I walked into Front Street Gym. The older lady at the front desk—Maria—gave me a quick wave and a smile. Declan had hired her in May when he’d had the grand opening.
“Hey! How’s the house?” she asked.
I grinned. “Got a fresh coat of paint on it and a roommate. It’s all good.”
She cocked her head. “Hmmm, Declan said you might be open to selling.”
“Absolutely. You buying a house soon?” I’d been headed toward Declan who was in the back with a private client, but I backed up. Prospects.
“No, but my sister is looking for a place since her divorce—tired of her small apartment, I guess.” She tapped a pen on the desk.
I leaned on the counter and gave her my full attention. “Really. What’s she looking for?” I knew what I liked in a home—but if I wanted to buy and sell, I’d need to think about the customer.
She thought about it. “She loves a big kitchen since she likes to cook.” Her eyes brightened. “Oh, she has three grandkids, so a big yard and extra bedrooms would be great.”
I nodded. Hmmm. “Give me a few months to get it fixed up and I’d love to show it to her.” I pulled a white business card out of my gym bag that Declan had suggested I have made at a local printer. Stamped in black was my name, the address of the house, and cell number. Simple but it got the point across. I smiled as I handed it over to her.
I said goodbye and headed inside the gym. Organized chaos, Front Street was crowded already, and I weaved between the mats and sparring ring for the running room. I’d already seen Declan working with one of his private clients near the back. Waiting for him to wrap up, I hopped on an elliptical and ran a quick five miles. With the endorphins and adrenaline coursing through my blood, I immediately felt better than I had last night.
Declan ambled over soon after, but wanted to reschedule, saying that Elizabeth wanted to meet him for lunch. He smiled when he told me, and I figured “lunch” was in their small apartment in the back of the gym. We chatted a bit longer, mostly him giving me advice about my upcoming classes. I listened, but it was tough because everything had always come easy for him.
After he left, I moved to the leg presses. Using my heels, I pushed the weight up slowly then let it fall. I’d gotten in about twenty reps when I noticed a girl coming in the door dressed in bright-pink athletic wear.
Eva-Maria. The little sister who’d bullied Remi.
I let the weight clang to the footrest, jumped up and wiped my face with a towel, and strode over to her.
She was leaning over talking to a girl on the butterfly machine when I came up behind her.
I halted a few feet away. “Eva-Maria.”
She flicked her eyes over her shoulder and then completely pivoted, a huge grin on her face. “Oh my God. Dax Blay. I have been missing you at the house. Where have you been?” She wiggled over to me and threw her arms around my shoulders.
I untangled her.
She pouted. “Aren’t you missing me? I hear you got a house now. Why don’t you let me plan a big party for you?”
I studied her. She was pretty enough with pale blonde hair and nice curves, but for the life of me, I couldn’t remember a specific thing about her under those clothes. I couldn’t tell you if her skin was soft, if her nipples were big or small, or if the carpet matched the drapes. At best, she was second rate, and I’d been with her more times than I cared to recall my sophomore year.
She’d never really cared about me.
And that was exactly what I’d wanted.
Because love equaled pain.
“Dax? Are you listening to me? I was just telling you about the bonfire the brothers are putting together.”
I waved her off. Of course I knew—but that was not what I wanted to discuss. “You know Remi Montague, right?”
She arched her brows. “Yeah. I’ve seen her at mixers. She’s been dating Hartford forever—although the rumor mill says they’re not engaged anymore.” She laughed.
“They are engaged,” I spat.
“Okaaay.”
“Do you remember egging her dorm room door or putting sticky notes all over her car with slut written on it? Maybe you recall the lies you told about her to all your girlfriends.”
She swung her ponytail back, a haughty expression on her face. “Whatever. I did those things, but I didn’t tell lies about her. I only told the truth. She was naked in your bed, and she did end up pregnant—”
“What?” My stomach dropped.
She frowned and looked around the room as if people might be listening. Uneasiness crossed her face. “Um, I assumed she told you.”
My head pounded, and I rubbed it. “She didn’t tell me anything. What—how do you know for sure? She’d never tell you that.”
“Her suitemate told me she’d been sick as a dog and throwing up every morning. A bit later, she found a positive pregnancy test in the trash in the bathroom, and Remi had been the last one in the room. The entire dorm floor knew something was up with her because she missed a ton of classes that month and never came out of her room. Lulu told everyone she had mono, but we all assumed that was a cover story.” She grimaced. “Maybe it wasn’t yours. I—I just figured it was since I’d seen you two together.”
The room spun. I stumbled over to one of the chairs in the waiting area as far from the front desk as I could get.
She. Had. Been. Pregnant.
Was it true? I shut my eyes. Fuck. It explained so much. Why she’d hated me for dating other girls right after her. Why she’d never so much as made eye contact with me.