Page 71 of Inevitable

“He didn’t drop me. We agreed to end things when we left New York.”

“So, what…he’s flying you to New York for the weekend?”

“No.” I laughed, mostly to cover my annoyance with her tone. “He invited me over to his house.”

“Mm-hmm. So he can get what he wants and then go back to ignoring you and acting like a dick.”

My hackles rose. “You’re the one who encouraged me to sleep with him in the first place. No regrets, Sumner,” I said, attempting to mimic her voice.

“Yeah. But then I saw how upset you were after you came back from New York. I mean, have you forgotten about the night on Klaus’s yacht? It wasn’t that long ago.”

“No.” I hated how meek my voice sounded. “But…but—”

“Sumner, listen to yourself. You said you wanted to use your voice, and you’re letting him walk all over you. You’re making excuses for a man who will never choose you.”

“Jonathan and I have an agreement. And anyway, we both know I’m leaving at the end of the summer.”

I was lying to both of us, but at least part of it was true. Iwasleaving at the end of the summer.

“Just…” She sighed, and I could feel her disapproval through the phone. “I think this is a bad idea for so many reasons.”

I gnashed my teeth, ignoring the kernel of truth her words contained. “Bad idea or not, it’s my choice.”

“I’m not trying to piss you off. I just don’t want you to get hurt. And you’regoingto get hurt because I don’t think you’re capable of separating your feelings from sex when it comes to Wolfe.”

I pulled into the driveway and shut off the car, yanking my tote out of the passenger seat and nearly dumping the contents on my lap. I didn’t want to talk about this. I’d made my decision; Iwanted to be with him. “I have to go.”

“Sumner,” she pleaded. “Don’t be like that.”

“It’s fine,” I said. “I get that you’re annoyed because you’re not used to me saying no.”

“That’s not—”

“Gotta go.” I disconnected the call before she could press me further.

I hated arguing with Piper. And I hated that a small part of me wondered if she was right. Wondered if this was a mistake.

I shook away the thought. I’d learned my lesson with Nico, and I knew what I was getting into with Jonathan.

I took a deep breath, checking my makeup in the mirror. My hair was a little messy, so I smoothed my hands over it then stepped out of the car. Dad’s car was parked in the garage, but Lea’s wasn’t. I wasn’t sure whether that was a good thing or not. I gave my clothes a once-over, smoothing down my skirt before heading inside.

“Sumner?” Dad called out as soon as I opened the back door. I squeezed my eyes shut briefly, a silent curse on my tongue. So much for sneaking in. “Is that you?”

“Yep.” My voice sounded bright to my ears, and I knew I needed to get it together or he’d see right through me.

“How was work?” He set his glasses on the kitchen counter, rubbing at his temples.

“Good,” I said. “Busy day. I’m working on some residential properties.”

“Oh boy.” Dad chuckled. “Jonathan and his little side project.” He shook his head.

“You don’t approve?” I asked, trying to keep the edge from my voice.

He rounded the counter to give me a hug. “I think it’s just another way for him to bury himself in work, but I’m not sure why.”

“Maybe because he loves what he does?” I offered, unwilling to share Jonathan’s reasoning with my dad.

“Maybe,” he said. “But there’s more to life than work. Spending time with the people you love is more important than money. You can always make more money. Time is limited.”