Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 167
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 162520 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 813(@200wpm)___ 650(@250wpm)___ 542(@300wpm)
Hailey rubs her fist on her mascara-smudged cheek. “What’s the second?”
“Spending more time with my sister.”
Her head jerks up at me in surprise.
“Yeah, you. It’s not often we run jobs this closely, and you’re making my time being that fucker’s friend a vacation.”
Her chin quivers. “Even if I screwed up tonight? M-maybe I’m not cut out for this after all.”
“You’ve been doing great.” I stop her near a racing sailboat named Sunny Daze so she can catch her breath. Her back to the sea and the moon, she keeps scrubbing at her cheeks and muttering, “Stop crying, stop crying.”
I almost wish Phoebe were here to comfort my sister in ways I know she needs.
“Hailey, just breathe,” I say, not nicely. I smear a hand down my face. My phone is buzzing in my pocket. I check the text off my burner at my hip.
(OLIVER): she ok?
I send him a thumbs-up. “He’s asking about you.”
“Olly?”
I nod and raise my brows at her. “Is it complicated now? You and him and Jake?”
She nods more vigorously. “Yeah.” She chews her lip again, then stares out at the twinkling light reflecting off the water. “I’m not used to Oliver pretending with me. Back there”—she motions to Trent’s yacht—“I just lost it when he acted like I meant…”
“Like you meant nothing?”
She breaks into another sob.
I clutch her arm. “Hailey, it’s pretend. Exactly what you just said. It’s not how he really feels about you.”
“Phoebe always said the lying is like foreplay and exciting, but this was just…this hurt.”
I pinch at my eyes, then let go, and use that hand to bring her into a hug. She’s very emotional over this. Her tears won’t let up.
As my sister cries into my chest, my head almost goes numb with the realization of what’s happening. Until now, I’ve never seen her struggle this hard to contain her emotion. I’ve never seen her reject alcohol for more than a couple weeks. I’ve never seen her be nauseous more than a few times.
I’ve felt as if Phoebe was hiding something from me.
Now I know why she let me draw those conclusions. There is only one person Phoebe would go that far to protect. Only one girl she loves this much to where she’d even attempt to deceive me.
It’s been for my sister.
Hailey is pregnant.
And I’m guessing she’s hormonal and upset and carrying a secret from Oliver and maybe even Jake. One so heavy that it’s making tonight harder. All I care about is making sure she’s okay.
Bringing up I’ve figured out what she has clearly intended for me not to know—not fucking helpful. I can keep my mouth shut until she’s ready.
I am…petrified for her.
I’m relieved it’s not Phoebe. Because the truth is, I never want children.
“You’re not failing, Hails,” I whisper to my sister. “You’re really doing better than you even realize.” Now, knowing what she’s been dealing with, I feel it even stronger.
She calms down a little, her hiccups receding.
“You think tonight is bad?” I ask. “I can name about five different scenarios Phoebe, Oliver, and I have been in that’d make this look like a victory lap.”
She pushes back her platinum hair and stares up at me with raccoon eyes. “I-I don’t know if I can believe that.”
“Believe me,” I profess. “I wouldn’t lie to you. Even if it’d make you feel better if I did. You know that.”
She nods.
“Did Phoebe ever tell you about Nashville?” I ask her.
“The Melon Drop?”
“That’s the one.” My throat tries to close.
“She just said that it really sucked. Bad night, but those aren’t that hard to come by.”
I nod a couple times, my gaze daggered too violently to place on my sister. I look out at the glittering sea before I can soften my eyes on Hailey. “It was one of the worst nights of my life,” I say to her. “And Phoebe’s.”
NINETEEN
Phoebe
Four Years Ago
The Melon Drop
Nashville, Tennessee
“Yeeeeee-haw!” Oliver howls and tucks a cowboy hat on his head full of natural dark brown hair. “This round is on me, boys.” He barrel-chest-bumps the bachelor, Bradley Wheeler, who’s a city boy from Toronto and looking to experience Nashville’s nightlife before the big wedding day.
Bradley is also loaded.
Like flew a private jet here loaded. Buys the most expensive liquor at the bar loaded. Wears a Breguet Swiss luxury watch loaded. That’s probably fifteen million just on his wrist.
Lucky for him, he just so happened to run into three “Nashville locals.” After striking up great conversation, Oliver, Rocky, and I offered to take his bachelor party on a honky-tonk bar crawl. To show Bradley and his groomsmen the best music, the best drinks, and the best time.
Bradley is all grins, pumping his fist as he follows his new friend Oakley (ahem, Oliver) to the packed bar.
“Tequila with lime, Penelope?” Shane, the best man, asks me on his way to the bar, too. He’s bought me shots at the past three stops. I drank two Jäger bombs, then dumped the third when no one was looking.