Chapter 2

TWO

ALEXA

Beau has no chance of staying celibate.

I quickly learned of his so-called habits in the short time we’ve been close. Let’s get totally honest here—the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.

Rocky had quite a colorful past which he loves to talk about with no shame whatsoever. Supposedly, it was in his college years pre-Nikki, and women fell into his bed like he was some sex God.

The stories become more detailed when he’s had a bit to drink. By that stage, I’ve usually walked out of the room, trying to erase what I’d just heard. The only one who truly enjoyed listening was Eric. Nikki would roll her eyes and then start an argument with him about how she’s the best he’s ever had.

So, it comes as no surprise that Will followed in his father’s footsteps before Millie grabbed him by the balls and made him settle down. Once, I heard Mom talking to Aunt Adriana about how she always thought Will would grow into a quiet man who would settle down and have a family. She never expected him to become one of those billionaires who slept around to satisfy their ego.

Then, Millie happened. End of manwhore story.

As for Beau, he’s just like his dad and older brother. It’s not like he treats women badly since he makes it clear he only wants sex. Sure, the women gullible, but they also think they can get him to settle. Pathetic is a more accurate word to describe them.

“You’re not wearing that.”

My eyes drop, observing the black bodycon dress I chose to wear tonight. The sheer long sleeves are light enough so I don’t overheat, yet they are able to protect me from the cool night air if I’m standing outside.

“Don’t get all alpha on me,” I drag, carefully trying to apply my lipstick while Beau questions me like he has the right to do so. “Welcome to the generation of women wearing whatever they want without having to explain themselves. Besides, it’s not revealing anything.”

Beau shakes his head with an exaggerated groan. “It’s showing every single curve. Not to mention your legs.”

“What’s wrong with my legs?”

“Nothing, that’s the problem. You’ve got hot legs.”

I ignore his stupid whining and focus on my lips. Glancing at the mirror, I press them together to finish off.

“Okay, I’m ready.” I turn around, only now paying attention to what Beau is wearing. He’s dressed differently tonight in a buttoned dark gray shirt rolled up at the sleeves, making it slightly less formal. Unlike the shorts he usually wears, he’s opted for black dress pants. Of course, he’s wearing his Jordans because he’s a sneaker fanatic. I’m sure the ones he is wearing cost him a fortune. “You know, for someone who shook on it about no sex, you look like someone trying to get sex.”

Beau purses his lips, gazing at me with an annoyed expression.

“About that…”

“Uh uh.” I shake my head quickly. “If you’re breaking the pact, I’m breaking the pact.”

“No fucking chance in hell you’re breaking the pact,” he states adamantly.

“Well then, end of discussion. Let’s go.”

The great thing about Manhattan is the social scene. There is always something on, no matter what night of the week. I’d fallen into the habit of becoming a homebody, or should I say dorm body. Beau hated it, given he always wanted to go out.

Tonight’s scene differs slightly from our usual bar hop or rooftop events. Some girl at NYU is hosting the party at her father’s penthouse. Her father is some billionaire known for oil or something of that matter.

It’s ironic, really, me heading to some trust fund baby’s party and acting like it’s not the world I come from.

Upon arrival, everyone oohs and aah at just how grand the penthouse apartment is. Sure, it’s a showstopper, so I joined in, pretending it was the best thing I’d ever seen.

Beau bites the corner of his lip to lean in and whisper. “You’re great at faking it. Should we tell her Lex is wealthier than her daddy?”

My elbow knocks into his ribs. “No Lex talk. Let her have her moment.”

“You don’t want a moment?”

“Please, I’m not Ava.”

“Ah.” He grins, then grabs my hand. “Touché. We need drinks.”

I follow his lead to the bar. Every bottle imaginable is showcased on the glass shelves behind where the bartender is serving. Vodka, gin, whisky, rum, and of course, the deadly bottle of tequila. My body shudders, remembering all the times I’ve made friends with the toilet bowl after consuming numerous shots.

After what has been an exhausting week, I opt to take things easy tonight, unlike many others who have already drunk themselves into a stupor.

“Two shots,” Beau yells to the bartender over the noise.

My head shakes. “No shots, just something easy. Vodka and tonic.”

“Okay,” he answers, then rolls his eyes. “Vodka and tonic for the princess.”

It doesn’t take long for the bartender to serve us the drinks. Beau throws it back in one hit, unaffected by the potent taste of tequila. He’s quick to order another while I enjoy nursing my vodka and tonic.

The truth is, I’m damn grateful to be here. Life could have taken some really bad turns with some of the shitty decisions I’ve made, but right now, I’m considering myself blessed.

“What’s with the smile?” Beau questions though smiling himself.

I lean in, resting my head on his shoulder. “Just glad to be here.”

His lips find their way to the top of my head, kissing it gently. “Me too.”

Beau insists we dance since the grand living room has been transformed into a large dancefloor. It’s not like I don’t want to, but I was happy enjoying the people-watching. Though, tonight, Beau seems on edge. He can’t seem to sit still like something is on his mind. It’s probably withdrawals from not having sex.

Yep, I bet that’s it. Typical guy behavior.

We dance forever because the DJ spins really good mixes, and you don’t want to stop dancing. My vodka and tonic are long gone, but it doesn’t matter. It is just so good to lose yourself in the music without the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Nothing can bring me down now. Just like the old people always say to me, the world is my oyster. Whatever that means. Actually, Eric says it all the time. I’m not fond of oysters, can’t get my head around the fact they look like giant boogers. According to Eric, it’s excellent for lovemaking or enticing a person you’d like to be under, over, or both if it’s three-way.

My heart is racing as I try to catch my breath. We’re both drenched in sweat, so I pull Beau close to let him know I’m going to the bathroom. He nods, half ignoring me as he has already had a number of shots.

I make my way to the bathroom, one of apparently six in this penthouse, which thankfully only has one person waiting. As I wait in line, I quickly grab my phone to see thirty notifications on my screen. What the hell? I missed all calls from my sisters but a good number from Ava. The last text she sent was in shouty capitals, saying CALL ME.

Quickly dialing her number, I block my other ear to be able to hear.

“Oh my god, Alexa,” Ava shouts through the speaker. “Can you hear me?”

The girl in front of me, who entered quickly, exited just as quickly, freeing the bathroom. I enter and lock the door behind me, relishing in the quiet though my ears are still ringing from the music.

“I can hear you better. Is anything wrong? You guys are blowing up my phone. Are Mom and Dad okay?”

“They’re fine,” Ava rushes. “Are you sitting down?”

“I’m about to sit down on the toilet.”

“So, I guess you haven’t heard?”

“What?”

“There was an article published online today…”

“Ava,” I say impatiently. “Just spit it out.”

“Hunter is expecting a child with April’s mom.”

The words are ringing, or maybe it’s still the music, making it difficult to process. Did she just say Hunter knocked up Kathy? I shake my head in an effort to clear the noise.

“What did you just say?”

“I said April’s mom is pregnant with Hunter’s baby,” Ava trails off, then sighs. “Look, it leaked online late this afternoon. I wasn’t sure if you knew because I know you’re that rare breed who doesn’t live on social media. Also, I wasn’t sure if you wanted to talk about it, but I thought you should at least know. Look, Alexa, he’s a jerk, okay?”

A giant lump has formed inside my throat, making it hard to swallow or speak. As I stand in the middle of this fancy bathroom with way too much gold, my body becomes completely numb.

If she’s pregnant with his baby right now, it means he was fucking her while fucking you.

“Alexa, talk to me, please. Don’t bottle this up. Just blurt out how you feel. It’s me… I will never judge you.”

“I… I,” my stutter makes it difficult to say the words, which stab me in a thousand ways I never imagined possible. “I thought it was just us.”

“Men are … dicks,” Ava states firmly.

“He was fucking her when he was with me?” I beg the question, unable to stop nausea from building inside my stomach. “He insisted it was just me.”

“Again, men know how to manipulate the situation when they want sex. Especially if sex is with Lex Edwards’ daughter.”

Suddenly, the numb feeling is replaced by heat spreading all over my body. How fucking dare he.

“Ava, I have to go.”

“Alexa, don’t text him,” Ava warns.

“Trust me, Ava. I won’t go anywhere near him. I never want to see him for the rest of my life.”

I hang up the phone, fueled with anger. My hand reaches out to the door, exiting the bathroom without even using it. I’m now a woman on a mission, ready to get drunk and pretend Hunter Cash never existed.

First stop—the bar.

Unlike Beau, I don’t order one shot but a round of them. The second he serves them, I start with the first. By the time I hit the third, Beau has found me.

“Hey there, crazy, slow down. What the hell happened for you to be drinking like this? I thought you wanted to take it easy?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, so can I join in?”

A smile graces my lips. “Much appreciated, buddy.”

It doesn’t take long for us to fall into a fit of laughter and prank Eric because we always do this when we’ve had too much to drink. We usually borrow someone else’s phone, so Eric doesn’t know the number. We’ve pretended to be random people, all of which Eric panics over and tries to hold the conversation so as not to look stupid. Once, we pretended to be his internet provider and questioned him over his unusually high downloads, to which we said we could check to see what sites he had been visiting. The panic during that call was priceless.

This time, Eric doesn’t pick up, much to our disappointment.

“Boo.” I pout, handing the phone back to the nice guy beside me. “Eric is such a whore. No one is as fun to prank as him.”

“We’ll just have to start pranking my dad.” Beau laughs.

My eyes widen. “Oh, Rocky is an easy target.”

We ask kindly for the phone back, then dial Rocky’s number. I quickly clear my throat, trying to speak with a different voice. The music makes it hard, so we leave the room and head outside to the foyer.

“Hello?”

“Is this Rocky… Rocky Romano?”

“Yes, this is he.”

“It’s Darla Jean.”

“Sorry, Darla Jean, is it? Can I ask what this call is about?”

Beau bites his lip, stopping himself from laughing.

“It’s me, Darla Jean, from college,” I say in my best country accent. “Remember, I used to ride you like a crazy cowgirl and call you my rockin’ cowboy.”

There’s silence between us as I try to hold back my laughter, but the tears are coming out of my eyes. “Don’t you remember me? You were a naughty boy … especially when you wore my panties around campus. Dirty boy.”

“But… I… who is this?” Rocky questions in panic.

I hit end call, falling to the ground from laughing so hard. The guy we borrowed the phone from runs outside, finding us with an annoyed stare.

“Can I have my phone back, please?”

I hand it back, thanking him, just as Beau grabs my arm to help me up. Somehow, we manage to calm down enough to walk outside and take a cab back to the dorm, but not without a wave of laughter every time we reminisce about the squeal of panic in Rocky’s voice.

As we stumble through the campus to our rooms, Beau insists on making sure I get back safely. He holds his tequila much better than me, a pro at this whole getting drunk business.

In front of my door, I fumble for my keys and then manage to open my door.

“Alexa,” Beau grabs my arm and stops me just as we enter the room. “What got to you tonight?”

I bow my head, embarrassed to talk about it. Then, I think, who fucking cares. The damage is done.

“Ava told me Hunter is expecting a child. A child he conceived while I was sleeping with him.”

Beau remains quiet. I don’t blame him. What is there to say besides the fact I’m the idiot here in believing a man was faithful to me?

“I’m sorry, I guess.”

I cross my arms, tilting my head. “You’re sorry, you guess? The guy cheated on me. It makes me feel like shit, even though we aren’t together. No one wants to be cheated on.”

“Yeah, you aren’t together. You know, you weren’t innocent in all this. He was married,” he responds with a cold tone. “Move on. If you want to get him back because you’re angry, then I’m here, Alexa.”

“What does that even mean, Beau?”

His gaze fixates on mine, but his eyes are blazing, full of something I can’t quite understand. Anger, frustration, or perhaps he is channeling how I feel.

Then, he places his hands on my cheeks, bringing his lips to mine. The warmth of his kiss spreads all over me, but he quickly pulls away.

Trying to catch my breath, Beau leans in to whisper, “Revenge, Alexa. We break the pact right here, right now.”

“Beau…” I gulp, trying to control whatever is consuming me right now. “We shouldn’t… we’re friends.”

He pulls back, the fire in his eyes burning even brighter. “And sometimes, friends need each other. It’ll be our little secret. No one will know but us.”

The intensity of his stare leaves me breathless.

Revenge sex—I can do this.

It’s just one time.

“We need to agree it’s just this one time. No feelings, nothing. Breaking the pact, only for tonight.” I extend my hand to shake on it. “Deal?”

Beau reaches out, but instead, wraps his hand around my waist and smashes his lips onto mine, kicking the door closed with his foot. His hands quickly move to beneath my dress, grabbing my ass firmly before lifting me up and carrying me to the bed.

As he lays me down and hovers above me, I stare into his deep blue eyes.

“Just one time… Alexa. That’s all we both need.”