This is Love by (Checkmate Duet 2)

“Then please enlighten me.” Drew crosses his arms over his chest, his feet planted firmly on the floor, ready for a fight. “Explain how your lips landed on my girlfriend’s.”

My eyes widen as I unintentionally release a loud gasp. All three of them turn their heads toward me, and before I can control it, tears start falling down my cheeks. Drew pushes the door open wider, so the four of us are now in an awkward circle.

“What the hell are you doing in here?” Mia asks with a scoff. Her face is red, and her cheeks are puffy, but I don’t believe her fake performance one bit.

“I heard yelling. I was just making sure everything was okay.”

“Everything’s fine, Viola,” Travis says, but I refuse to look him in the eyes.

Drew cocks his head and studies my face, and I know he can see right through me. “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” he roars, turning his head toward Travis. “Kissing my girlfriend wasn’t enough, you had to nail my sister, too?”

Oh, my God.

Thud.

My heart is pounding so hard; I bet they can all feel it. too.

And as if that revelation wasn’t enough, Mia speaks up once again. “Oh, he tried more than that. Why do you think I was stripped down to my panties?” The words leave her mouth, and I instantly want to pummel her into the ground.

“Good question, Travis.” Drew looks at Travis again, and I can see the fire brewing in his eyes. His blood is boiling. “But what’s even a better question is how the fuck could you betray me like that?”

Before Travis can answer, Drew grabs him by the collar and pushes him up against the door. “My fucking sister, man?”

“Drew, no!” I reach out, but Mia steps in and blocks me.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He pushes his body into the door once again before releasing him. “I would’ve forgiven you for touching Mia, but my sister?” He shakes his head. “You’re dead to me.”

Tears well on the brims of my eyes and I can’t hold them back anymore. Visions of him and Mia instantly flood my mind, and I can’t take it anymore. I rush down the hall, grabbing my purse and shoes on my way out the door.

Travis yells behind me as I near my car. I ignore him and throw my shit in the backseat as soon as I unlock it.

“Viola, wait! Please!” He grabs my elbow and spins me around. “Let me explain.”

“I don’t want to hear any more lies from you.” I pull my arm out of his grip. “I trusted you,” I hiss.

“You’re going to believe Mia over me?”

“So are you saying you two didn’t kiss?” I challenge.

He brushes a hand through his hair as his jaw ticks.

“That’s what I thought.” I turn and reach for the door handle, but he stops me once again.

“That’s not how it happened, Viola.”

I roll my eyes and let out an amused chuckle. “Classic, Travis. Seriously.”

“Stop being so damn stubborn for once,” he growls. “She kissed me, Viola. Not the other way around. I have zero interest in her.”

I shake my head and narrow my eyes at him. “That doesn’t even make sense. Either you kissed, or you didn’t.”

“Okay, yes, but I didn’t kiss her back. She threw up on her dress and ripped it off, so I had her lay in the backseat. That’s all that happened. I swear, Viola.”

“So you’re telling me you two didn’t make out in your car? The same car we’ve been together in?”

His head falls back, and he groans out in frustration. “It wasn’t like that.”

“So, how could you not tell me? I said I didn’t need to hear the whole story because I trusted you, but I asked if anything had happened between you two and you said no. Now it looks like you had something to hide after all.”

“Because it was nothing! She gave me a kiss I didn’t want and now she’s all pissy because I rejected her. That’s the only reason she’s saying those things now.”

“Even if she’s the one that kissed you and you pushed her away, that’s more than just nothing. Especially considering she’s your best friend’s girlfriend. That should’ve been something you told me. Now I stand here like an idiot, thinking you were being one hundred percent honest with me.”

“Because it meant absolutely nothing to me! I didn’t want you to worry for no reason because I don’t want anything to do with her. I never have. I don’t care about her. You’re all I want, Viola.”

“Well, then it’s a shame you gambled away my trust on someone that meant nothing to you.”

“Don’t say that, Viola. Please. I would never hurt you.” He grabs my hand and secures it between both of his over his chest.

“You already have, Travis.”