by Lauren Rowe
The car stops. The girls pile into its backseat and slam their doors, without looking back or saying a word to me. And off they go, just like that, into the night. Leaving me standing at my gate in the cool night with stinging eyes and a lump in my throat.
I stand frozen as Georgina’s car drives away, watching its retreating taillights and holding my breath. Turn around, Georgina. Flip me off through the back window, so I know you still care. Flip me off, baby. Please. Hate me, if you must. Just care enough to flip me off.
It’s my last hope—that Georgina will grace me with the tiniest flicker from her glorious flame.
But, no.
The car is gone now.
And Georgina never turned around.
She never met my eyes, so they could tell her how sorry I am. She never met my eyes, so they could beg her to come back to me. She never met my eyes so I could tell her I’m fucked up in ways I don’t understand. Ways I can’t help. Ways I can’t fix. She never turned around so my eyes could tell her I’ve never felt the way I do with her. She never turned around so my eyes could explain I don’t know how to do this. I don’t know how to feel this. I simply don’t know.
“Is everything okay, Mr. Rivers?” one of the guards asks.
I look down at the ground for a long beat.
If any other girl had left me standing here, I’d look directly at the guard, smile, and say, “Yes, everything is great. Everything is perfect. I’m on top of the world, motherfucker. The Man with the Midas Touch.”
But I can’t say any of it now. Not when the girl who’s left me is Georgina. Not when the girl I betrayed, the girl I hurt, is the same girl I’d move heaven and earth to protect. I can’t say it now, when it’s Georgina who thinks I’m a liar. Even though, I swear, a solid three quarters of what I said to her was the God’s truth.
I look up and meet the guard’s eyes. “No. Everything’s not okay.” I drag my palm across my jaw and take a deep breath. “In fact, Jeremy. To be honest with you, everything just turned to total fucking shit.”
Chapter 35
Georgina
The moment the Uber is out of sight from Reed’s house, I crumple into the backseat. Everybody’s got a price. Reed warned me that was his life philosophy. Why didn’t I listen to him when he told me exactly what kind of monster he is? Why did I trust him with the most vulnerable, sacred parts of myself? Why, why, why?
Everybody’s got a price.
What was CeeCee’s price, I wonder? Did she ever truly believe in me, as she and Reed both claimed, or was she all too happy to help her good friend, Reed, get the tits and ass he desired, if it meant she could get a River Records special issue, including a Reed Rivers interview, for herself? I thought CeeCee was my friend, my hero, my inspiration—and it turns out she was my pimp.
“I can’t believe you lied to me,” Alessandra says, looking out her window.
I swivel my head to look at her, at a loss.
“About my demo. Why didn’t you tell me Reed had already listened to it? Why did you lie to me? You thought I couldn’t take it? You think I’m so weak and pathetic I can’t handle the truth? I was totally blindsided, Georgie. I couldn’t speak.”
I wipe my eyes. “I’m sorry. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to feel awkward at the party around Reed.”
“That’s not why.”
“What do you mean?”
“You were a coward. You didn’t want to have to break the news to me.”
“Well, of course. But, mostly, I didn’t want you to lose faith in yourself. Reed’s opinion isn’t the gospel.”
Alessandra shakes her head and looks out the window. “I missed out on a great chance to have an honest discussion with him. To ask him questions. Maybe even try to impress him. But I was too blindsided to say or do anything. I just sat there, like an idiot. And now, thanks to you, he thinks I’m mentally deficient, in addition to being a ‘Laila knock-off.’”
“He called you that? Asshole! He swore he wouldn’t say anything to you tonight.”
“So, the answer to this problem is for Reed to have lied to me, too? Guess again, Georgina. Frankly, I’m glad Reed told me the truth. I only wish you had, too, so I could have been ready for him. He told me to get up on that stage and knock his socks off. If I’d known he’d listened already, maybe I would have... I don’t know. Maybe I would have done something.”
I wipe my eyes. “I’m so sorry.”
She scowls at me. “I said from the start he’d never want to sign me. Remember? I never once thought I’m good enough.”
“You are. He’s stupid.”
“He’s right.”
“No, Ally.”
She looks out the window for a long moment. “Just, please, don’t lie to me again. Not about anything. I know you think you need to protect me, but you don’t. I don’t want your protection. I want your respect.”
I choke back a sob. “I’m sorry.”
She looks at me and melts when she sees the emotion ripping through me. “Aw, sweetie. What happened to you tonight? What did Reed do?”
I shake my head, too mortified to say it out loud, even to Alessandra: he broke my heart. “I don’t want to talk about it.” I rub my eyes. “Tell me about Fish. Did you kiss him?”
She sighs wistfully. “No. I was positive he was finally about to kiss me, when stupid Reed showed up with Keane and Zander to smoke a joint, and the moment was lost.”
“Oh my God. Reed was freaking Godzilla tonight. Smashing everything in his path.”
“Even if we’d kissed, nothing could have come of it, anyway, with me going back to Boston on Monday.” She exhales. “But, dang it, I just wanted to kiss him so much, even if I never saw him again. I just wanted to cap off the perfect night, with the perfect boy, with the perfect kiss...”
“Fucking Reed! In addition to everything else, he fucked up a lifelong memory for you? God, I hate him.”
“Okay, Georgie. Come on. You have to tell me what the hell he did to you.” She grabs my hand. “Because the way he was following us out of the house, babbling and begging, he seemed so desperate and pathetic. So sincere.”
A dam breaks inside me. “He fucked Isabel Randolph!”
Alessandra gasps. “When?”
“Tonight. During the party. In his garage!”
“No.”
“Yes. He said he only kissed her, but I don’t believe him. But even if he did only kiss her, it doesn’t matter. Either way, he’s a liar and a cheater and I can’t trust him.” I wipe my eyes. “I gave him my whole heart, Ally. I trusted him like I’ve never trusted anyone. But none of that mattered to him. He took my heart and stuffed it into his pocket like a pack of gum.” I shake my head at my stupidity. “I bet it drove him crazy when he found out Isabel was engaged. I bet he dragged her into that garage, the first chance he got, to remind her what she’ll be missing out on when she marries her pervy grandpa.”
“Did you actually walk in on them in the garage?”
“No, I saw them as they were coming out. Her lipstick was smudged. Her hair all messed up. She was a hot mess, and he looked like a dog who’d just shit the bed.”
“What did they say when you saw them?”
“Well, Isabel ran off to find her fiancé. I’m sure she was freaking out I might tell him what I saw. And then I dragged Reed into the garage and read him the Riot Act. Which is when he swore he only kissed her and it ‘meant nothing.’” I pause. “And then I went ‘Left Eye’ Lopes on his ass.”
Alessandra’s jaw drops. “You burned down his garage?”
“You know ‘Left Eye’ Lopes?”
“TLC. Georgie, what did you do?”
I smile. “I totaled his Ferrari with a golf club.”
She gasps. “The yellow one that just got back from the shop?”
“That’s the one. I’m thinking maybe Reed should take it back to the shop. Although I don’t think they’ll be able to fix it this time.”
“You seriously total
ed it? Or you just gave it a couple dents?”
“I smashed the crap out of it. I literally broke a sweat, I was swinging that damned club so hard and so many times.”
She laughs. “Holy shit. And what did Reed do while you were murdering his Ferrari?”
“Nothing at all. He just stood there watching me, not saying a word.”
“Not a word? Not even ‘no!’?”
I shake my head. “Nope. He didn’t tell me to stop. He stood there with his arms crossed, silently watching me.”
“Now that’s a guy with money to burn.”
“No, that’s a guilty man. He didn’t say anything because he knew he deserved every swing of that club. Because he knew he was lucky I wasn’t swinging the club at his head. Or his Bugatti.” I look out the car window at the passing cars on the freeway. “His non-reaction reaction was an admission of his guilt, Alessandra. I mean, what man, I don’t care how rich he is, lets a woman total his Ferrari over a freaking kiss?”
“Good point.” She winces. “On the flipside, though. If he did only kiss Isabel—not that I’m okay with that at all—but, if he did only kiss her, then, holy fuck, Georgina, you totaled a Ferrari over a freaking kiss. If that’s not going ‘Left Eye’ Lopes on a guy, then I don’t know what is.”
She giggles, but I stare at a car passing us in the adjacent lane.
There’s more to this story, of course. Namely, that Reed is the one who paid my salary. And, quite possibly, pulled strings behind the scenes to get me this job, in the first place. What strings, exactly? I’m not entirely sure. What I do know is that Reed wanted to fuck me, and he arranged things to make that possible, unbeknownst to me. Was it unbeknownst to CeeCee, as well? Again, I’m not entirely sure. The only thing I’m sure about is Reed wanted me, so he paid whatever price, and pulled whatever strings, to get me. And once he got me, he got bored of the game, as he warned me he always does, and moved on.
But I have no desire to tell Alessandra the truth about any of that. It’s far too mortifying to say out loud. Even more so than the idea of Reed having sex with Isabel in that garage.
Is the fact that Reed cheated on me painful? Yes. Embarrassing, too. But it’s a betrayal I can wrap my head around, thanks to Shawn. But admitting I was some sort of purchase to Reed, every bit as much as his Ferrari or Bugatti? Admitting I might not have earned my dream job, like I thought, but, instead, got hired because Reed wanted to sleep with me... and, also, that, maybe, CeeCee was perfectly willing to go along with that plan? Well, shit, all of that is downright soul-crushing.
Alessandra sighs and grabs my hand. “I’m so sorry, Georgie. I know you really liked him.”
No, I loved him, I think. But what I say is, “I really did. And I stupidly thought he was feeling the same way.” Another sob lurches out of me. And then another. Until, suddenly, I’m a weeping mess and the Uber driver is handing me a box of tissues.
“Aw, sweetie, come here,” Alessandra says. She opens her arms and I dive into them, and then proceed to sob from the depths of my soul the rest of the drive to my father’s condo—the tiny two-bedroom in the Valley that, thanks to Reed, is now bought and paid for... every bit as much as me.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Reed and Georgina’s heartbreaking, scorching-hot love story continues with the third book of The Reed Rivers Trilogy: BELOVED LIAR. You don’t want to miss what happens next with this passionate duo in this epic, all-consuming romance! Get your copy now by tapping the title!
Want to read about Reed’s best friend, Josh Faraday? Read Josh and Kat’s explosive and sexy trilogy, beginning with INFATUATION. Tap the title to get your copy!
If you want to read about Keane Morgan and Maddy Milliken, or Aloha Carmichael and Zander Shaw, or Dax Morgan of 22 Goats and his mysterious lady love, then read: BALL PEEN HAMMER, MISTER BODYGUARD, or ROCKSTAR, respectively. Tap the title to get your copy.
Be sure to sign up to receive news of releases or giveaways, by email or text:
NEWSLETTER - WEBSITE
US ONLY: Text the word “ROWE” to 474747
UK ONLY: Text the word “LAURENROWE” to 82228
Find Lauren on social media by clicking the links below!
FACEBOOK - INSTAGRAM - TWITTER
FACEBOOK GROUP - BOOK+MAIN
A brief list of books by Lauren Rowe is located at the front of this book. Further details below.
Books by Lauren Rowe
The Reed Rivers Trilogy
Reed Rivers has met his match in the most unlikely of women—aspiring journalist and spitfire, Georgina Ricci. She’s much younger than the women Reed normally pursues, but he can’t resist her fiery personality and drop-dead gorgeous looks. But in this game of cat and mouse, who’s chasing whom? With each passing day of this wild ride, Reed’s not so sure. The books of this trilogy are to be read in order:
Bad Liar
Beautiful Liar
Beloved Liar
The Club Trilogy
Romantic. Scorching hot. Suspenseful. Witty. The Club is your new addiction—a sexy and suspenseful thriller about two wealthy brothers and the sassy women who bring them to their knees... all while the foursome bands together to protect one of their own. The Club Trilogy is to be read in order, as follows:
The Club: Obsession
The Club: Reclamation
The Club: Redemption
The Club: Culmination
The fourth book for Jonas and Sarah is a full-length epilogue with incredible heart-stopping twists and turns and feels. Read The Club: Culmination (A Full-Length Epilogue Novel) after finishing The Club Trilogy or, if you prefer, after reading The Josh and Kat Trilogy.
The Josh and Kat Trilogy
It’s a war of wills between stubborn and sexy Josh Faraday and Kat Morgan. A fight to the bed. Arrogant, wealthy playboy Josh is used to getting what he wants. And what he wants is Kat Morgan. The books are to be read in order:
Infatuation
Revelation
Consummation
The Morgan Brothers
Read these standalones in any order about the brothers of Kat Morgan. Chronological reading order is below, but they are all complete stories. Note: you do not need to read any other books or series before jumping straight into reading about the Morgan boys.
Hero. The story of heroic firefighter, Colby Morgan. When catastrophe strikes Colby Morgan, will physical therapist Lydia save him... or will he save her?
Captain. The insta-love-to-enemies-to-lovers story of tattooed sex god, Ryan Morgan, and the woman he’d move heaven and earth to claim.
Ball Peen Hammer. A steamy, hilarious, friends-to-lovers romantic comedy about cocky-as-hell male stripper, Keane Morgan, and the sassy, smart young woman who brings him to his knees during a road trip.
Mister Bodyguard. The Morgans’ beloved honorary brother, Zander Shaw, meets his match in the feisty pop star he’s assigned to protect on tour.
ROCKSTAR. When the youngest Morgan brother, Dax Morgan, meets a mysterious woman who rocks his world, he must decide if pursuing her is worth risking it all. Be sure to check out four of Dax’s original songs from ROCKSTAR, written and produced by Lauren, along with full music videos for the songs, on her website (www.laurenrowebooks.com) under the tap MUSIC FROM ROCKSTAR.
Misadventures
Lauren’s Misadventures titles are page-turning, steamy, swoony standalones, to be read in any order.
-Misadventures on the Night Shift—A hotel night shift clerk encounters her teenage fantasy: rock star Lucas Ford. And combustion ensues.
-Misadventures of a College Girl—A spunky, virginal theater major meets a cocky football player at her first college party... and absolutely nothing goes according to plan for either of them.
-Misadventures on the Rebound—A spunky woman on the rebound meets a hot, mysterious stranger in a bar on her way to her five-year high school reunion in Las Vegas and what follows is a misadventure neither of them ever imagined.
Standalone Psychol
ogical Thriller/Dark Comedy
Countdown to Killing Kurtis—A young woman with big dreams and skeletons in her closet decides her porno-king husband must die in exactly a year. This is not a traditional romance, but it will most definitely keep you turning the pages and saying “WTF?”
All books by Lauren Rowe are available in ebook, paperback, and audiobook formats. Be sure to sign up for Lauren’s newsletter to find out about upcoming releases!
Author Biography
USA Today and internationally bestselling author Lauren Rowe lives in San Diego, California, where, in addition to writing books, she performs with her dance/party band at events all over Southern California, writes songs, takes embarrassing snapshots of her ever- patient Boston terrier, Buster, spends time with her family, and narrates audiobooks. Much to Lauren’s thrill, her books have been translated all over the world in multiple languages and hit multiple domestic and international bestseller lists. To find out about Lauren’s upcoming releases and giveaways, sign up for Lauren’s emails at www.LaurenRoweBooks.com. Lauren loves to hear from readers! Send Lauren an email from her website, say hi on Twitter, Instagram, or Facebook.
