Taking Shots (Assassins, #1)(165)

No matter how hard he tried.

Their whole breakup still blew his mind. It had been ten weeks since it happened and still every day he would replay the whole fight, still not understanding how she didn’t realize that he had been played. Wondering why she threw all those things in his face, making shit up, knowing damn well she was wrong for it. He would never be with someone because of their money, didn’t he tell her that so many times before.

Maybe not, maybe that’s why she left him because he didn’t tell her enough how much he loved her and only her. How her eyes would light up his day, how her kisses would stun him for weeks. How waking up beside her would start his day off right. How after talking to her, he wore a permanent grin for the rest of the day. How her smile made him believe that life was worth living. How he needed her kisses like he needed to breathe. Maybe he didn’t tell her enough that she was the one.

What had he done wrong?

Why didn’t she believe him?

He had once thought their love could overcome anything. Boy, how wrong he was, he thought, as he crumbled down onto the hardwood of his bedroom, holding on to the ring she was supposed to wear. Holding on to the dream he thought he had with her.

God, he was pathetic.





When Shea opened his eyes, he was staring at a pair of the same shoes she always wore. He followed the legs up, seeing that the shoes didn’t belong to her but to his sister. A very angry sister. When she reared back and kicked him hard in the stomach, Shea let out a horrid gasp, clutching his stomach since she knocked the wind out of him.

“You stupid piece of shit, how dare you!” she screamed as she rear back to kick him again but he got a hold of her ankle before she made contact, pushing her back, so she landed on her ass, as he tried to get away.

“Crazy bitch! Who kicks their family!?” Shea said, getting up, and stumbling to the bathroom to promptly puke. As he expelled the contents from the night before, Grace stood above him, screaming at him.

“Who f*cking doesn’t call their only sister, their f*cking twin, for two months! Who puts a five year old boy through the pain of missing their favorite person! Who Shea! Oh, yeah! You! So yes, I kick my family when they are f*cking stupid!”

“Oh, God, please shut up!” Shea said before continuing to puke, but that didn’t stop Grace.

“Hell, no, I won’t shut up! Do you know who I had to hear that you guys had broken up!? Elli. I called her because I couldn’t get a hold of you. She couldn’t even get out that you guys weren’t together anymore she was crying so bad! What the hell did you do!”

“I’m going to puke on your shoes if you don’t f*cking leave me alone,” he warned, looking up at her as he wiped his mouth. She was enraged, ready to kill him probably.

“You puke on my Gucci shoes that Elli got for me and I will kick you in the f*cking mouth.”

Maybe he should take his chances puking on them since she did get them for her.

“Please, Grace, leave me the hell alone.”

“No, not tell you answer me.”

“If you haven’t noticed, I’m puking my brains out and not really in the mood to talk.”

Grace let out a shrilling laugh, sending chills down his spine.

“Oh, I wonder why that is? Oh, let me guess, because you’re a drunk now! Oh, yeah, I had to call Damon to get that information, then Jakob informed me that he has been taking care of you when you need a ride home because you knew better than to call me!”

Shea rolled his eyes, crossing his legs as he sat on the cool tile.

“Where the hell have you been? I have staked out this condo for weeks and you haven’t been here, why are you here today?”

“I’ve been staying at the house; I was here because I brought someone home last night.”

He would never bring a woman that was not her in the house he had bought for them to live the rest of their lives in.

Never.

“Are you serious? Oh my God, what is wrong with you?”

“I’m heartbroken, Grace, what do you want me to say?”

Grace just looked down at him. When the tears rushed down her cheeks, he had to look away because his own tears threaten to fall. Grace fell onto the floor beside him, wrapping her arms around him, pulling him into her lap like he was Ryan and she was gonna make it all better. Even though they both knew she couldn’t.

“What happened, Shea? Tell me.”

The tears came hot and fast, falling down his cheeks as he explained the biggest failure of his life to the only person that got him.

Well the person other than her.





Shea sipped on his coffee while not making eye contact with Grace as they sat in the little country café outside of Nashville. He was still embarrassed with how he broke down in front of her. He hated crying, he felt so weak, so pathetic, but a day didn’t pass without him shedding some tears over her. Grace didn’t say anything as she picked at her BLT that she had order, while he opted only for the cup of coffee. His stomach was still a little upset.

Grace looked up at him, and gave him a small smile before saying, “So you haven’t tried to go see her, like before?”

“Yeah, I did. Went to her house and she basically ignored me as she got into her truck and drove off.”

“Maybe she didn’t see you,” Grace suggested.