Not Even Close (A New Generation) by Elizabeth Reyes (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📗

As if he wasn’t already feeling completely disgusted with her,this was even more infuriating. Squeeze in some time for him? She may’vepulled the rug out from under his dumb ass, but he’d die before he’d let onjust how fast this little girl had nearly brought him to his knees. Withoutfurther thought, he hit reply and started tapping at his screen.

Nah, I’m good. I made plans with another friend. In fact,any plans with her always turn into an over-night thing. So, I’m covered forthe rest of the weekend. Enjoy your family time.

He read it back once and sent it before he added any obscenitieslike the ones he was so tempted to. It was immature and he knew it but hey, ifshe had those kinds of friends, so could he, right?

Squeezing his phone a little tighter as the visuals of her withthat dude continued to assault him, he was once again, grateful for his twonieces. If it weren’t for them, he would’ve already hit the call button andcalled Vannah out on her blatant bullshit. But he knew he’d get loud andugly and he wasn’t about to do that in front of his sweet Littles.

He needed to hold it together. In all reality, even though Vannahwas a girl whose connection he’d too suddenly felt so much more profound than withanyone else he’d ever met, she was still just another chick he’d onlyknown for a week. So, what if his delusional ass had sorely misconstrued every oneof their conversations this week, day and night being deeper than they’d reallybeen? So, what if he’d never texted a girl and hung on her every response allfucking day and night, like a twelve-year-old for a straight week? He knewbetter now. He was just another one of her friends, like the ones she’dhad no qualms about admitting she had and sashayed around with so openly. Onlyquestion now was why the fuck would she lie about it? If she really felt likeshe owed him nothing, why not just admit she’d so easily found a replacement fortheir cancelled lunch date?

Managing to get through his time with his nieces he got them hometo their mother Ali who was now peering at him strangely as she lay on the sofaacross from him. “Everything okay with you?”

It was the second time she’d asked something similar because likewith the girls earlier, he’d lost focus of what they were talking about—morethan once—in the short time he’d been there.

He kept fidgeting with his phone looking down at it often. Curiously,it’d remained silent since he’d sent that last text to Vannah.

“Yeah, yeah,” he said nodding and trying to play it off sticking hisphone back in his pocket. “I just have a couple of big projects going on atwork that my mind keeps wandering too.”

There was no way he was sharing about the girl he’d beenobsessing over for weeks. A girl he’d kissed then made out with one time,kept him glued to his phone all week and now he was on the verge of a ragingjealous fit. He was almost afraid of what he’d do once he was free to roar inthe privacy of his own car or apartment.

“You can go if you want, Byron. The girls are fed, thanks to youand they can sit and watch TV until their dad gets home. You don’t need tostick around until he gets here, if you got stuff you need to get back to.”

“He didn’t eat any of his food,” Elsa announced before he could respond,and Lucy nodded adamantly.

Ali’s brows furrowed. “You’re not coming down with something areyou?

“No. I’m fine.” He stood up feigning a genuine smirk as heglanced at Elsa. “Don’t be ratting me out, Elsi.” She giggled when he winked ather then he turned back to Ali. “I’d just eaten before I picked them up. Onlyordered myself something out of habit but I was stuffed. In fact—” He pointedat her as he started toward the door. “—have you eaten?”

Ali started to shake her head, but her eyes went wide in protest.So, before she could, he rushed to the door pissed that he hadn’t thought ofcalling ahead and asking her if she wanted him to bring something. He’d justbeen so riled he wasn’t thinking straight. Still wasn’t. But this worked out. “Girlspacked up my sopes real nice. I’m not gonna eat them. You can have them.If not, givem’ to Beast when he gets home. I’m sure he’ll wolf them down as anappetizer.”

Hurrying down the pathway outside to his car, he held in theimpending roar he knew he’d be letting out sooner or later. Normally hewouldn’t take Ali up on her offer to let him go before Beast got there. Buttoday he was going to. As pissed as it made him that Vannah, a girl he knew forjust a week and hadn’t even slept with yet could do all this to him, he neededto get out of there. He felt ready to blow, and they’d all picked up on it.Even little Lucy.

Grabbing the to-go bag with the tray of sopes, Byronclosed the car door and headed back. His phoned buzzed in his pocket more thanonce but he hesitated to pull it out. If Vannah had the nerve to respond withsomething snarky about his weekend plans or worse, assure him she too would findanother friend to spend hers with, he’d be too tempted to hit the call button. Aliand the girls were already onto his broody ass mood. His cussing loudly on thephone just outside the house would only confirm what they already suspected. Thatsomething was, not just going on with him, but tearing him up.

Once in the house, he gave into the temptation to check thetexts. He knew no matter what, he wouldn’t consider calling her in the presenceof his Littles. Even Beast who was notorious for his short temper rarely even raisedhis voice in front of his girls. Byron would be beyond needing to raise hisvoice if Vannah decided to go toe to toe with him about what they’d each be upto this weekend. As