look so stiff, even more so now than during the previous topic. “Yeah, well, we don’t need to go there.”
“Why not? It’s a good memory.”
“Blake,” she said, her voice firm. “I said no.”
He kept on staring at her. I spoke, wanting to change the subject. “Since I’ve never had the honour of shower sex, is the next question is mine to ask?”
“Believe me, you’re not missing much, but yeah, ask away, hon,” said Alicia, smiling in my direction.
I rubbed at my jaw, searching my head for a good one. Blake was being a cock asking that last question, so maybe I should be a cock right back.
“Have you ever…cheated on someone?” I asked, casting a challenging glare in Blake’s direction. He moved his mouth in agitation, and I knew I had him. Shockingly, though, he kept his hand down, and Alicia was the only one to raise hers.
“Yeah, I cheated once or twice when I was younger, but I’ve changed my ways since then,” she admitted.
I barely even heard what she said because I couldn’t take my eyes off Blake. Leaning forward, I confronted him, “You sure about that one, mate?”
The prick had the gall to smile. “Perfectly sure.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
Now his smile fell, and his gaze turned hard. “Believe it, because it’s true.”
Rose began fidgeting with the hem of her shirt where she sat next to him, looking like she wanted to be anywhere else in the world right then. Guilt hit me like a punch to the gut. I was acting like an arsehole, and regretted being so aggressive with Blake. He’d hurt her, and she clearly didn’t want to dredge up all that old stuff, especially the idea that he might’ve been with someone else at the same time he was with her.
“Okay,” Alicia interrupted, “maybe we’ve all had enough of this game. How about we play some I Spy instead?”
Abruptly, Rose stood from her seat, moving past Blake and out into the aisle. “I’m going to go sit with Iggy for a bit,” she said, not looking at any of us.
“Rose,” I called, but she didn’t turn back.
Shit, I’d fucked up, hadn’t I?
Sixteen.
*Rose*
By the time we reached the paintballing centre, I almost felt like I could breathe again. That little game Alicia suggested had turned into one of the most torturous experiences of my life. And what the hell had Damon been thinking, asking that question about cheating?
For the last month he’d barely said two words to me outside of work stuff, and now this. It didn’t feel like the Damon I’d come to have feelings for. That Damon was shy and kind. The Damon who’d asked that question, quite frankly, had been a dick.
And okay, maybe he’d been right suggesting I take some time to properly sort my head out. I’d been doing some serious soul searching these past few weeks, coming to the realisation that I hopped from one man to the next in terms of emotional attachment. Sure, I wasn’t exactly a serial monogamist, but when I stopped have feelings for one person, I tended to dive straight into having feelings for another. It wasn’t healthy.
My mother had been the exact same way. Loving so readily that it had ultimately been her downfall. That entire messed-up relationship between her, Elijah, Joanna, and Kimberly was the final nail in her coffin.
So yeah, I was grateful to Damon for helping me see all this, but at the same time I was mad at him. It seemed like he and Alicia were growing closer and closer, and though he might not have been interested in her romantically, she was more than interested in him. It was taking all of my strength to be polite and friendly towards her, when half the time I just wanted to tear her hair out. It wasn’t like me, and I hated the turmoil my feelings were in.
“It’s official. I do not look good in combat green,” said Iggy, scowling down at the protective gear we’d been given to wear when we arrived. Being so slim, the clothing seemed to sag on him. We also had to wear these funny helmets to protect against the paintballs. It was a good thing I wasn’t vain, because we were all going to be sporting some serious hat hair before the day was through.
“But you look fabulous in Chanel black, and that’s all that matters,” I told him with a smile.