Building Our Love (Griffin Brothers #2) by Crystal Perkins Read Free Book Online Page B

parents’ house, I wave at
my mom, who looks at me curiously as she drives out while I’m
driving in.
    I walk up to her door
and ring the bell. Chloe answers in jean shorts and a tee shirt.
“What are you doing here, Ryan?” Her eyes are red and she doesn’t
look happy to see me.
    “I brought you
flowers and I was hoping we could talk. I also wanted to make sure
you were okay since you called in today.”
    “So, now you can get
me flowers on your own but before you had me call and order some for
another woman for you? And since when did you care about whether or
not I’m okay?” Her eyes are flashing now.
    “Well, yeah. I
couldn’t have you order your own flowers, could I?” My attempt at
humor fails as I see her ball her hands into fists. “And I-I care.
Besides, like I said, I want to talk to you.”
    “I don’t know if
that’s code for sex, but I can’t Ryan. I just can’t be your
whore anymore.” Tears are falling from her eyes now. Shit, I’m
such a bastard. “I know I said that I would, and I meant it then,
but yesterday…yesterday was just too hard. I know you’ve been
dating other women while sleeping with me, but it’s not okay and I
won’t pretend it is anymore. I can’t sit here and wait to see if
you want me after you take another woman out. And then I have to
wonder if you really want to be with her instead, but came to me
because that’s what we agreed on.”
    Does she really think
that? That I want to be with another woman when I’m with her? I’ve
used other women as substitutes for Chloe, but I can’t even fathom
wanting someone else whether I’m with her or not. It’s always
been just her. And I haven’t been taking other women out, even
though I could. I tried a couple times and they weren’t her, so I
was beyond bored every time. “Chloe, sweetheart.” I start to move
towards her to comfort and reassure her, but she puts up a hand to
stop me.
    “Please just go,
Ryan. I don’t want this to affect our work relationship, and I’ll
remain professional and send your girlfriend her flowers for you. But
that’s all I can handle. I promised your mom that I’ll be at the
party on Saturday, and I’m begging you to limit the PDA. I know you
don’t owe me that or really anything, but can you please do that
for me?”
    “You don’t have to
beg me. I won’t engage in any PDA with Cel at the party. I
promise.” I promise because I’m not bringing Cel, but I’m not
going to tell Chloe that right now. Does Chloe really think Cel is my
girlfriend? Damn it, I’m such a fucked-up idiot.
    “Thanks for that. And
for the flowers.” She reaches out to take them and then closes the
door in my face.
    I went too far, and now
I need to figure out how to fix this. And I need to talk to my
brothers. I pull out my phone and dial Owen. “Hey, Owe. Are you
still hosting poker night tomorrow at your place?”
    “Yeah, but I thought
you couldn’t make it.”
    “My schedule just
became open, and I need to talk to you guys.”
    “About Chloe?”
    “Yeah, man. About
Chloe.”
    “We have your back,
Ry. I’ll see you at 7.”
    “I know, thanks. See
you tomorrow.”
    * * *
    Chloe
    It was a rough day
today. Ryan and I did our best to interact as little as possible. I
need to get used to the fact that this is the way it’s going to be.
Ryan has a girlfriend—he didn’t correct me when I called her
that—and so there’s no future for us other than work. I love this
job, though. Even just the assistant part is challenging, but doing
the interiors for the Seattle building has been amazing. I just need
to focus on work and not on the man I love. Because that’s going to
be easy to do.
    I pull up to Erika’s
place. I’m excited to go inside, but scared, too. In three years,
I’ve never told anyone about the agreement I made. I didn’t have
anyone that I could trust enough with my secret. But, I feel like I
can trust these women. I don’t know why, since I just met them
yesterday,