Make Me (Sterling Shore Series #10)(35)

She clears her throat and takes a deep breath.

"He's not home. I let myself in," she decides to say, as though she's explaining things.

More ice chills my vein, and I quirk an eyebrow.

Her eyes widen again. Why does she act so terrified?

"I never drop off mail when he's here," she goes on, then grimaces. "Look, this is sounding terrible no matter how I say it. You know how predictable Dale is, so obviously his birthday is his entry code. He didn't give me his code, but like I said … predictable-it was easy to figure it out. I drop off mail, and we avoid each other. He's definitely over me. I'm over him. I'm not a crazy ex with any sort of lingering feelings or lurking jealousy. I'm actually thrilled he's with someone. Maybe Rain will quit plotting my death. Do you know the last character who died in her book was named Fiona? She was stabbed eighty-two times. I worry she'll eventually lose touch with the thin line between reality and fantasy if she keeps fixating on killing me. She's not above real physical altercations either."

For some reason, I have to work hard at not smiling.

"His car is out front. So what made you assume he's not here?"

Her brow furrows. "The Sterlings are all at Dane's today. Everyone knows when the Sterlings get together … " She lets her words trail off, and something akin to pity crosses her eyes. Why is she pitying me? "Right. I should go. I'm sure they're expecting you, and I was really just dropping off mail. I brought a change of address card to have the rest forwarded here, but Dale probably won't pay it any attention. He never does. But you might. It's just for the mail that slipped through the cracks when he moved. Sorry. Again. And I genuinely am happy for him. And for you. Good luck."

She practically sprints out of the den. I never expected my first encounter with her to be so … anticlimactic. I definitely anticipated some ex-girlfriend drama eventually. And worried about it for nothing.

"Harley," she says, peering around the corner, drawing my attention back to her brittle smile. "I mean it. Good luck. The Sterlings are a force when they're together. Just worry about Dale, and ignore the others. Don't try to fit in with them. It's the only way it'll ever work. We weren't right for each other, but I do want him happy."

"Thanks … I think."

She just nods, and I shake my head. Weirdest day ever.

I don't think any ex has ever sounded more sincere. I liked it better when I had her pegged as a cheating slut with no unselfish thoughts. She was always unpleasant back in school, even though she was younger and I didn't deal with her much.

But then her words slowly start to register, and I start understanding why she was pitying me.

Dale is at a party. With his friends and family. And I blatantly let on that I had no idea such a party was taking place.



       
         
       
        

And I wasn't invited.

Why the hell wasn't I invited?

Britt didn't mention anything at the office. I left her there when I thought I was going to see my dad at last.

I try calling Dale, but it goes straight to voicemail. I call Britt instead, and she answers promptly.

"Hi," she says simply.

"Is there a party going on with the Sterlings today?" I ask, confused.

"Carrie," she says, sounding distracted.

"Carrie?"

"My niece. Rain and Dane are having a small party for her school friends. The school sent a note stating she wasn't socializing with the others in her class, and they were concerned. Rain thought she'd watch how Carrie interacted with the others. Angel appears to be her only friend. Personally, I never had friends. I think this is all unnecessary."

Now I have no idea how to feel. I feel like I should have been invited. At the same time, this is a little too personal for a new girlfriend, right? Hell if I know.

I hang up, not even bothering to let Britt know why I asked about a party I wasn't invited to.

I should have at least been told of its existence.

I glance at my watch, seeing it's almost four.

I'm definitely overreacting. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't assume I'm automatically involved in whatever he's involved in just because we're a couple.

I also shouldn't let my feelings be hurt over something so insignificant.

We have sex all the time, and we know the past. But it's like Dale never bothers to tell me his present. I suppose I do the same thing. I don't want this to be casual, and things like this make it feel very casual.

Funny how he griped about never feeling passion, yet it feels like that's all we're sharing now.

I go back to the office, realizing my fantasy has just met reality. In the fantasy, there's always hot sex. In the fantasy, you just see the happily ever after.

In reality, you forget you have to work for that happily ever after. I know Dale does care about me for more than sex. That became evident when he rushed me to the ER for a small scratch.

When I get back to the office, they're still scrambling to make my newest baby work. I just pass by all the hustle and excitement-and grousing from Frank-and drop into my office chair to call Finn and ask for that favor about extending his takeover day.

Well, and another favor. I'll owe him one now.

As I finish out my day lost in my own head, I try to think of how exactly this conversation is going to go. Probably not as well as I want it to.

Reality sucks.

Fantasy is much better.

Now I remember why I'm a hermit gamer. 

One more thing occurs to me, and I page my assistant, using that handy little app she installed on my computer. She pokes her head into my office door.

"Yes, Ms. Hayden?"

"Do I have social media accounts?" I ask, remembering Fiona's comment.

She frowns. "Yes, ma'am. You have several. I've been running them since you hired me."

I nod absently. "I'm going to need access to all those. In the future, let me know when I have a relationship status update."

She pales. "Yes, ma'am."

It's hard to know what's going on in Dale's life if I don't even know what's going on in mine.





Chapter 32



DALE



It's after eight before I finish playing catchup from all the things I got behind on over the past week. Then on top of that, I had Carrie's party to attend. I actually had to cut my phone off because of all the business calls I've been neglecting since we came back from Aspen. But today, I had a different job to do, and all else got put on hold.

Again.

Dane thought it would help if we basically intimidated all the other parents of the kids who are essentially shunning Carrie.

Parents have been properly intimidated.

Carrie won't be shunned anymore.

Rain confided the real reason to us when we were all trying to convince her to skip this and spare Carrie any embarrassment from people forcing their kids to the house.

Obviously we changed our minds when we found out the truth.

Seriously, people should just lead with the truth and skip the vague bullshit that never works.

Speaking of truth, I still owe a lot of that to Harley.

Harley has just been showing up after work whenever I don't show up at her work, so I'm confused as to why she's not here by now. I got home by six, because that's about the time she's been leaving the office. I wanted to make sure not to miss her.

Curious, I call her phone, but it goes straight to voicemail.

So I call her work instead, and...no one is apparently working late tonight.

Putting my shoes back on, I lock up and walk over to her house, since she's not far away.

I knock on her door, and hear something crash on the other side, followed by a litany of curses. Why does Harley sound drunk?

Why didn't she come over? Hell, why didn't she call?

The door suddenly swings open, and … she frowns when she sees me. Never a good sign.

"We have too much sex," she states, and I decide maybe I don't like all blunt confessions.

"Too much sex?" I echo.

She staggers back, and I quickly go to steady her, stepping into the house and kicking the door shut as I keep her from weaving.

"Yes. No more sex for us for a long time," she grumbles. "I've never had a real relationship. Not one. How is that possible?"

I look around, wondering what in the hell I've just stepped into, before my eyes settle on her again. "What?"

"Never," she says again, throwing her arms up before huffing out a breath and walking away. "Not a healthy, real relationship with all the feels. I don't even like to cuddle. Well, I do with you. But of course you're the exception to every rule I have. Because we were never meant to happen. We're going against the universe!"

She laughs, and I start worrying she's done more than drink. In fact, I'm positive she has when I spot the smoking blunt in the ashtray and finally take in the very herbal aroma surrounding me.

"You're smoking weed?"

She gives me a dry look. "I'm a gamer." She says that as though it's supposed to explain absolutely everything. "You should know this about me. This is what I'm talking about."



       
         
       
        

I have no idea what we're talking about.

"Why are we going against the universe?" I decide to ask, trying to follow her line of rambling. "And why didn't you come over or call?"