“What’s your problem?” Meadow says to him with an open smile, and I almost laugh out loud.
“I don’t have a problem.” Noah narrows his eyes at her, then pushes his glasses up his nose with obvious annoyance.
“You’d be cuter if you smiled.” Meadow cocks her head at Noah. Wes snorts, and I chuckle. Meadow grins at us, seeming to be pleased at our reaction.
“What the fuck?” Noah says, glaring at us. “Who is she again?”
“My half-sister.” I don’t think he really needed me to remind him, but I play along.
“Do you need a drink?” She steps forward and slips her hand on Noah’s forearm, like she’s going to lead him away. Noah stares at her hand like it’s a cockroach. His expression is annoyed with a side of deep confusion, but I don’t miss the way his eyes scan her head to toe, and he doesn’t pull away. She’s looking super-hot with a cropped tank showing off her generous, perky breasts and toned belly, and a short skirt that bares much of her legs. Not sure how she survives in this place. I left my scandalous outfit at home and am wearing a high-necked tank top, jeans, and sneakers.
“No.” Noah shakes his head and adjusts his glasses again. Is he nervous? Or annoyed? I’ve not seen Noah so flustered.
“Fuck, I love a hot nerd,” she says, and his eyes widen.
“Have you seen Shane?” I blurt out. As fascinating as herinteraction with Noah is, we’re here for a reason. And the sooner we get out of this awful place, the better.
“Yeah, of course.” Meadow looks back at me curiously.
“You say that like I should know. I’ve been looking for him for six weeks.” I hadn’t even thought to check with Meadow. Why would I have? Or… why didn’t I?
She blinks in surprise. “Really? He said he was getting everything set up for you here, and you’d move down soon.” She looks at my and Wes’s hands again.
Ah. Now theyou’re finally herecomment makes more sense. Another one of Shane’s lies.
Wes growls next to me, pulling me closer against him.
“But you appear to not be in on that plan?” Now Meadow scans Wes slowly up and down, thoroughly but not creepily. “Well. This should be awkward.”
“Where is he?” Fucking Shane. A narcissistic liar who can’t even admit to people that I’m leaving him. What does he expect will happen here?
“I generally try to avoid him because he creeps me out.” Meadow covers her mouth. “Sorry, I know he’s your, uh, husband?”
“Not for long.” I shake my head so hard it hurts. “I’m divorcing him, and he’s avoiding me. I need him to sign the papers.”
“Oh, fuck, really?” She breathes out. “Good for you. He’s the one who found me at the bar I used to work at across town and offered me a job here. I was excited because I love fight clubs,” she says, a dreamy look on her face. “But I’m glad I don’t work forhim.”
“You love it here?”
“Yeah. For sure.” Meadow looks around and waves her hands, as if that explains why she likes this disgusting cesspool. “I feel fucking alive.”
“Okay. That’s… a lot to process.”
“Oh. There he is.” Meadow points at the ring.
And just as I look up, Shane walks into the ring to fight. A little whimper escapes my throat. He looks huge up there on the raised platform. Tall and wider than last time I saw him. He’s got a mouth guard in and jumps from foot to foot, punching the air. Cheers sound from the audience.
“Fuck,” I whisper. I’ve never wanted to run away from a place more. But I can’t. Not now, not when he’s right there.
Wes squeezes my hand, but I can’t bring myself to turn away from Shane. His competitor ducks into the ring, and the referee shouts to start the fight.
Chapter 29
Found Him
WES
I’m a big guy, and I’m pretty confident in my abilities to protect Callie tonight at the fight club, but I don’t love that her husband is a fighter. I don’t love the lies he told Callie’s sister. I don’t love the wild look in his eyes as he ducks the first swing from his opponent.
