Page 21 of Shallow

“Penance.”

For me. For Ellie. For Kirkland Maynard. For every sucker who’s fallen for her plastic smile and cheapwords.

And this is just thebeginning.

We stare at each other, close to a decade of unfinished business resting on our tongues. I push the mop toward her, and she hesitantly takes it, inhaling deeply as she accepts her fate. I try to hold in a laugh as she lowers her eyes and heads down thehall.

Then the front door slams and ruins mymoment.

“Well, well, well. Look what the court draggedin.”

Shiloh freezes and grips the mop. I should probably say something. Maybe do some shit to intervene, but I don’t. You can’t buy this kind ofentertainment.

The demon from my past breathes out the one name she probably never expected to. “Taryn.”

I watch them interact, feeling like a referee at a mud wrestling match. In the short time I had before Shiloh’s arrival, morbid curiosity made me wonder how my past would blend with my present. From the lack of shock in Taryn’s eyes, I have no doubt she knew about Shiloh’s return and kept it from me onpurpose.

They communicate with heated glances, one look speaking a thousand words. Friends, enemies—with Shiloh and Taryn, the distinction is about as clear as a stained-glasswindow.

“How the mighty have fallen.” Taryn is the first one to speak, flipping her long dark hair over hershoulder.

Shiloh’s fingers tighten around the mop. “I’m surprised you’re still in town. I thought you were heading to New York after graduation for that acting career you were always talkingabout?”

Shiloh’s face is stone, but I have to bite my tongue to not laugh. We both know although Taryn’s acting skills are her finest quality, her only path to stardom would be on herknees.

However,mypath of loyalties run in different lines now, so I keep my mouthshut.

“I spent some time up there but it was just too dirty for me, so I came back. I’ve done local commercials that’ve been pretty big,” Taryn shoots back, crossing the room to stand beside me. She runs her talon-like nails through my hair and kisses my cheek. “Besides, there are things here that New York will neverhave.”

“Oh? And what’sthat?”

“This fine-ass man righthere.”

As Taryn makes an unnecessary display of groping me, I focus on Shiloh’s reaction. I have to hand it to her—I was banking on shock, but in true Shiloh fashion, she watches her former best friend with detached boredom. It’s that look that makes me want to fuck Taryn on the half-assed swept floor just to get a rise out ofher.

Infact…

Snaking an arm around Taryn’s waist, I jerk her against me. Taryn sighs, but I don’t give a shit. This isn’t about her. Kissing Taryn has never been about affection, so I grab the back of her head and slam my mouth against hers. She immediately opens for me, gladly putting on a show for the woman who outshined her in every aspect of herlife.

We kiss as Shiloh watches. Taryn’s hot. My dick should be hard for her, but it’s not. It’s reacting to the woman squeezing the shit out of a wooden mophandle.

“You two are together?” Shiloh asks quietly when we finally breakapart.

Taryn wipes her mouth and smirks. “For almost sixmonths.”

Then Shiloh shocks me with a statement so far out of left field, I never even see the pitchcoming.

“This isn’t you, Carrick. You’re better thanthis.”

My body stiffens. Fuck her. She doesn’t know anything about me. For seven years, she hasn’t cared to find out. No calls. No letters. No goddamnapologies.

“Now just wait a goddamn minute, youbitch…”

I raise a hand, silencing Taryn. She pouts, but obeys regardless. “And how would you know what I am?” I glare at Shiloh, my tone so sharp it could cut glass. “It seems we all get what we deserve in theend.”

“Have you become thatcruel?”

“Have you finished mopping,Shallow?”