s done with her.
Then what? He just throws me to the curb and pretends like I don’t exist when we see each other around town? Or maybe he doesn’t plan to see me ever again.
He did just say that if they killed me, it wouldn’t matter to him. I really don’t matter.
The fight moves outside, and I walk into the back to sit at my desk. It’s fitting I’d fall for a man who can’t love. The only time it’s ever happened would be like this.
And like a glutton for punishment, I can’t walk away. I’ll let him use me until he’s done and tosses me out. By then, I’ll be the old version of Phoebe who I hated. The one who hated everyone and everything in the world.
I hate being this weak.
“Phoebs, are you okay?” Sarah asks.
No one’s called me that since my mom, and it takes all the strength I have not to break down crying. All I want in this moment is my mom. She’d know what to do. What to say. How to fix the situation.
I have to do something. Save myself from the pain of falling more in love with the man I thought might warm up to me eventually. Who could see beyond my cheery disposition and see the real me. The version no one else ever gets to see.
I really thought he’d come around. Everyone thinks I’m too much, but I honestly thought he liked me. For more than just the sex. Even if it’s just being friends.
But friends don’t say they wouldn’t be hurt if someone killed you. If you just disappeared, it wouldn’t matter to them. We’re nothing. And we’ll never be anything.
“Can I take you up on your offer to stay at your place for a while?” I ask, my voice cracking.
“Of course. Phoebe, you’re scaring me. What’s wrong? What’s going on?”
