“Hey, babe.” I snuck behind Kayla and wrapped my hand around her tiny waist. She smelled of booze and perfume—nothing like Hayley.
Her blonde hair tickled my chin when she tipped her head. Her eyes were glossy and red; she was already tipsy as hell.
“Hey, I was wondering when you’d show. Are you still mine for the night?”
No. “We’ll see,” I whispered into her ear, nuzzling my head into the side of her neck. As I brushed my nose along her skin, I lazily moved my eyes over to Hayley. I had to fight the urge to smile like a damn fool. Her eyes were hard and ice cold as she stared at Kayla and me. Does this bother you, Hayley?
I placed a tender kiss along Kayla’s cheek, and I thought Hayley was going to blow a gasket. Her chest was heaving; her fists clenched at her sides. Are you regretting those words you spat at me earlier? Hayley told me I could fuck any girl I wanted and pass her right along. “What do I care?” she asked.
A laugh bubbled up out of my chest. Oh, you fucking care.
I placed my attention on Kayla and grabbed her hand, pulling her behind me to the couch. Once I sat down, Kayla sat on my lap and put her arm around my neck. A new drink was placed in my hand by an underclassman, and
I sipped on it while giving some attention to Kayla and keeping my gaze trained on Hayley.
She and Piper stood along the wall for a little while before she couldn’t take it any longer. She huffed and rolled her eyes, turning around so she didn’t have to see me anymore. My stare returned to her a few times in between keeping up a conversation with a few guys and giving some attention to Kayla who continued to rub her ass on my dick.
It was hard.
But for an entirely different reason.
That might have made me an asshole, but I never claimed to be a saint, and with Hayley involved, I had no shame.
Through a sea of people, I saw Hayley take a drink from Ollie. She tipped it back before swinging her eyes over to me and Kayla. We were stuck in an intense stare-off, and heat flared within. The room felt electrified. It took everything in my entire body not to push Kayla off my lap, stalk over to Hayley, grab her hips in my hands, and assault her with my mouth.
I felt crazy, animalistic. I wanted to rip her clothes off and fuck her into oblivion. I wanted to feel her body in my hands, her lips on my mouth, erase our past and the future.
I wanted to be in the now with her.
I wanted to forget that I had hated her for five years. I wanted to forget about that fucker Gabe laying his hands on her. I wanted to forget about her sleazy mom and her puzzling warning.
Hayley licked her bottom lip, her fervent stare burning a hole in my skin, but then her face fell at the sound of a voice coming from behind her.
“Remember me, Hayley?”
Oh fuck.
Chapter Thirty
Hayley
Chills coated my skin. I fought the need to shiver. My heart dropped to the ground at lightning speed. Christian was pushing Kayla off his lap as I turned around and found a pair of familiar, sinister-like eyes glaring at me.
I sucked in a breath at the sight of Gabe standing in Eric’s cabin. What the hell is he doing here? And what the hell happened to his face? I surveyed the kitchen for half a second before Gabe’s voice stole my attention.
“Who is your fucking boyfriend? Huh? Which one of these fuckers jumped me?”
Oh my God. I’m going to kill Christian.
I felt Christian’s presence behind me like the devil sneaking up to take me to hell. Everyone in the room stopped talking. The music was cut to an abrupt stop. Gabe stood there with his face bruised and swollen, a few of his friends that I recognized stood behind him for backup. They were all wearing Oakland T-shirts with the wildcat logo in the center.
“I don’t have a boyfriend, Gabe,” I answered calmly. On the outside, I was sure I looked unphased, but on the inside, my stomach was tied in knots. I was angry with Christian, jealous of his little show with Kayla that was still brewing in my mind, annoyed that the party was now centered on me, and a whole lot fearful, looking Gabe in the face.
“Bullshit,” he growled, taking a step toward me. I was instantly blocked by Ollie, Eric, and Christian within a matter of seconds. Piper stood beside me with wide eyes.
I pushed through Christian and Ollie, stepping in front of them. I glared at Christian. “I don’t need your help.” Then, I seethed under my breath, “And I know this is your fault.”
I crossed my arms over my tight shirt. “Whatever happened had nothing to do with me.” How did he even know I was here?