Toasty (Cozy #2) - Alexa Riley Page 0,3
I had to be away from every goddamn thing that reminds me of her.
“Spit it out, Bruce. What do you want?” I was drinking coffee but now I feel like something stronger.
Six weeks and nothing. I should have never left her apartment that night. Fuck, I’m a bastard for what I did and then I just walked away thinking I had time. That I’d make her see how much I wanted her but it all went to complete shit.
“Can’t I come by and see my favorite cousin?”
“I’m your only cousin, and I don’t even like you.” I grind my teeth as I walk over to my desk and push around some papers on it for no reason other than to have something to do.
“Ouch. That hurt my feelings.”
I stare at him and raise an eyebrow.
“I mean, if I had them that might’ve hurt,” he offers, and I go back to organizing papers.
Most of the shit on my desk is from the investigators to whom I’ve paid an embarrassing amount of money to locate Myra, but so far they’ve come up with nothing. It’s like she was a figment of my imagination and she’s disappeared into the wind. How can someone leave this hole in my chest and then just walk away?
“I’m sure the staff can make you some food if that’s why you stopped by.” I’m trying to get rid of Bruce and this is my nice way of doing it. He won’t get this offer again. The next time I tell him to leave it’s going to be by me kicking him out of my front door.
“I do love that chocolate mousse thing your cook makes, but that’s not why I’m here.”
I hear him stand up as he walks over and drops a newspaper down on my desk. It’s turned to page six where the wedding announcements are and I see someone that looks like Myra.
Before I can form a thought I grab it up and hold it close to my face. Relief and anger hit me all at once when I realize it’s not her. I toss the paper down and I’m agitated because I got my hopes up but my cousin pushes it back towards me.
“Did you even bother to see who it is?” I glance down at the names and see under the engagement photo is the name Pippa Michaels. “Notice anything familiar?”
“She has a sister?” I can feel my eyebrows pull together as I think about a time when she ever mentioned having a sister. I thought she was an only child, but maybe that came from me just assuming.
For all the attention I paid to her, I never got close enough to know everything. I can tell you how she takes her coffee and how she chews on her pinky nail when she’s nervous. I can predict her mood based on how she tilts her head after I tell her good morning. For years I’ve watched her and memorized things that only I could possibly know. But somehow I missed vital details like where the fuck she would disappear to if she ever decided to run. I missed the forest for the trees.
Bruce is the one to roll his eyes this time as he points down farther in the article. I scan it and see that her sister is getting married to some wealthy heir with a castle.
“Is that the same place-” Bruce cuts me off with his loud sigh and I look up to see him shaking his head.
“For a bright man you are as thick as oatmeal sometimes.” He jerks the paper out of my hands and goes back to his position on the couch. “The night of the party when you ran out with her.” He tilts his head and I nod for him to go on. “She told me she was watching her sister. That’s why we were on the dance floor.”
“That, and you were trying to cop a feel,” I accuse, and he doesn't deny it.
“What can I say? I’m a man of many talents.” He shrugs and tosses the paper on the coffee table. “Her sister is getting married and the wedding is being held at the castle. I know you’re a smart guy so I’ll let you figure out the rest.”
“She’ll be there,” I say, more to myself than to Bruce.
“Look at him, ladies and gentlemen. He’s not just a mogul with a strong jawline.”
“Fuck off.” I snatch up the paper again and look at the date.