Loving War(90)

Seeing that you’ve managed to build a relationship with Rain makes me so happy. If nothing else, the disdain you shared for me gives you common ground. I was thrilled to learn that boy finally wised up. He always did pay his attention to the wrong Noles girl for him. Rain was Dane’s from the moment he saw her. But Kode was a fool to overlook you for so long. The day he came over here, I wept with joy and with pain.

Joy for the fact that you would be taken care of the way you deserve. Pain for the fact I’d never get to see your wedding. I’ll be surprised if I manage to last until Rain’s wedding.

Just so you know, your mother was the love of my life. I was a fool that took her for granted, the greedy man who fell in love with himself and his job and lost sight of the things in life that matter at the end. You won’t be like that. I know you won’t. Your heart is bigger than I’ve ever known. I’m just glad others are finally seeing the woman you really are.

This is wrong of me, but I can’t help it right now. Consider this the last selfish thing I ever say. I love you, Tria. Always have. Always will.



Dad.



The words of that letter replay over and over in my head. Why I read it just before Rain picked me up in the limo for her bachelorette party, I don’t know. Curiosity perhaps? Or maybe my masochistic nature overrode my needs for self-preservation.

Regardless of the reason, the words are etched into my brain forever now—my father’s last words to me. Surprisingly, they’ve given me a sense of calm, whereas they drove Rain to the brink of self-destruction.

The part that is bugging me though, is when did Kode go over there? Did he go to talk to my father? Why did he tell him about us?

I expected my questions about my father to go unanswered—that letter wasn’t long enough for him to explain everything he should have. But I didn’t expect it to introduce new questions, especially about Kode.

Dusting off the lingering effect of the confusing letter, I follow Rain into the club, trying not to mention anything that might set her off. She doesn’t need to know.

Silk is packed tonight, and I already regret the short denim shorts with frayed hems that I’m wearing when a set of creepy eyes drop to my legs. Rain’s dress is way more revealing, so I’m hoping that she steals all the attention.

My shirt is a strappy, low-cut white shirt that glows under the black lights, and my wedge-heel sandals put me at least four inches taller than my sister. Should have worn something else.

I didn’t feel like dressing up too much, but Rain demanded I change out of my T-shirt. Hell, I was proud I put on makeup and bothered to fix my hair. After seeing Kode yesterday, I spent the night crying in my bed, wishing like hell I could believe everything he was trying to say.

But it’d be the end of me if I had to go through losing him a second time. I’m barely surviving this as it is.

When he sent a text and I realized he had hacked my phone to change his contact name again, I burst into a sobbing fit of tears. In a moment of weak abandon, I sent him back a message. It was stupid. All that did was invite him to continue this game, just like me leaning against him while he was touching me last night.

Why can’t I be strong? I couldn’t resist reading that letter just as I couldn’t resist texting Kode back, although I knew both were a bad idea. Even though the letter actually gave me a sense of peace, ending the suspense I didn’t know was there, I still ignored the voice in my head that told me to stay away.

“This is way too many people,” Ash says, cursing when a guy bumps into her and spills his drink on her feet.

“Can we go somewhere else?” I ask, yelling over the loud music.

Rain frowns, seeming distracted as she searches the crowd like she’s looking for something.

“No,” she calls back. “I want to be here. This is my future husband’s club. It seems perfect for the occasion.”

Perfectly chaotic if you ask me.

People writhe together in places not meant for dancing, blocking the paths for walking, and Rain leads us up to the booth no one else is allowed to sit in besides the Sterlings.

Speaking of Sterlings… Shit.

Kode is sitting at the booth with Maverick and Corbin, and he looks like he’s ready to pull me into his lap right now. My heart thuds in my ears as he appraises me with a slow, and steady, heated gaze, scrolling his eyes up and down my legs, and slowly raking his eyes over me like a predator sizing up his prey.

“Looks like we’ve got party crashers,” Rain says with a shrug, and I glare at her.

She did this shit on purpose.

“You can sit by me,” Kode says, grinning as he slides over to make room for me. Ash and Rain climb in on the other side, both of them grinning like they plotted this whole damn thing.