Free BetweenTwoBillionairesCompleteStripped by Sky Corgan Page B

here too.” He rolls his eyes, but it's not
directed at me.
    “ He
didn't.” I shake my head. Tristan obviously didn't tell me a
lot of things.
    “ Well,
he told me he had a guest, so I figured I best be hospitable and
introduce myself.” He makes it sound like a chore.
    It doesn't matter.
After today, I'll never see Tristan again. How can I possibly live
with what I've done? A tremor of pain races through me, striking
straight at my heart. My life has been nothing but one mistake after
another ever since I met Ethel. I know it's not her fault, but I need
someone to blame.
    If it wasn't for her
father dating my mother, I never would have left Catholic school and
been put into public school. I never would have been peer pressured
into skipping class and doing other stupid stuff to try to fit in,
and ruin my chance to get a scholarship. If her and her father had
never come into my life, I wouldn't have to be working as hard as I
am now to get ahead. And I never would have gone to that stupid party
and met Tristan. I never would have lost my virginity to such a
horrible man.
    “ I
see you met Kelly.” Shawn stares at one of the photos.
    “ Is
that her name?” my tone darkens with bitterness.
    “ Yeah.
She was something else.” He grins, probably recalling a memory.
    “ It
looks like Tristan loves her very much.” Tears sear my eyes,
and I do my best to fight them back. Love. I thought I knew what that
was. I don't though. That's blatantly obvious. I got caught up in the
sweet words and romance of it all. I was too stupid to see I was
being led on.
    “ He
does love her. He always will.” There's a sadness in his eyes
that seems misplaced.
    “ So
where is she now?” I hate myself for asking, but I feel like I
need to know.
    “ Dead,”
he replies shortly.
    “ Oh.”
Relief rushes through me. It's coupled by guilt from being glad that
she's dead, glad that everything I just tortured myself over was all
for nothing. “How did she die?”
    He turns to look at
me. “We don't talk about that.”
    “ Breakfast
is ready,” Tristan announces as he pads through the house
towards us. My heart leaps into my throat as I realize he's probably
going to see that I broke the picture frame. If he doesn't, then
Shawn will likely rat me out.
    I give Shawn a
pleading look, but he just stares at me, emotionless. His eyes are so
cold. A shiver rolls down my spine from the intensity of his gaze.
    Tristan rounds the
corner with a smile on his face. “There you are. I was
wondering where you ran off to.” He walks past me and places a
hand on Shawn's shoulder. “I see you've met my brother.”
    “ You
never told me he lives here with you.”
    They couldn't look
anymore different. Well, maybe they could if they were like Ethel and
I, different ethnicities, but as far as biological brothers, they
definitely don't look like they came from the same batch. Tristan is
stocky and thick with muscle, while Shawn has more of a swimmer's
build. Tristan is blonde with light blue eyes, while Shawn's features
are dark. Tristan is warm and affectionate, while Shawn seems a bit
cold. They're both sinfully attractive though. That's one thing they
definitely have in common.
    “ It
must have slipped my mind.” Tristan flashes me a charming grin,
and all is forgiven.
    “ I
need to buy you a new set of picture frames,” Shawn mentions
out of the blue. My stomach twists with the realization that he's
about to tattle on me. Then Tristan will get pissed, and it will all
be over. I bite my bottom lip, staring into Shawn's eyes, silently
begging him not to say anything. I know it's already too late though.
He picks up the broken picture frame, showing it to Tristan. “I
accidentally knocked it off the shelf, and it broke.”
    Tristan frowns, and
I'm able to breathe again. Shawn lied for me. He actually lied for
me. I can't believe it.
    “ Mistakes
happen,” Tristan says, though he's obviously not pleased about
it.
    “ They
do.” Shawn's eyes