Bait: The Wake Series, Book One(137)

I wasn't in control of the situation anymore. The only thing I could do was hang in there, like his text said last night.

Was it a warning he’d sent? I'd taken it as a show of support.

I pulled out my phone and replied to it.

Me: Are you trying to hurt me?

I washed my hands and looked at myself in the mirror. My nose really was pink. Stupid nose.

Then Aly came into the room, not paying any attention, digging through her purse. When she was all the way in the room, and heard me pulling the paper towel out of the dispenser, she stopped, an evil smile crossed her face.

It was not what I needed at that moment.

When I saw her come in with Casey earlier, I almost lost the ability to walk. I did lose the ability to talk and stopped midsentence while speaking to Micah's mom.

And there she was again.

I took a long steadying breath. The look on her face told me she was going to enjoy a conversation with me. I'd thought it best to get out of there as soon as possible.

“Leaving so soon? I was hoping to talk to you,” she said coyly and walked herself to the counter, setting her purse down, continuing her search for whatever. I was gathering up my clutch to leave when she caught my gaze in the mirror.

“Your husband seems like a very nice guy,” she said as she found and lifted her lip gloss out of her big bag. Her fingers unscrewed the lid and then her eyes found mine again. “He and Casey sure do get along. Maybe we could all go out sometime? You know, when you're in town.” She began applying the scarlet color to her pouty mouth.

“I don't think so,” I replied and then turned to head for the door.

“I don't think you think at all.” She snapped and faced me when I had almost made it around her. “Do you?” Her voice sounded saccharine sweet, but her tone was anything but.

I stated, “Not tonight, Aly. You don't know what you're talking about.”

“Oh, I know exactly what I'm talking about. Exactly, what were you thinking when decided to cheat on your boyfriend-wait-fiancé-wait-husband? What were you thinking when you came here after Casey's mother died and then just left him like you did every other time? What were you thinking when you brought your husband here?” Her voice had risen and she was just shy of yelling at me. Yelling things that I knew way-f*cking-more about than she ever would.

She had good points, but it wasn't her business no matter how much she thought it was.

I collected myself and made sure my voice was calm when I spoke, “It would do you good to stay out of it. And while we’re on the subject of why we do what we do, why do you want a man who clearly doesn't want you? Hmmm?”

Her hand collided with my cheek. The slap was hard and loud and it echoed off the marble walls. I was shocked. I always thought she was rude and manipulative, but I never thought she would be ballsy enough to hit me.

The bitch slapped me. I had been bitch-slapped in every sense.

All the while, I stood there processing what had just happened, she went back to applying her gloss. She finished and put it back into her bag.

“It's ironic, you know? That you asked me that. I ask Casey the same question. Why do you want her, if she doesn't want you back?” She stepped to me and surprisingly I stood my ground, even seconds after being hit. She continued, “The answer is simple. I love him like he loves you. So, go on and keep tearing him down. I'll be here every single time you do to build him back up. Just like I was the other night.” She laughed again. “He always did know how to make me come harder than anyone else.” Then she left the small room, but her words hung in the air as if they were in little, comic strip word bubbles.

As I feebly tried to calm myself, I thought about how this mess, our mess, had affected so many people. I hated Aly, but replaying the things she said to me I almost had to respect how much she really cared about Casey.

At least she had good taste.

Then, a flood of jealously washed those thoughts away.

He f*cked her?

He brought her here that night.

He danced with her.

My head fizzed with doubt and anger and—even though it wasn't mine to have—betrayal bobbed its way to the very top.

I didn't know how much more I could take.

I needed to leave.



When I finally had my bearings, I found myself walking out into the bustling bar. I needed to find Grant and when I did he was, again, talking to Casey. I couldn’t imagine what they’d have to talk about or why they kept finding each other. My stomach rolled like it had since the plane wheels left Washington State.