Share
CHAPTER 30
Related chapters
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 31
“I handled it just fine until I ended up playing personal assistant to three-quarters of Dirty J.” She frowned. “Is it like that everywhere you go? The girls all the time?”“You got caught up in that? Shit. They get . . . excited.”“Yeah, no kidding. Do girls often hand Aiden their underwear with their number scrawled inside?”My lips tugged up into a huge grin. “More often than you’d think.”“Classy.” She rolled her eyes. “Got any of your own?”“None that didn’t find their way into either the trash or my brothers’ pockets before I got back to my room.”I never took numbers. I never wanted numbers. Not theirs.“Really? I don’t believe that.”I shrugged. “You don’t have to, princess.”“Good thing, too,” she murmured, sipping her coffee. “Anyway. I shouldn’t have said what I did last night. It was out of order, so was pretending to go on a date with Bray. I’m sorry.”“I’d be apologizing for the shorts, personally.” My minds flashed back to that morning.And my eyes dropped to her hips,
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 32
The bitch wished.Conor continued staring at me, his eyes not flicking away for even a millisecond. “What did she tell you?”“Nothing that would bother me.”“Liar.”“Says who?”“Says your bright red cheeks. You always were a shit liar.”I snapped my eyes to him and grabbed my milk shake from the end of the table. “She tried to make me believe you two were . . . intimate . . . after I left.”Conor laughed, choking on his soda, and thumped his chest. “She told you what?”“Don’t make me say it again.” I screwed my face up and swirled my straw around my glass.“I wouldn’t fuck Tina with a ten-foot pole. No, ignore that. I wouldn’t touch her with a fifty-foot one, let alone fuck her with it.”“I don’t care.” I sipped slowly.“You should get your cheeks looked at. It can’t be good for them to be that red all the time.”“Screw you.”“You wish.”“You’re such a child.”“You bring it out in me. What can I say? I can’t help it.”“This is ridiculous. Did you really bring me to lunch so we could b
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 33
“Won’t your baby’s mom care?”“In,” he ordered me, shoving the car door open.I didn’t need telling twice. I threw myself into the car and he slammed the door. He ran around the front, shoving a photographer out of the way, and got in the driver side. He reved the engine in seconds, but it didn’t drown out their shouted questions.He pulled away from the diner. “We’ll have to go to my house. Your car will have to stay there. I’ll get you a rental.”“No point,” I muttered, sliding down in my seat. “They’ll probably know my name, address, and fucking bra size by morning.”He didn’t respond because he knew it was the truth. They’ll run the pictures and try to get as much information about the blonde girl with the scandal-surrounded singer. That was all that would matter to them.Who am I? And am I his baby’s mom?I brought my legs up and sunk my fingers into my hair, dropping my forehead to my knees. I knew this was a bad idea. I fucking told him so, and he didn’t listen to me.Every per
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 34
No matter how angry I was at her for saying she wished she’d never come back, she didn’t deserve what I said.Because she was justified. She was only trying to protect Milka. She was doing what came naturally to her. What should come naturally to me.Only I didn’t protect her. I did the exact opposite. I threatened her.“Fuck!”I rested my forearms against the nearest tree and leaned in. I stared at the ground and knocked the bark repeatedly with the end of my fists. My eyes burnt with guilty tears. For both Chloe and Milka.Neither of them deserved this. Not for a single fuckin’ second.“Well, you were on fire there.” Jane’s voice traveled across the yard.“If you’re out here to give me a piece of your mind, don’t bother. I already got it in my own head.”“Nah, she already gave you what you deserve, you jerk.”“Gee, thanks for the support.” I pushed off the tree and headed back into the house. “I don’t need you to remind me I fucked up. My daughter being here without her mother will
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 35
“You were out there, calmin’ yourself down. I had no intention of interrupting you,” Mom interrupted with a stern look. “You sure as hell need it after yesterday.”I ignored the annoyance that showed in her voice and walked past her into the house. “What time is she picking Milka up?”“In an hour,” Mom replied. “Leah texted me.”“Okay.” I kissed Milka’s head and placed some toast in the toaster. “She okay?”“Leah? She’s fine.”“You know I mean Chloe.”“How do you define ‘fine’?” she asked with an eyebrow raise. “Would you say you’re fine right now?”I’d take that as a no.My toast popped, and I spreaded peanut butter across each slice. I bit into it, the crunch satisfying, and leaned against the counter. The silence was tense and awkward.Until Aiden came in the front door looking like he slept outside all night.“Aiden!” Mom snapped. “Where have you been?”“Lay off it, Mom.” He went straight upstairs. Hopefully to shower.Titus snorted, walking into the kitchen. “Hey, bro, at least t
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 36
“Milka? Milka, baby, please take your fingers out of your nose.” I sighed and reached forward to dislodge them.She screamed and smacked the sofa. “No!” She immediately shoved them back up.“Milka hudson!” I pulled them out. “Do it again and you’re on the naughty step!”She stared at me defiantly and shoved two fingers of her other hand back in her nose.“That’s it. On the step.” I removed her fingers for the hundredth time today and lifted her by her armpits.I deposited her on the step and set the timer. I left it on the counter and went back into the front room, dropping to the sofa with a heavy sigh and rubbing my temples.Three days of this back-and-forth thing with Conor was driving me mad. Not only did I miss him ridiculously, Milka did, too, and she was making it known with bad behavior. Three hours of sleep last night had left my patience paper-thin, and I was ready to leave her in her crib and let her scream it out.She was screaming on the step, so it was not like there’ll
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 37
Hopefully.I stood slowly and tiptoed into her room, dipping to grab her bunny off my bed. I eased her into her crib, holding in my exhale when she went down without stirring. I spinned on my toes and started her CD player, letting Conor’s voice fill the room, and back out slowly.Slowly and silently.I pulled the door shut behind me, but before it even clicked, she screamed.I yanked it towards me anyway and rested my forehead against the door. “Please, Milka,” I whispered, squeezing my eyes shut. “Mama needs sleep.”“No, no! Dadda, Mama, Dadda!” she sobbed.I thumped the door with my forehead in annoyance because, goddammit, now I was exhausted and crying.And I gave up. I absolutely gave up.I walked into my room, grabbed my phone from under my pillow, and dialed Conor’s number. I pressed Redial until he picked up.“Hello?” he groaned groggily.“Conor?”“Chloe? What’s wrong?”“She won’t sleep,” I said thickly. “She’s been up all night, crying for you. I can’t . . .”I pinched the b
Dirty Little Secrets CHAPTER 38
“Respect and forgiveness don’t always go hand in hand. I understand.” I covered his hand with mine. “I wouldn’t forgive me or respect me, you know?”“But I do.” He tightened his grip on me slightly. “I do respect you. Shit, how many times have you done a night like that since she was born? How many times have you held her while she cried or taught her a new word? How many times has she screamed your name because she needed you, huh?”I shrugged a shoulder and averted my eyes.“Milka is amazing—strong-willed, yes, but amazing—and that’s because of you.” He tugged my face so I had to look at him again. “You. It doesn’t matter what you did, because what you’ve done since makes me respect you.”“Then at least hate me. C’mon, you gotta give me somethin’ I want.”“Never.” He lowered his face to mine and brushed his nose along mine. “I can’t hate you, Chloe. I tried. I tried so fucking hard, but I love you too damn much.”“It would be easier if you didn’t.”“Oh, yeah.” He pulled back, runnin
Latest chapter
