Page 34 of The Heartbreaker

I exited out of my texts and pulled up my Contacts, typing in Ridge’s name and number and saving it. My thumb hovered over the button to text him. Leah’s voice was in my head, telling me to do it.

But I couldn’t yet.

At least not right now—not when I still smelled like him. Not when all I could feel was him.

I was too vulnerable. Too wrapped up, and I’d end up saying the wrong thing, and before I knew it, I’d be driving to his house.

Ridge had made me break many promises tonight.

I wasn’t about to break another by texting him.

SEVEN

Ridge

“What do you want?”

That was the way Rhett answered my call. His voice snappy, loud, and extremely angry as it came through the speakers of my car.

I quickly checked the time as I slowed down for the red light. It was seven thirty in the morning, but most of the executive team didn’t roll into the office until past eight or closer to nine. Rhett was an early riser, so I knew he was awake. Most nights, he barely slept at all, and from the sound of his tone, I guessed it had been one of those evenings.

“I’ve been texting you since you left the strip club on Friday night,” I said. “Since you didn’t write me back, I wanted to make sure you were still alive.”

“It’s only Monday.”

“Which is too long to go without hearing from you. Are you doing all right?”

I was met with silence. A sound that didn’t surprise me.

Rhett wasn’t going to tell me how he was feeling. He wasn’t going to talk about the things—or in this case, the thing—bothering him. He was just going to go quiet on me, like he’d done since the joint bachelor and bachelorette party. At least he’d answered my call. At this time last year, he’d disappeared for a week and gone completely radio silent despite Dad being sick as hell.

“How about I ask this instead: do you need anything?” I inquired.

“I need a lot of fucking things.”

I let out a deep exhale. “Rhett?—”

“Unless you’re a magician, then don’t fucking ask.”

Sometimes, when it came to my older brother, it wasn’t like walking on glass. It was like walking on the tips of knives.

“How about we meet up for a drink later?—”

“Are you on your way to the office?”

I turned at the Stop sign and began to slow as I made my way down Jana’s street. “I’m headed to Jana’s.”

“To pick up Daisy? What, are you bringing her into the office?”

“We’re bringing her to school together.”

He huffed. “Aren’t you just the perfect parents?” He paused the sarcasm. “It’s too bad she has school. I wouldn’t mind ditching work and spending the day with my girl.”

Daisy was the light in my brother’s life. For as much of an asshole he was, he turned into a softy around her. And when Daisy looked at him, she didn’t see the darkness or his constant state of rage. All she saw was a man she admired and loved.

“I get her back this weekend. Why don’t you swing by on Saturday morning and take her out for the day?”

“How about I bring her back on Sunday morning? You cool with that?”