Chapter 3 " Since you're here , might as well have a drink . " Dex throws his arm around me all smug . " GET OFF . " Ice cold . " What , you mad ? " He's grinning , trying to play it cute . " Just a little bet between friends . You used to be cool about this stuff . " [ ] w . " ] " Yeah well , too old for your games now .'" I shoved him off and hurled his boxes at his feet . " Take your shit and stay the hell away from me ! " ] " BRYNN ! " He's yelling as I storm out . [ ] " Walk away now and I swear I won't give a damn if you come crawling back ! " ASSHOLE ! And I'm the bigger idiot for wasting two years ! ]] I didn't look back . Almost forgot - had his flash drive in my jacket pocket . I started heading back , then heard voices through their half - open door . " Dude , genius move ! Your ex is flying back from London next month , right ? Now that desperate chick won't bug you anymore . Like she could compete with your actual girlfriend ! " [] Dex smoking , cold laugh . " I made it pretty damn clear . She shows up after this ? Girl's got zero self - respect left . " [ ] " I'd still watch out though , " another voice chimes in . " She's pushing thirty - landing you was her jackpot . Once she cools off , she'll come running back . " ] " Totally . Look how she kept blowing up your phone after the breakup . " [] Dex snorted . His friend agrees : " Right right . Good thing you never told her about your trust fund . If she knew your family owned half of Colorado , she'd never let go ... " I turned around and chucked that flash drive straight in the dumpster . [ ] Yeah , I'm pissed . Who wouldn't be ? Two years paying for EVERYTHING . His clothes , food , gas money , even underwear . [] One time my company had cash flow issues and didn't pay us for two months . Right then , Dex dropped his phone in the toilet . [ ] I bit the bullet and bought him the newest iPhone . Lived on ramen for two weeks because of it . [ ] I'm literally holding my breath here . Might have a damn stroke from pure rage . ] I'm trying to calm the hell down ] Two years of my life down the freaking drain ! ] At least I'd never see Dex Brennan again !] Famous last words , right ? ] Chapter 3 Two months later , River brings me home to meet his family . ] And there's Dex , sprawled on their leather couch like he owns the place . River and I had been official for exactly one month . [ ] Never thought my first blind date would actually work out . [ ] But River went all in . Moved his entire law practice to Denver just for me . [ ] What if this doesn't work out ? " I asked him once . [ ] He smiled . " I'd rather try and fail than wonder what if . " ] Having Dex as a baseline made River look like Prince Charming . So when he suggested meeting his parents , I jumped at it . ] We're not kids anymore . This is marriage material . [ ] Even Mom was practically planning my wedding after hearing about River . [] But seeing Dex in River's living room ? That I did NOT see coming . Now it made sense why River looked familiar when we first met . Similar bone structure to Dex , but completely different energy . ] Dex stared when I walked in with River . Pure disgust in his eyes . [ ] Probably thought I'd stalked him to his own family . Until- ] River's arm around my waist , introducing me . " Everyone , this is my girlfriend , Brynn Hayes . " [ ] Dex's jaw literally dropped . Looking between me and River like his brain just short - circuited . [ ] Then River continued , " Mom , Dad , this is my sister Jessica and her husband , and their son Dex . " [] I played it cool with everyone , even Dex . " Nice to meet you . " ] ] " Don't just stand there like a statue , " Jessica laughed at her son . " Say hi to River's girlfriend ! " Dex snapped out of it . " Stella's coming over soon . Gotta go pick her up . " [ ] And he bolted without another word . Jessica looked embarrassed . " Sorry about that . His girlfriend's visiting today - he's been anxious all week . " [ ] " No worries at all . " [ ] Jessica kept chatting while showing me around . " My son waited for this girl for YEARS . They were childhood sweethearts before she moved to London for high school . He never dated anyone else , just waited . She finally moved back two months ago - they're in that honeymoon phase , you know ? " ] I smiled and nodded . [ ] Suddenly , my phone buzzed . ] Text from Dex : [ Get outside NOW . We need to talk . ] ] Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!