The Punk and the Plaything (When Rivals Play #3) - B.B. Reid Page 0,125
at either of them. My hands shook, and it was all I could do not to ball them into fists. Only God knew what I’d do then. When I turned to go, I felt gentle fingers circle my arm, begging me to stay. The way I felt, those fingers might as well have been claws, ripping at me.
“Jamie, please wait! I can explain!” Barbette broke down sobbing before I could even tell her to go to hell. She was a far cry from the girl who’d turned me away so coldly a month ago. For a moment, I had hope that I hadn’t lost her after all until I realized that no longer mattered. She’d betrayed me in the fucking worst way. “Please, please let me.”
“There’s no need to explain.” Snarling, I snatched my arm away from her. “You wanted him. You got him. Congratu-fucking-lations.”
“Jamie,” Ever called out, seeming to finally free himself from the shock that had kept him frozen. He moved away from the fence, and I toyed with the idea of tackling him to the ground before discarding it. Bros before hoes, right? “It’s not what you think. I—”
He reached out to touch me, and I flipped the fuck out. “Stay away from me! Just stay the fuck away!” My fist connected with his eye and then again with his lip. I guess Bee meant more to me than I was willing to admit at the moment. I turned and pushed through the crowd that was now watching before either of them could see the tears that had fallen.
I was tempted to turn back and burn that house down with them in it so that they could truly be together forever.
Barbette hadn’t just been the first girl I’d fallen for. She’d been the only one I ever wanted to know the real me. With her, I never had to hide or pretend to be someone I wasn’t. I believed her when she showed me that it was okay to care. To love. To feel.
And with one almost-kiss, she’d taken it all away.
There was nothing she could tell me to replace what she’d stolen from me, so with God as my fucking witness, I swore I’d come back one day and make her pay.
Present
“WHO’S GOT THE BEERS?” VAUGHN asked for the fifteenth time. We’d just finished loading Four’s recently acquired dirt bike onto the utility trailer attached to my Jeep. Her first race was in the morning, and I wasn’t about to miss it. Four had told me so after claiming that I’d practically twisted her arm. The only ones who couldn’t be there were Tyra because she couldn’t get the weekend off, and Wren and Lou, though neither had provided an explanation. Wren was up to something, and Lou was growing impatient. I just hoped for his sake that he came clean soon.
Even though we had plenty of water and sand in Blackwood Keep, we were driving down to Atlantic City for some fun and sun since the town Four’s race was being held would be less than an hour away. It also helped that we had a NaMara in A.C. The only thing filthy rich assholes such as myself loved more than acquiring money was never having to spend it.
“I told you already,” Bee snapped. “The cooler’s in the hatch, where you’ll be riding duck taped if you ask again.” She’d styled her hair in two French braids that swept her breasts and made her look hot as fuck. The white cutoffs that molded to her ass and thighs looked even shorter on her because of those legs that just went on and on…
Damn. Today’s T-shirt, selected by yours truly, was a black number with a single slice of pizza printed in white on the front. Mine was also black with the entire pie minus her slice.
Crossing her arms, she stared Vaughn down, oblivious to me lusting over her. Vaughn grinned and draped his arm around her shoulders. “Missed you,” he flirted.
Bee playfully rolled her eyes before shrugging him off. Thank God. It was too early in the fucking morning to be rumbling with my best friend. I was pretty sure I was still hungover from last night, too. I tried not to dwell on the fact that I also hadn’t slept much after telling Bee I loved her and getting zip in return.
She’ll say it when she’s ready.
I clenched my teeth, wondering when the hell that would be. She already had my heart and soul