AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Bishop's whole face darkens. His smile is nowhere to be found. "Y'all just going to let River Taylor swindle you? Because if that's the case, I wasted my damn time."
He swings his gaze to me. I am devastated by the news Bishop brings, but I don't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that. I point to his car. "You heard Aunt Delta. Get out of here, Bish."
His lip curls. "Can't believe you would pick him over me. He's trash, but because you think he's pretty, you keep him around. Disgusting."
He spits on the ground and then stalks off to his truck. I stare at it as it backs out of the narrow lane. Bishop revs his engine and takes off in a squeal of tires.
I glance at Aunt Delta, who looks at the horizon in intense concentration. She doesn’t like many people. But she has an affinity with River. I hope that Bishop is really full of shit, because if not, I’m not the only one whose life is going to be ruined.
"Auntie." I tug at her hand. "Bishop is a liar and a cheater. You can't believe a word he says."
She fixes her gaze on me. "Pearl Mae, you had better get to the bottom of this. If River is really the shark that Bishop makes him out to be, you have some decisions to make." Her mouth pulls down in a frown. "If River was sly enough to target you in order to steal my land, I think he needs to get the hell off my land. I don’t even know what else to say because I’m so damn mad."
Worry claws at my heart. Is that the case? God, if Bishop's aim was to sow seeds of discontent between River and me, he succeeded with a flourish.
"I'm sure that's not the case. But I'll ask River about it the second he gets home."
My aunt studies me for a second before slowly nodding. "I think that's for the best, pet."
I swallow, nodding. My head feels like it's full of thick cotton batting and my senses are dull.
Delta reaches out to me, giving me a quick hug, before she steps off the porch and walks toward her trailer.
I sit down on one of the wicker chairs on the porch, thinking over whether or not Bishop could possibly be telling the truth. Have there been any signs that River was too curious? I try to think back and my head starts aching.
Sighing, I shake my head. I would never have thought that easygoing River could be so two-faced.
I drift back inside and take a shower, hoping to clear my head. But it still feels like I'm in a fog.
When River finally arrives home, I am curled up on the couch again. This time I'm not thinking about pregnancy tests, though. I'm brooding over one question.
Did River betray me?
When he comes into the cabin, he tosses his keys on the kitchen counter and unbuttons the top button of his dress shirt. He groans and collapses on the couch beside me, burying his head against my shoulder.
It's a familiar move and an invitation to snuggle. But I stiffen and he quickly realizes that something is off. River sits up, his eyes scanning my face. "What's wrong?" He cups my cheek.
I pull away. "Bishop stopped by."
River's eyebrows jump up. "Are you okay?"
I pin him with a hard gaze. "He said that you were a con man. That you targeted me because I'm going to inherit Delta's property one day."
His eyes flash. "That's not true."
"No?" I cock my head. "So you are not trying to steal my family's land and sell it out from under us?"
He pauses for several moments, pursing his lips. His hesitation tells me everything I need to know.
"Oh my god," I whisper. Tears prick the corner of my eyes. "It's true, isn't it? Bishop was right!"
"Hold on a second." River puts his hand on my arm, squeezing it. "Slow down for a second. Bishop has muddied the waters here."
"So you're not a con man? You didn't start a relationship with me in order to meet Aunt Delta and make her an offer?"
He licks his lips. "I did, but..."
"Oh my god!" I shake off his touch, repulsed. "You seduced me, knowing that you already had a plan to steal the land I was supposed to inherit. That's... that's awful."
