Irresistible Bachelors: Books 1-5 by Landish, Lauren (classic literature books .TXT) 📗

I tell myself, looking into Mindy’s worried face. I won’t fucking do it.

“Gavin was with another girl . . .” I almost get it out, but then I burst into tears.

Mindy places a hand over her mouth in horror, and she pulls me in for a hug. “Oh, Bri, I’m so sorry.”

She holds me for a few seconds while I try to compose myself.

Finally, I’m able to get out, “I was just going up there to see him.” I pull away from her embrace and sniff several times, wiping my cheeks with the back of my hand.

“What did you see, exactly?” she asks, searching my tear-stained face.

Anger grips my stomach thinking about it. “She was leaving his room and was all over him. I saw her plant a kiss on him. That’s all I needed to see.”

“Damn,” Mindy says, not really knowing what else to say. “Bri . . .”

“He’s probably been doing the same thing with her!” I half-cry. I don’t know why I’m so upset. I should’ve expected this. The man is a player, and he’s not going to stop just because he got a piece of small-town girl tail.

Mindy gives me another hug. “I’m so sorry, Bri. I feel like this is my fault.” She pulls back and looks at me.

“Maybe you should put some distance between you two. Can you maybe swap floors with someone so you don’t have to clean his room while he’s here? That way, you don’t have to see him anymore.”

I grow quiet, thinking. Mindy’s right. Our relationship, or whatever the word you call this thing between Gavin and me, is over. I’m putting in for someone else to clean his room. I won't even fucking say goodbye. Fuck him.

“You’re right,” I say, straightening up and heading toward the counter. I need a shot of something to help me deal with the stress I’m feeling. “Fuck Gavin ‘Anaconda’ Adams. Got anything strong back there?”Gavin

The next morning, my hands tremble as I button my shirt. But they’re not trembling because of nervousness. They’re trembling because of what I’m about to do.

After Leslie left, I sat there, thinking about what to do. It was a struggle, debating with myself. My heart was on one side and my brain on the other.

In the end, my brain won.

I have to tell Brianna that we should stop now.

It’ll be the hardest thing I’ve ever done. I like her. She’s real. Genuine. The opposite of the fake gold diggers who usually throw themselves at me.

It’s hard though. I’d rather tell her that I want to take her out to dinner tonight when this filming is over, that maybe it’d be possible for me to see her during the weekends or during some of my off time during the season.

But that’s not fair to her. I’m just being selfish.

This is for the best.

I tell myself this over and over while I’m getting dressed. But I just feel horribly conflicted. My heart is refusing to give up without a fight.

I pull my pants on and buckle my belt. And then I make sure the knots on my shoes are perfect. I retie them twice before I realize what I’m doing. Wasting time. I’m trying to do everything but what I need to do. I scowl at myself in the mirror, clenching my fists. “You’re a bastard,” I growl at my reflection. For what you’re about to do.

I quell the urge to slug the mirror with my fist. Instead, I slowly make my way to the coffee shop, dreading every moment and hoping that Brianna won’t be there.

Opening the door to the coffee shop, my heart skips a beat when I see Brianna standing there with Mindy. A part of me wants to turn back now before it’s too late. There is still time for me to just grab a coffee and walk out and pretend I’m here on a little social visit.

But that’s not what I do.

“Hey,” I say, getting their attention. I stop as soon as they both look up at me, their eyes burning with aggression and anger. Brianna’s eyes, in particular, are as cold as ice.

“Hey,” I repeat, forcing myself to take a step forward. “You look good today.”

Brianna is tight-lipped, looking like she wants to choke the shit out of me.

I frown, not sure what’s going on. The last time we were together, she was happy. “Brianna?” I ask. “What’s wrong?”

When she doesn’t answer, I look to Mindy, who’s strangely quiet. Very unusual. She’s standing behind the counter, cleaning a mug and avoiding my gaze. There’s no smile. There’s none of the normal wisecracks or smirking that are what I’ve come to associate with Mindy. She’s not her usual self. Something is definitely up.

“Seriously. What’s going on?” I repeat.

Brianna slams her coffee cup down so hard it almost breaks and causes me to take an involuntary step back. “Don't you have a movie to film?” she asks with venom in her voice.

She’s so mad she’s practically trembling. All of my thoughts of trying to end it with her flee. The only thing I care about now is finding out why she’s so angry. “I was just stopping by for a coffee before I start filming,” I lie. I can’t tell her I was here to break it off now. “Can we talk?”

She scowls at me. For a moment, I’m not sure if she wants to say yes or take the fork on the countertop and stab me in my balls. “Just for a second. Please.”

Brianna continues to scowl at me before finally letting out a defeated sigh. Mindy jerks her head toward the back, and I go around the counter, allowing Brianna to lead me into the storage room. It feels weird to be back here, but whatever’s going on, I want it to be in private.

“Listen—” I begin to say, but Brianna cuts me off with a shot right in the middle of my chest.

“I saw you!” she hisses in rage. “I should’ve known better!”

“Huh?”