Page 9 of Shattered Oaths

I swallow thickly. “You know you can trust me, Justin. I’ve never done anything to make you think otherwise.”

He laughs humourlessly, shaking his head. “Nah, babe. I think you need to prove it to me. Prove to me that I can trust you.”

My eyebrows dip and the boulder in my stomach sinks lower. “What? How?”

His free hand moves to the belt around his waist, and my eyes follow every movement as he unbuckles it, undoes the zip and lowers his slacks and his briefs. The moment his hard dick comes into view, nausea hits me.

Is he suggesting what I think he’s suggesting?

Is this shit turning him on?

My eyes widen in disbelief, and I lift them once more to meet his. “You can’t be serious.”

He smiles wide, his white teeth on full display. “Oh, I’m serious, babe. Show me how much I can trust you.”

I look between his face and his dick once, twice, a third time before I regain some fucking sense and snap my head back, freeing my chin of his hold.

“Fuck you, Justin,” I say, my voice trembling with emotions I’m trying my hardest to conceal.

I stand abruptly, done with this fucking conversation, and barge past him, my shoulder knocking his as I go.

Just as I pass, he grips my wrist, halting me in place and I turn, ready to tell him to let me go when he says, “Best behaviour tonight.”

And then he leaves.

***

Grayson and Olivia’s barn-style house has been completely transformed into a sea of blue. There are a mixture of dark blue, light blue and white balloons creating an arch over a welcome sign at the front door. Blue cupcakes, cookies and sweet treats cover the kitchen island, a two-tiered cake in the centre with a pair of newborn sized cowboy boots on top.

Liv sits in a chair that’s been strategically placed in the centre of the main sitting area. Her long, usually straight black hair falls in loose waves over one shoulder. She smiles wide at something Elizabeth is saying and her face radiates with happiness. Her hand rests on her bump, drawing small, affectionate circles absentmindedly as she responds to Elizabeth and the sight brings a smile to my lips.

“I can’t believe she’s actually having a baby,” Savannah says, coming to stand next to me.

I turn to look at her, my brow creasing. “Is it that surprising?”

She shrugs, a grin teasing her lips as she watches her life-long best friend. “She always said she would be the fun aunt forever.”

“And then she met Grayson,” I say.

“Himhaving a baby is even more surprising,” Amelia, Grayson’s mom, adds, joining us with her grandson Crue resting on her hip. “I thought that boy of mine was gonna be a hermit forever.”

Savannah and I chuckle and when Crue begins to giggle at his Mama, all three of us burst into hysterics.

My laughter quickly dies when my phone buzzes in my back pocket for the second time in five minutes. The fact that I’m surrounded by almost everyone I know means that there is only three possible people it could be. My brother, his best friend or Justin.

As much as I’d rather not speak to any of them, I say a small prayer that it’s one of the former and not the latter.

Sure enough, when I pull my phone out there’s a text waiting for me from Justin along with a handful of missed calls. I frown at the screen.

Justin:Answer the damn phone, Bella.

I hold my phone up and excuse myself. Savannah nods with a smile before her eyes drop to the phone in my hand and the smile drops from her face.

I don’t give her strange reaction much thought as I step out onto the front porch and round the corner of the house to ensure that nobody overhears.

I redial Justin and the phone rings three times before his slurred voice comes through the line.

“Oh, look. She learned how to use her phone,” he spits.