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Build You Up 40
Missy POV“Everything okay?” I asked as we walked towards the house together.“Everything is fine, but, uh, I might not be about to spend the night tonight like I’d planned.”I furrow my brows at his worried expression. “Oh, well, that’s okay. You have a big day tomorrow. You must have a lot to get ready for tonight.”He laughs without any humor, “You could say that.”His response leaves me confused, but I don’t want to press him. If he wants to talk about whatever is bothering him to me, he will. We walk together into my kitchen and he sets my bag down on the table. I guess I can put away the food I bought for dinner. I’ll just bake myself a baked potato tonight and we can eat the rest of the food later this weekend, I’m sure. Maybe I can get a few more steaks and bring them to his house for Sunday dinner. “I, uh, have to get my stuff loaded up and then I’ll come back in to tell you bye.”I nod and offer him a small smile, but my heart isn’t really in it. I know something is bugging
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Adrian POV“And I have no right to be upset, I suppose. It’s not like we are more than sex partners right now anyway. My opinion doesn’t matter, Adrian, so just do what you have to do.”I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Does Missy really just see us that way? Sex partners? Like, friends with benefits? What the fuck? I’m thinking about marrying her, but she just sees us as sex friends? Is that all she wanted from me?No. I can’t believe that. She was a fucking virgin before me. And just this morning she was talking about Hailey having her own room here. She wouldn’t offer something like that if all she saw me as was a sex friend. She isn't the type of girl to have a sex friend. She’s just mad. I can’t blame her, since I would be pissed too if the roles were reversed, but the way she called us just sex partners has anger burning in my chest. Fuck being sex partners. I could have that with any woman. I wanted to be with Missy for the long haul, and when she talks like that, it so
Build You Up 42
Missy POVWhat a horrible night. My eyes are swollen and puffy from crying all night. After Adrian left and I calmed down, I felt so guilty and awful for lashing out at Adrian the way I did. I let my own insecurities dictate the way I had handled the situation. I knew it wasn’t my place to make him feel bad for things out of his control, but the similarities between what he was telling me and what I overheard my father say to his mistresses all those years ago had all my defenses going up. Hearing him tell me he loved me before he walked out the door did me in. I curled into a ball on the couch and cried for hours until the smell of burning potato broke me out of my delirium. The kitten was roaming the house, mewling for her bottle of milk, my dinner was ruined, and my heart was breaking because of my own flippancy. I turned off the oven, set the burned rock that was once a potato in a bowl of water in the sink, fed the kitten, then went to bed. My guilt was eating away at me, but
Build You Up 43
“Did you see those two at the market earlier? Adrian and Monica with their little girl? It’s about time those two worked out their differences. A child needs both of her parents.”“That little girl looked so ecstatic holding both of their hands. It was picture perfect really,” the women talk amongst themselves. I cringe at the topic. Was Adrian at the farmer's market with Monica and Hailey?“She looks just like her mother. I know she was a bit wild before, but Monica Anderson really did look like a mother with her child today. And the way Adrian Brewer was doting on them. Did you see the way he would smile at his daughter? Monica had stars in her eyes while watching him help the little girl ride that pony in the petting zoo.”“It’s about time they settled down and became a real family. Do you think that wedding bells are coming soon? Is that why Monica was back in town? She hasn’t been back in years.”“Lord, I hope so. Like I said, a child needs both of their parents in their life. Ad
Build You Up 44
24 hours prior…. Adrian POVMissy’s face as her tears spilled over tore at me the whole way while driving to the bank. I wish I had time to stay and make things better, to kiss away her worries and reassure her that she was the only woman that could ever have my heart, but I can’t let my daughter down. After tomorrow, I will do whatever I can to make this up to her. I believe in us. I believe that we can overcome this. I parked in the lot, and before I went in, I decided to count the money Missy paid me to see exactly how much I needed to withdraw while I was there. I pulled the thick stack of cash from the envelope, my brows pulling inward when I saw it was all hundreds and not twenties like I was expecting. My eyes filled with tears by the third time counting it. She overpaid me. By a lot. Even while pissed at me, she paid me knowing I would need the money for my daughter, and she had made it so I didn’t have to pull another cent from the bank. This, combined with the money I ha
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“You have a girlfriend? I thought you said you didn’t?” Monica scoffs. I shrugged, “I didn’t when you asked. It’s a new thing. We started dating this past week. I’ve liked her for a while, but just got brave enough to go for it when I saw other men were interested in her too.”She scrunches her face, tilting her head while thinking. “Wait. Is it that one girl? The one you said was dating Chris?”I said nothing. I didn’t tell her Missy was dating Chris. That was Britt, but I didn’t deny it either. I don’t want to call my sister a liar in front of my ex. “Wow, she making her way through all the decent men in this town?” she huffs, crossing her arms. I glared down at her at the hypocritical and untrue statement. “No. She never dated Chris, but Chris tried. She is not that kind of woman.”She scoffs at me. “So you have some other woman lined up to play mother to my daughter?”Hailey was momentarily distracted while looking at a booth with homemade candies, cookies and other sweets, but
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“Yay! I’ll go tell my friends bye,” she cheers, running back to say bye to the group of girls. Monica heads back to the bench to get her jacket and bag while I stand there talking to my sister and dad. “What about Missy?” Brittany hisses at me. “What if she comes? I already told her a few days ago that I would see her there tonight.”I pursued my lips, thinking about that possibility. “Well, I told Monica about Missy. She seems okay with it now, and after what happened with Missy yesterday, I think she will likely give us space tonight. If she does show up, it shouldn’t be a big deal. Monica knows Missy is my girlfriend and not to mess with her.”“You think the witch will listen?” Brittany grumbles. "Don't be an idiot. You know she isn't the type to listen to shit you tell her."I gave her a disapproving look. “You guys will be there and it’s her last day with Hailey. I don’t think it’s that big of a deal.”My dad huffs loudly. “Well, what’s one more meal? You can play nice for a bi
Build You Up 47
As soon as we were back at home, I apologized to Hailey, gave her a big kiss on the forehead, then ran to my father’s truck to head straight out to find Missy. He always keeps his keys in the cupholder, so I was out of our driveway, speeding down the gravel road before the rest of my family even had time to fully get out of my truck. Brittany flipped me the bird as I drove past, still pissed at me over letting Monica join us. She didn’t talk to me the whole way home, and took the passenger seat like a brat while my dad drove, forcing me to sit in my own backseat. I didn’t fight with her over it. I know I fucked up and she’s right to be pissed at me. Shit. I forgot my phone was dead. I pulled my phone out to try and call Missy, but it was still off. My dad doesn’t keep a charger in his truck either. I tried going to her house first, but she wasn’t there. No one was. The ugly green Saturn was nowhere to be seen. I don’t know why she didn’t have her car earlier, but it’s not at her h
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