Come to Naught

“THAT’S FOR TOUCHING me without my permission.” She looked at the mess she did on his shirt. She would say she was proud of herself for being able to resist his charm. “The moment you decided to leave me, you cut the right to touch me.

Still speechless, Tripp was watching her closely, eyes flicked to hers, down to her plump lips while she was pouting.

“And you can’t just come and tell me whatever you want as if you own me. We were over, Tripp. What we had are far long gone. And yeah, I’m not married, but it doesn’t mean that I sent myself to become a nun, or I’ve been waiting for you all this time.” If there was one thing she noticed from Tripp, it was he had become confident than before—definitely more confident and drool-worthy kind of gorgeous, but he was also a self-absorbed jerk.

“I don’t have to get married to satisfy my needs. I am sure you were not also a saint in those three years, weren’t you? I slept with men who didn’t leave me after they got what they wanted,” she added.

Tripp was still rooted in his place as he watched Ari walk away from him. He felt his chest squeezed painfully to her admission, and the fact that he might have got a first degree burn, every inch in his body ached, including his dick and blue balls.

What had he done? What was he expecting anyway? To welcome him with open arms? He knew that was bullshit.

“Well, that didn’t go well.” The voice of his sister behind him had him frozen. She couldn’t know what was going on between him and Ari now the situation was out of his control.

Charleigh would hate him. He hadn’t told a soul about what happened to them in Las Vegas, but he had no plan on keeping a secret any longer. At least, he had to tell a soul for him to move on. If he even wanted to move on. But not today.

He closed his gaping mouth, clenched his teeth hard, and released a frustrated breath through his flaring nose. He looked down at his coffee-stained shirt. Groaning, he pulled it over his head, looked at the red spot on his abdomen, and dabbed it carefully.

“Fuck. It hurts.” He grimaced.

“What did you exactly do? She’s so kind for you to make her angry like that.” Charleigh took the soiled shirt from her brother. “Follow me. I’ll let you lend Bryce’s.

He ignored his sister’s question because if he would answer her, she would ask another question that would lead to another. He was still pissed off to even think of telling her the truth. The fact that Charleigh might hate him, he couldn’t stand that thought that the two most important women in his life would despise him.

When they reached the house, he slumped his ass to the sofa. The dog, Lotus waggled its tail at him. It whined when he started petting. Ari mentioned that he was allergic to cats, that lie made him chuckle.

The constant sighing didn’t go unnoticed when Charleigh came back with a wet towel and a shirt. “Tripp, what’s the deal between you and Ari? You don’t have to tell me the details, but seeing her reaction earlier, I know that accident wasn’t the first time you met her, was it?

He wiped off the coffee-stained from his abdomen down to his V. “I need to go back to the inn to clean up.

“Fine. Don’t tell me, but you need to apologize, brother.

He stopped from what he was doing and narrowed his eyes at Charleigh. “She burned me. Can’t you see this?” He let his sister look at the aftermath of the hot beverage on his skin.

“And before that?” His sister arched a brow. By the look on her face, she knew it was her brother’s fault.

“Not gonna talk about it.” He put the plaid shirt on.

“You look good on plaid.

“Don’t even think about it. I’m not gonna adapt these folks,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Yet you are here winning a beautiful lady, You’ve taken a shine on this woman, haven’t you?” Charleigh singsong.

“For God’s sake, sis. I am here to see you and my nephew.

“Keep telling yourself that. Nash is just up in his crib, yet you are here avoiding my questions by escaping to clean up. And when we talked over the phone, you would tell me what’s bothering you. Now, it’s the time, Tripp. No more excuses.

He walked to the door. “I really need to go back to the inn and clean up, sis. I need to meet Dax later. I’ll drop by to see my nephew and join you over dinner.

“One day, you will be running out of excuses. I need to know, and I am your sister after all. We promised not to keep secrets anymore. You should keep that promise like the way I do. And if it involves Ari, I will understand. You’ve been there for me when I was in trouble. That’s what siblings do.

“I know, but not today, Charleigh. Have a little faith in me.” He clamped his mouth shut before he could blurt something out. His chest tightened, making him harder to breathe as he finally closed the door behind him.

He was Tripp Wrylee—the man who worked his ass off, relentless, persuasive, and persistent until he got what he craved for.

He gave up once, he had no plan on doing that same mistake again. He would do anything by any means necessary. He would have her back—it was written in the stone. He knew she still had feelings for him. Perhaps, she was hurt, but doing the right thing might suffice the lost times they had.

Cut the shit. Ari would not make things easier for him for the second time around—he knew that now.

***

“I CALLED ARI last night.

His head snapped to Dax sitting on his desk in the mayor’s office. Tripp was looking at the town view—it was beautiful and pretty quiet for his taste. They were mostly brick stone buildings. He could also see the lake from a distance.

At first, he didn’t get it why his sister preferred this place and gave up her job. That was if he wouldn’t consider her love for Bryce. Would he ever give up his career for Ari? If things got complicated between them, would he be willing to do the same thing as Charleigh did? He almost flinched at that thought. Perhaps. Maybe.

“She said you were in one piece when she left you. Unless the bear got into you later.

He managed to chuckle despite the constant knots in his stomach.

Ari had a way with her words—that was one of many sexy things about her. She looked innocent, yet she was alluring in her own way. Her red pouty lips though. He ravaged them many times, and he could still feel against his own. He blinked it off before Dax noticed the evidence of his lust over his cousin.

“Why was she driving that beat up?” The first thing he noticed was the old truck she was driving.

“Her dad borrowed her car to visit her sick aunt. So, my town has grown on you pretty quick, huh?” Dax moved closer and stood by his side as they both looked outside the window.

“I came to visit Charleigh and Nashville.

“People have a thing in naming their kids, do they?

He looked at Dax, arching one brow.

“Arizona, Nashville, Raker, Tripp,” Dax added.

His brows drew closer. “And?

“Tripp to Arizona?

***

Note: Hopes Spring is a fictional town 😉

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