Twisted Read Free Page B

I
    said, I’m different now.
    You’re probably wondering why I’m here, back in Greenville,
    Ohio, all alone.
    Technically speaking, I’m not alone.
    But we’ll get to that later.
    The reason I’m in Greenville is simple. I couldn’t bear to stay in New York. Not for another day. Not after everything.
    Drew?
    he’s still in New York. Probably nursing a vicious hangover. Or
    maybe he’s still drunk. Who knows? Let’s not concern ourselves with him too much. he has an attractive stripper to take care of him.
    Yep—I said a stripper. At least I hope she was a stripper. She
    could’ve been a prostitute.
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    Did you think Drew and I were going to ride off into the sun-
    set? Live happily ever after? Join the club. Apparently happily ever after only lasts two years.
    Don’t check the title. You’re in the right place. This is still the Drew and Kate show. It’s just twisted around. Messed up. Welcome
    to Oz, Toto. It’s a fucked-up place to be.
    What’s that? You think I sound like Drew? That’s what Delores
    says—that he’s infected me with his profanity. She calls it Drew-
    speak. I guess after two years, it kind of rubs off.
    So I can see that you’re wondering what happened. You were so
    in love. You were so perfect for each other. Tell me about it.
    Or better yet, tell the stripper.
    Anyway—believe it or not—the real problem wasn’t another
    woman. Not at first. Drew wasn’t lying when he said he’d always
    want me. he did. he still does.
    he just doesn’t want us .
    Still don’t understand? That’s because I’m not telling it right. I should start at the beginning. See, last week I found out . . .
    No, wait. That’s not going to work either. If you’re going to
    understand, I need to go back further.
    Our end began about a month ago. I’ll start there.
    Five weeks earlier
    “Well, hot damn, looks like we got ourselves a deal!”
    The guy in the cowboy hat? Signing that stack of papers, across
    from me at the conference table? That’s Jackson howard Sr. The
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    E m m a c h a s E
    younger version in the black hat, sitting next to him? That’s his
    son, Jack Jr.
    They’re cattle ranchers. Owners of the largest cattle ranch in
    North America, and they’ve just acquired the most innovative
    developer of GPS tracking software in the country. Now, you may
    ask yourself, why would two already wealthy businessmen travel
    across the country to expand their empire?
    Because they want the best. And I’m the best.
    Or should I say we are.
    Drew takes the final document from him. “Sure do, Jack. I’d
    start looking into yachts for business travel, if I were you. When the profit reports roll in, your tax adviser’s going to want something big to write off.”
    Kate and Drew.
    The dream team of Evans, Reinhart and Fisher.
    John Evans, Drew’s father, definitely knew what he was doing
    when he put us together. A fact he proudly loves to remind us of.
    To hear him tell it, he knew all along that Drew and I would be
    an unbeatable team—unless we killed each other. Apparently that
    was a chance John was willing to take. Of course, he didn’t know
    we’d end up together like we are now, but . . . he takes credit for that part too. Starting to see where Drew gets it from, aren’t you?
    Erin walks in now with our clients’ coats. She makes eye con-
    tact with Drew and taps her watch. he nods discreetly.
    “I say we go out and celebrate—paint this town red! See if you
    city folk can keep up with the likes of me,” Jackson howard says.
    Even though he’s pushing seventy, he’s got the energy of a
    twenty-year-old. And I suspect he’s got more than a few bull-riding stories up his sleeve.
    I open my mouth to accept the invite, but Drew cuts me off.
    “We’d love to, Jack, but unfortunately Kate and I have a previ-
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    ously scheduled