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"That’s not the only probleh," Emma protested "He annoysabout ways to kill hiht This is bad, but I’ve even wished he didn’t have a brother or sister so there would be no one tolook "You’re kind of a scary person so Gray in the beginning, too, but never seriously pondered ways to hide his body" Pointing to the to-go box on their table, she added, "That’s probably cold and soggy by now I told you to order it after ere finished"
Eave her friend an evil set their own lunch don’t have much say in how their food arrives He’ll just send me down the hall to theup, Brant was surprised to see his sister, Ava, standing in the doorway "Where’s Emone on one of her usual long lunches She should be back in about three hours, give or take a fewhim, he knew this wasn’t just casual chitchat Ava was ht to the point The fact that she seemed nervous made his stomach roll It was his job as her older brother to worry about her
"What’s wrong?" he asked, unable to hide the concern in his voice
Ava sighed "It’s Alexia"
He looked at her blankly for a moment There hadn’t been any mention of that name in a couple of years, and it hit hi happened to her? Aletting married, Brant"
For a o when his world was rocked to its foundation Alexia Shaw had been the daughter of a business associate They had met at a party, and he had i years avoiding any serious involvement with the opposite sex, he was officially smitten Alexia had been homeschooled and a naive twenty-one-year-old when they met They had started out as friends, but after the first few ressed quickly and they had sex for the first tiht out a softer, more relaxed side of hi for a year, he had proposed and she had tearfully accepted Their wedding was three months ahen she lad Her family had been so protective that she didn’t have any close friends, and he thought it would be good for her
Things had started off innocently enough: atrip Unfortunately, under Josie’s tutelage, things progressed into trips to clubs, bars and God knohat else Suddenly, his sweet Alexia was staying out all night or co to his apartment drunk so that her parents wouldn’t know So fro calls and when he did catch her, she was vague and distant Of course he had tried talking to her, but she didn’t sees ca dinner, she had texted someone When he asked, she said that it was Josie She excused herself near the end of the meal to use the restroom He quickly paid the check, ainst the wall outside the bathroo on her phone As he approached her quietly fro to a man The sexual elements of the conversation were still seared in his head to this day She finished the call and turned around He saw a uilt before her expression turned defiant He motioned her in front of him and they walked outside When they neared his car, she whirled around, al!" When he just looked at her in shock over the scene unfolding, she sneered "Ohhh no, Brant Stone would never air his dirty laundry in public What would it take, honey, for you to lose control?"
He had put his hand on her shoulder, trying to calm her down But her eyes ild and her hter was shrill enough to h for both of us I’ve had to live like that my whole life, and I don’t want to do it anymore" Brant was even more unnerved that her ned
When he protested, trying to convince her to get in the car so that they could return home to talk, she had put her hand on his cheek and ser had evaporated quickly, leaving only sadness in its wake "It never will be the place" She took off her engageood man, Brant, a otten out from under my father’s thumb without you Because of you, I can finally bewhen Josie’s car pulled up beside the his pleas, she sier door to her friend’s car He’d stood rooted to the spot long after the taillights had faded away In the days to come, he had tried to reach her, but she had officially severed ties with him It appeared that she had cut her family out of her life as well In the blink of an eye, his entire future had changed--and he had had no idea what had caused the landslide
From then on, he kept to himself and licked his wounds in private After all, Alexia was right--he did not lose controlever His grandfather had drue Always control the situation and those involved
Maybe it was a lesson he had learned too well, but he didn’t kno to change nowit seemed safer not to He ended his business relationship with her father, which was a relief to them both, and moved on He was a survivor; he always had been
"BrantBrant, did you hearoff theback "IHow do you know that?"
Ava gave hi? Mac, of course His couess Alexia is back in the fa married Word is that her parents approve of her choice I just didn’t want you to be caught by surprise if the announcement shows up in the paper"