Page 34 of Mr. Wrong (Hollywood Knights #1)

Thirty-Four

Lex

I’ve got to get out of here.

Away from her, before I fuck everything up again.

I’ve been good.

Solid.

Kept my distance.

Been her friend.

Of course, I had to move to Malibu to do it but that’s not the point. The point is that over the last five weeks, I’ve come to accept that, no matter what she thinks or says, my brother was right—Cassie needs Ellenore.

We all do.

That’s what I’ve been telling myself.

Keep it together.

Be her friend.

Stay away.

And maybe by the time Landon comes home, I’ll figure out a way to convince Ellenore to change her mind and stay with us permanently.

When I opened the back door to find her sitting on the steps, I almost shut the door between us. Went out the front so I could sneak away like a coward because I knew she was waiting for me.

I just didn’t know why.

I need the day off.

Derek is here.

As soon as she said it, I understood why I’ve been able to keep my distance all this time. What made it possible for me to stay away from her.

I thought I had time.

Time to get my shit together.

Start working toward being the kind of man Ellenore could see herself with.

Maybe tic a few of those boxes on that perfect boyfriend list that women like her keep.

I thought I had time.

And then just like that, my time was up.

Ellenore isn’t going to change her mind.

She isn’t going to stay.

She’s going to meet with Derek the Douchewad and he’s going to do and say everything he can to get her back because he might be a douchewad but he isn’t stupid. By this time tomorrow, I’ll have lost Ellenore for good.

I don’t even get my bike started before I’m off of it.

Charging across the driveway. Back through the gate and up the walkway to the pool house.

The entire time telling myself to stop. That this isn’t how I’m supposed to do it.

That I’m going to ruin everything. That Ellenore deserves better than me. More than I have to offer her.

But I’m not listening.

Because I don’t give a shit.

Not anymore because it’s already ruined. I’ve already lost her and if I’m going to lose her to the same fucker who basically dumped her in my lap in the first place then I’m gonna lose big.

So big we both feel it.

I let myself in. The living room is dark and so is the kitchen, the only light in the place coming from the bedroom door that’s cracked open.

That’s where she is.

I can hear her talking, the conversation one-sided like she’s on the phone.

… I have things I need to say.

… No, they need to be said in person.

… you broke up with me, Derek. We can’t just—

…I do forgive you but—

…I need you to understand that—

Unable to listen to another second of it, I push the door open so I can see her.

She’s sitting on the edge of the bed, head bent while the fingers of her free hand worry and trace along the hem of the T-shirt she’s wearing.

It’s my T-shirt. The same T-shirt I gave her to sleep in the first night I brought her home.

I left it here on purpose. Like to lay awake at night and wonder if she found it.

If she wears it to bed. Seeing her in it now is like waving a red flag at a raging bull.

“I don’t want to do this right now, Derek—no, you called me , remember?

” She lets out an exasperated sigh and picks her head up to push her long, chestnut hair out of her face.

“This isn’t helping, Derek. None of this is—” The movement of the bedroom door being pushed open catches in the corner of her eye and she turns toward it, towards me.

Seeing me standing here doesn’t seem to surprise her. It’s almost like she’s been sitting there waiting for me.

“I have to go,” she says into the phone. “Yeah—see you tomorrow.” She pulls the phone away from her ear and I can hear him, spewing about how much he misses her. How glad he is that she’s agreed to meet with him. How relieved he’ll be when they can put this whole thing behind them and move on.

Whether he knows it or not, he’s talking about me.

I’m the thing he can’t wait for her to put behind her.

Walk away from.

Hanging up on him, mid-sentence, Ellenore sets her phone on the nightstand and stands. Pulling back the covers on the bed, she slides between the sheets before reaching for the lamp and clicking off the light.