Page 98 of It's About Time
My eyes drift over to the main building of the winery where she is. “Fuck. She’s…”
But I don’t get a chance to finish my sentence because someone is tapping on my shoulder from behind. I turn around and come face to face with Tori.
“What do you want?” I snap.
Tori’s eyes bounce between me and the guys. She plants a hand on her hip, her pleading demeanor from earlier long gone. It’s wild to me that I never noticed how quickly she could flip a switch between two personalities before. Just another way this woman blinded me with her deception and acting abilities.
“You know what I find interesting?” she asks.
When I don’t respond, she keeps going. “Every time you and Dilynne touch, it seems to be initiated byher, like it’s unnatural for you to touch her first. You were never like that with me.” She tilts her head. “Which makes sense, considering you two could barely stand each other before.”
I step closer, lowering my voice. “Sounds like you just can’t accept the fact that I’ve moved on.”
Her eyes narrow, but she remains silent.
“You should worry a lot less about what I’m doing and a hell of a lot more about whatever mess you’ve gotten yourself into with my dad.”
With wide eyes, she goes to speak, but I’m not finished. “You need to leave. And you can tell my father that whatever little plan the two of you schemed up isn’t going to work.”
She lifts her chin. “You have no idea what you’re talking about.”
Holding her gaze, I say, “I know more than you think. Yeah, that’s right. I heard you’re little conversation outside by the dumpsters. And I know my father… Whatever you think you’re getting out of this won’t be worth it.”
Her eyes flicker, just for a second, and that’s all the confirmation I need. With a huff, she whirls around and storms off, leaving me alone with Rhonan and Fletcher again.
Fletcher slaps me on the back. “Proud of you, my friend.”
I blow out a frustrated breath. “I seriously don’t know what I ever saw in her.”
“You think telling her you know she’s up to something with your dad was a good idea?” Rhonan asks.
I shrug. I know I shouldn’t have shown my cards to Tori right away, but fuck, the woman just won’t stop. And she wouldn’t stop trying to allude to the truth of mine and Dilynne’s relationship. So, the only thing I could think of was to throw her dishonesty right back in her face. “Probably not, but I hope I made a point.”
“She was right about one thing, though,” Rhonan says, pulling Fletcher’s and my attention to him.
“What do you mean?”
“You aren’t as affectionate with Dilynne as you were with her,” he clarifies.
Leaning closer to him, I lower my voice. “It’s kind of hard to touch her like that in front of our friends, especially her brother.”
“But you should,” he counters, a smirk appearing on his lips. “In fact, I think you showing her affection in front of everyone you’re close to would help sell the arrangement even more.”
Fletcher’s grin grows as he nods. “Yeah, I think Rhonan is right. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to see if your feelings for her are reciprocated.”
My eyes bounce back and forth between them. “You realize that Dilynne could potentially castrate me if I kissed her the way I wanted to in front of everyone, right?”
Rhonan shrugs. “Maybe, maybe not. Only one way to find out, isn’t there?”
There’s a hint of a challenge in his voice and before I can talk myself out of it, I head toward the main building, feeling them right behind me, itching to get back to my friends, my real family, and Dilynne.
My blood is humming as I cross the courtyard, admiring the people around me whose lives seem so much simpler—no deceit, no anxiety, no feelings threatening to overtake you or lust you don’t know how to deal with.
My mind keeps repeating her name over and over as I march toward the building.
Get to Dilynne.
Touch Dilynne.
