Mom snaps her head in my direction. “That’s enough! Get out!”
I want to tell her to fuck off too, but I won’t.
Mom will be upset and that’s why she’s shouting at me. She’s been through enough without me making things even worse as usual. So I do as I’m told and leave, throwing myself behind the wheel of my car and starting the engine.
I pause when I see a text popping up on my screen.
Jackson: Does bro code still count if I fuck your brother? If not, then my bad, dude. He wanted it and I’m nothing but a gentleman who has needs.
At the same time as my entire body seizing, I glance up when I sense movement, seeing Blaise with his hood up, hurrying his steps down the driveway, not sparing a look at my car to see if I’m in it before he vanishes down the road.
I slump in the seat and chew my lip. He’s not dead, and he’s not with Jackson like I thought. He was in the house all this time, so I have no reason to feel like I’m on the verge of being sick, right? Am I just losing my mind?
My phone vibrates again, and I see a text from Allie, asking to meet up to talk. She wants to be friends.
Nope.
I block her and turn my engine off, staying here until the sun goes down and my eyes are heavy. I only leave the car afterwatching Mia and Blaise get out of her car and rush into the house.
Soap lathers on my chest,the music from my phone drowning out my surroundings. It vibrates, interrupting the song for a second, but I ignore whoever it is and stay under the water.
My head is spinning. I think the lack of sleep over the past few days, and being pissed off and ignoring all of Blaise’s messages to his stalker, and pretending he doesn’t exist in the house, is all starting to get to me.
I went to practice, and sure enough, Blaise was there, standing right in the spot Jackson usually is. My friend did show up, and I caught him whispering something to Blaise before laughing and going to the stands.
As if they were friends.
Or more.
The bathroom door opens – I thought I locked it?
Thinking Blaise will pop his head in, I’m mistaken when Mia slips inside and closes it behind her.
I narrow my eyes and tilt my head. “What do you want?”
Thankfully, the frosted, steamed-up glass hides my junk. Not that she’s caring since she’s pulling off her shirt and unbuttoning her pants.
I hesitate. “The fuck are you doing?”
“Shut up,” she retorts. “You’re starting to annoy me, Cole.”
I raise a brow and back away when she slides the shower screen over, stepping into the steam completely naked. “Are you still going to pretend?”
“If you don’t leave, I’ll tell Allie and Blaise you keep throwing yourself at me. It’s pathetic.” I keep my eyes on her face, refusingto look down at her body. “Mia. Whatever it is you think is going on, you need to stop.”
“I had to take a Plan B, then get checked for STDs, and you still think this is me throwing myself at you? Why are you pretending nothing happened that night?”
When she comes closer, rage hits me, and I snatch her throat, slamming her into the tiles. She gasps, her cheeks going bright red, but then her eyes widen when they slide to the side.
“Blaise,” she breathes.
I turn, keeping her in place still, to see him closing the door behind him and locking it. His eyes are snapping back and forth between me and my hand on Mia’s throat.
My grip tightens, feeling her pulse racing faster now that her boyfriend is here, her boyfriend, catching her in the act that isn’t an act but definitely looks like it.
Blaise’s attention isn’t on her at all, but me, his nostrils flaring. “What the fuck is going on in here?”
“It’s… It’s not what it looks like,” Mia cries, gasping and clawing at my wrist. I release her and step back. “We were just talking.”
