The Best Woman

The Best Woman - Chapter Seven

Chapter Seven

Callie

I walk away from Bentley's place with tension in my shoulders. What was he doing? We were so close to making a very bad mistake... and I can't help feeling like leaving was the mistake.

This is just great.

I should never be along with him. We need a super strict chaperone with us at all times.

Dayton would react badly to me and Bentley. He knows what a mess up we both are in relationships and when you screw one up that's close to home... Yeah, not good. I don't know who he would be madder at, me or Bentley. I suspect him, and he'd be disappointed in me. Which is worse.

As I drive home, I call Dayton.

"Hey," he says, his voice loud through my car's speakers.

"Hey, he's fine."

"What was he doing?"

"Erm, just watching TV. I think he'd switched off for a while."

I'm lying to him. Those brothers can clash, and Bentley drinking home alone would only make Dayton worry. That leads to questions, and when Bentley feels like he's being judged by his perfect younger brother, they argue.

"He was watching TV?"

"Yeah, why?"

"He's not big on TV. Why do you sound weird?"

"I'm driving."

"No... What's going on, Callie? What happened with him?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing at all?"

"No. You're being weird."

"I love my brother, but he's got a lot of issues."

Dayton says this a lot. We all know that Bentley has a temper, can't commit for longer than a few months, and sabotages anything positive in his life. That doesn't mean he's a bad person.

"I remember."

"Do you, Callie?"

"Okay, you need to drop the dad act. You're behaving like I went over there and slept with him."

"You two have this thing."

"We do not have a thing!"

I grip the steering wheel tighter as my patience for this conversation evaporates.

"Yeah, you do. Everyone can see it. If you're going to go there–"

"I'm not going anywhere! Stop being a dickhead!"

"All right. Calm down, Callie. I'm just worried."

"What do you think will happen? You're acting jealous like I'm some damn toy. What happens if I slept with him, huh? You'd stop playing with me?"

"That's not it," he snaps.

"Then what?"

"It'd be a fucking nightmare. You two would blow up, and I'd have to choose."

My stomach burns with anger and a smidge of guilt.

He's not wrong about that. We'd be hot for all of ten minutes, but it wouldn't last. How would we be in the same room?

"I'm going, Dayton. I'm over this conversation."

"I thought you might be."

I tap the red button so hard, and my phone almost falls out of the cradle.