Andi shrugs one shoulder, glancing down at her nails as if they’re fascinating. “I don’t care what he thinks. It doesn’t matter. All that matters is that the public thinks we’re a happy couple. He can hate me all he wants. This is for the best and once he realizes it, things will be easier for everyone, including that dumpy thing that just left here.”
“You’re deranged.”
Turning away from her, I start to walk away, reaching for my phone that’s in my pocket.
“Louis,” she calls out.
Stopping, I look over my shoulder and arch a brow toward her. “I’m not a bad person,” she attempts to explain.
“You hurt Hutton, who Beaumont loves, for your own personal gain. I don’t even have to know what that gain is to know that you did it for yourself. You’re just like all the other beautiful bitches out there. You only give a fuck about you, nothing and nobody else matters.” Her bottom lip trembles and I watch as she shakes the guilt away. “You did that to Hutton’s store, didn’t you?”
Her lips twitch and she dips her chin. “She was lucky that I didn’t send the media the video. I have several. But a sex tape scandal would only make her more interesting to people. I want her to fade away.”
I shake my head, my eyes closing before I lift my gaze back to hers. “Be a better fucking human, Andi. Leave them alone. Beaumont found his happiness, and it isn’t with you. Accept that shit.”
“Never,” she sneers. “Andi Anderson doesn’t lose.”
I snort. “You haven’t lost shit, Andi. You never had Beaumont and you never will.”
Walking out of the house without looking back, I tug my phone out of my pocket as I climb into the driver’s side of my truck. I think about leaving, but I decide not to. Not until I’ve talked to Beaumont.
“What happened?” he demands.
I almost chuckle, but this isn’t remotely funny. “I don’t know where Hutton is, she left, but…”
“But?”
I can hear his breathing coming out in nervous pants. “Andi was here when I arrived. She and Hutton got into it. I don’t know what was said. Hell, I don’t know why Andi is really here. All I know is she’s the one that vandalized Hutton’s shop. She’s been behind it all and she claims she has a video recorded of the two of you together, of you and Hutton,” I say, clarifying.
Beaumont is quiet for a moment, then I hear him let out a long exhale. “Brian, Daniel and Andi have some grand master plan. Daniel is afraid that I’m going to quit. Brian and Andi have been using and fucking, for God only knows how long, he’s left his wife over it all.”
“Shit,” I hiss.
He snorts. “Yeah, shit.”
“What do you want to do, I’m still sitting here outside your house.”
“I’m calling that sheriff, what was his name?”
“Enrique Hernandez,” I grunt. “Want me to stay here?”
There’s a moment of silence as if he’s trying to think about exactly how he wants to play this. “Act like you’re leaving, maybe pull around back so you can be there when the deputy shows up. But I don’t want her to know you’re there. I’m going to turn my cameras on so that I can make sure she doesn’t leave.”
Beaumont ends the call and I do as he asks. I turn around, driving down his long driveway until I know for certain that Andi can’t see my truck, then I off-road the fucker until I pull up to the side of the house where I know she won’t be able to see me outside the back windows.
Chapter Thirty-Five
HUTTON
My phone rings, again. Glancing down at the device, I bite my bottom lip and decide to just send it to voicemail, again. I’m not upset with Beaumont at all, in fact, I really do want to talk to him but I need to get advice from my grandfather first.
“Well, you show up here when you should be at home. What’s happened, Toots?” he asks as he leans back in his rocker.
The front porch. This is where every single debacle of my life was ever hashed out. Where I cried over boys, where I cried over my parents and their behavior. Where I cheered when something amazing happened—it’s all taken place right here.
“His ex-girlfriend vandalized my store, then was at his place. Beaumont offered to let me stay there alone, since we didn’t know who did the vandalism. He thought it would be safer.” I almost laugh at my own words. How ridiculous.
“Not sure about this fella and his dealings,” PawPaw drawls.
I press my lips together and look out into the darkness. “I have been on the fence about his lifestyle this entire time, but one thing I have never been on the fence about…”
“Is him,” my grandfather says, finishing my thought.
“Yeah.” I nod.
There is a moment of silence and I hold my breath, curious to know what he’s going to say next. He always, always has something insightful to say. His advice is and has always been golden and spot on.
My PawPaw has lived a long life and had a good woman by his side the entirety of it. He’ll know what I should do. He’ll guide me in the right direction, just like he always has.
“Then don’t let this moment define the two of you. Did he have knowledge of this woman doing what she did? Being at his home?”
“I don’t think so.”
He waits for a moment, his eyes searching mine. “You love him,” he states.
It isn’t a question, because he knows me so well that he knows it to be the truth. I nod, confirming his statement, anyway. I do love him. I think I’ve always loved him. Ten years hasn’t changed my true heart when it comes to Beaumont. It beats for him, it always has.
“Then you need to answer him when he calls you again. Tell him what’s happened, let him step up and be the man that you need him to be. If he doesn’t, then it wasn’t meant to be. If he does, then you can’t deny that he is who you belong with.”
Inhaling a deep breath, I let it out in one big whoosh. “Even if I don’t want to be thrust into the spotlight?”
“That spotlight burns as bright as it fizzles. At the end of the day, at the end of your life, you’ll only remember the moments the two of you shared, not what was shared with the rest of the world. That stuff doesn’t matter anyway. What happens between the two of you, the life you build, that’s all that truly matters.”
We don’t say anything else. I know that he’s right. I know that what he says is completely spot on. He should know, after all. I continue to stare into the darkness, willing my phone to ring again.
I stay curled up in the porch swing alone. My grandfather eventually takes himself to bed and I eventually watch the sun rise. In that time, Beaumont doesn’t even attempt to call me. My heart breaks at the idea that this could be the end.
I don’t know why it feels so doomed, why we feel so doomed. I know that he doesn’t have any feelings for Andi, but maybe she’s on to something. Maybe Beaumont realizes that with her everything is just that much easier.
PawPaw walks out of the house, surprising me as he thrusts a hot cup of coffee toward me. “You gonna take all this lying down, hiding?” he asks.