“How many times?” I asked Liam.
“I’m sorry,” he said, looking confused. “How many times what?”
“How many times has she done that?” I asked, voice rough. “How many times—” Deep breath, “—has she auctioned herself off to the highest bidder?”
Maddie made a low sound of grief. She adored Jules. Or she had.
“Honestly, I’m not sure,” Liam said. “I know it happened every second Sunday of the month. But for how long, I have no idea. I’m sorry. Maybe I should’ve asked more questions, but I figured the less I knew, the better.”
“Probably wise,” Holden said.
Bowen shook his head. “And this is why you and Pike aren’t friends anymore?”
Liam laughed bitterly. “Would you want to be friends with a guy like that?”
The door flew open, and Cash and Charlie burst in, panic-stricken.
Cash came straight at me. “I’m so sorry, man, we couldn’t find her.”
“We checked everywhere,” Charlie said.
“Did you look up her location on Find My?” Bowen asked.
“Yes,” Cash said. “Now it sayslocation unavailable.”
Bowen swore.
“Doesn’t matter.” I shrugged, a hardness taking over. “Let’s go.”
Cash’s head jerked back. “Dude, we can’t just leave her here. We’re hours from home. I know she’s sorta messed up, but?—”
“Sorta messed up?” The words tasted like ash.
“Bro,” Cash dropped his voice. “She’s still your wife.”
“My wife?” I nodded twice, likecool, cool. “Maybe. But she won’t be for long.”
Chapter Thirty-Five
GRIFFIN
Two hours and forty-seven minutes. That was the distance from Ember Stadium to home. That was the amount of time I had to hold myself together before I could burrow into a dark corner at my parents’ house and fall apart.
We’d borrowed my mom’s van for the trip. Bowen drove, making awkward small talk with Maggie, Theo, Cash, and Charlie, while Sophie held my hand as I stared out the window.
I felt so stupid. Not that I’d married Jules after knowing her for three days. My grandparents got married fast. My parents, too. I felt stupid because I’d actually believed I was becoming someone solid and confident. Someone who didn’t cower at his own doubts. Someone worth sticking around for.
What a joke.
I wasn’t different. I’d just been propped up by a job that made me look like a hero, by the Hollister shoot, but mostly by Jules—by her love and her choosing me. And the second that illusion cracked, there I was again. The same old unwanted, insecure Griffin. By the time we got home, I was a wreck—humiliated andhollowed out.
Everyone had parked at our house. So when we pulled in, they were still in the van, witnesses to Mom pacing in the yard, wearing Dad’s thickest Carhartt jacket. Dad stood on the porch, hands folded on top of his head. James stood beside him, gripping the railing. They must’ve been checking our location.
It struck me in that moment that my parents had never, not a single time in my life, let me down. They were steady and constant, always there when I needed them. And how had I repaid them? I left. They probably thought I was trying to get away from them when really, I was trying to escape myself. That thought cracked me open, and the tears pooled again.
I let everyone climb out ahead of me, trying to get control of my emotions. I hoped they’d quickly get in their cars and scatter. Nope. They turned to watch.
Mom met me at the sliding door, eyes wet. “Oh, Griff.” She pulled me against her and squeezed. I knew she was trying to take some of the weight. And I let her.
