Page 58 of Beautiful Monster

My nerves do not calm much when I notice a pair of long legs and a headful of blonde hair step out of the car. As I pull into my drive and pop the trunk, Lea slides up next to me with a smile on her face that used to light a spark in my dick…but doesn’t anymore.

“Alexander Caldwell, did you just go grocery shopping?” she asks with a sugar-sweet grin.

I smile back, faking the pleasantries as she comes in for a hug. “Even single guys have to eat.”

When she pulls back to look at me, ruffling my hair and rubbing the three-day scruff on my face, I worry she can see the guilt in my expression. Like what I did to Sunny last night left marks on my body, and she’ll be able to spot it in seconds. “The suburbs look good on you,” she says. I know for a fact that I look much better than how I used to look in the city. On account of all the sleep, better diet, and no drugs or alcohol.

“Thanks, Lea. To what do I owe the surprise?” I hoist the two paper bags under my arm and shut the trunk, hoping she’ll leave without walking into the house.

“Oh, just checking in on you. I don’t see you online much anymore, and I miss you. Thought we could do brunch.”

She follows me into the house, and in my head, I’m making all kinds of excuses and lies for why I can’t go out with her right now when the only reason I can’t is that I just fucking don’t want to. But for some stupid reason, I’m too afraid to just say that. I’m also internally panicking, knowing that she’s about to be face-to-face with Sunny, and I can’t quite put my finger on why that freaks me out.

She doesn’t stop talking as we walk into the kitchen, going on and on about our friends and what they’ve been up to since I moved—which isn’t anything new, so no surprise there. While she talks, it feels as if she’s talking about a different life led by a different person. This isn’t me anymore, and it occurs me in this moment…I don’t miss it.

As I drop the bags on the counter, I peek around the window to see Sunny in the same spot working on the upper half of the wall. She has the music playing as she works, loud enough that we can hear it in the house. Lea doesn’t seem to notice yet.

“So, what do you say?” she asks, looking at me expectantly.

“Sorry, what?”

She laughs. “I was inviting you to brunch or…” She steps toward me slowly, running her hands up my chest. I bristle at the touch. “We can do whatever you want.”

I step away from her, busying myself with putting away the groceries.

“Um…now’s not a great day, Lea. I have stuff to do around the house.” I gesture toward the pool like a fucking idiot, at which she turns her head and sees Sunny’s movement.

“You have workers in the pool house?”

“Just someone painting a mural on the wall,” I answer casually, rubbing the back of my neck.

It clearly piques her interest. Without another word, she walks out the patio door and toward the pool house. I bolt toward her as if I could stop her. “Oh my gosh, it’s gorgeous, Alexander,” she drawls, looking at me as if I’m the one painting it.

Sunny turns and stares at the woman with her pretty dark brows pinched inward and her bow-shaped lips pressed together. Her eyes dance from Lea to me, as if to ask, Who the fuck is this?

I scratch the back of my neck. “The credit is due to the artist.” I try to apologize to her with my eyes. Less than twenty-four hours after I had her writhing with pleasure on her bed, and now I’m standing here with another woman.

“Aren’t you adorable?” Lea squeaks toward her.

Sunny’s scowl deepens.

Lea walks over, sizing up the painting, and I watch my girl squirm, her music blaring from the speaker.

“This is Sunny Thorn,” I say, introducing her, trying to act normal. “The most talented artist in Pineridge.”

Sunny glances at me, her tight-lipped expression focused on my face. Naturally, she’s silent. Which means she’s not happy. I want to pull her off of that scaffolding and show this woman that Sunny is so much more to me than an adorable artist.

Lea looks back at me with something sneaky in her eyes. Turning her back to Sunny, she saunters toward me. “You’ve changed, Alexander Caldwell.”

Then she leaves me standing in front of Sunny, feeling like the world’s biggest piece of shit as Lea disappears into the house with a “come fuck me” face on.

“She’s just leaving,” I murmur.

Sunny shrugs, acting like it doesn’t matter to her. And maybe it shouldn’t…but it does.

“I didn’t invite her,” I whisper. “I had no idea.”

“It’s fine. Just go or you’ll raise suspicion.”