Playing the Game (Providence University #6) - Ali Parker Page 0,67
thing wrong is me trusting you. Now go. And don’t you fucking ever talk to me again.” The words choked out, and I covered my mouth with one hand as I held my side with the other.
Seth’s nostrils flared, and I could tell he was just as angry as I was. He walked to the door, stopped, and turned around. “I’m the stupid one. I trusted you would trust me, and you would see around everyone’s bullshit and see the real me. But you’re letting one girl’s game ruin everything, so that makes you just like everyone else.”
He opened the door and slammed it hard behind him. I heard the Jeep door slam a moment later, and his tires squealed as he left.
I sank to the floor and sat there feeling like the entire world was going to crash down around me.
Chapter 24
Seth
When I left Avery’s apartment, I headed straight to Omega House, where everyone was still crashed out sleeping from the night before. The floor was lined with bodies. I had to be careful not to step on anyone.
I kicked the first warm body I came to, nudging them awake. “Hey, is Britany here?” I asked, ready to chew her a new ass.
She was probably upstairs curled up to whichever sucker had ended up getting to be the booby prize.
“Britany, who?” the guy asked, his voice rough from sleep.
I wasn’t in the mood for anyone’s smart mouth. “Don’t be fucking stupid. You know her. The cheerleader. Short, big mouth, hangs with Lizzy.”
“Oh, that Britany,” he said, rubbing his eyes. “She went upstairs with Lizzy and a bunch of people the last I saw of her.”
“Seth?” Micah’s voice came from the stairs. He had his girlfriend Tasha by the hand, and the girl was dressed and staring wide eyed at me.
“I’m looking for Britany. She’s gone too fucking far this time.”
“She’s not here. She caught a ride home about an hour ago. Are you okay?”
“No, I’m not fucking okay. I’m sick of always being in people’s mouths. No one really knows me, yet everyone thinks they know everything about me.”
“Whoa, slow down. Is this about Layla?”
“It’s not Layla’s fault.” I released a long breath. “Forget it. You wouldn’t understand.”
“Well, we’re going out for some breakfast, so don’t murder anyone while I’m gone, okay? And if there’s any beer, feel free to drink it up.”
“Sounds good.” I would have a drink and clear my head and figure out a way to work this out. Avery had gone off because she was heartbroken, but once she listened to the truth and figured out that she’d been wrong, things could go back to the way they’d been. Couldn’t they?
It had to. I loved her. I held the side of my face where she’d hit me. I recalled raising my fist and the look she gave me. She didn’t even flinch, and while I would have never hit her, I knew it shocked her to see me do that.
Raising my fist had been a knee-jerk reaction. I was an abused child, one who had learned to fight back. It was still no excuse, and now she’d probably never see me the same way again.
I found a red cup and walked over to the keg to get a drink, but it was empty.
When I found Britany, she was going to make this shit right. I had a bone to pick with that girl, and I was going to get to the bottom of what happened if it killed me. She had no right to make up shit just to hurt Avery. I couldn’t imagine how I would have reacted in the same situation. I would have been looking to kill somebody.
Just when I had committed myself to someone wholeheartedly, my past came up to pull me under, but I wasn’t going to let it get in the way of what I wanted. And that was Avery.
I left the empty keg and Omega House and hurried across town to a little bar that, by that time, was serving.
When I went inside, I pulled up a seat at the bar and ordered a beer. I was so pissed off at myself and the world, and I didn’t see my mood improving anytime soon unless Avery came to her senses, but the cold one was a nice start.
My feelings about her were so conflicted. I loved her, I truly did, and the way I knew was because instead of being mad at her, I was concerned for her.