Consolation Prize (Forbidden Men 9)

Oh my God, it was more than just sex for him too!

Even after the crappiness we’d experienced tonight, I wanted to laugh and dance and share my news with the world. Colton liked me for more than just sex.

Muffled voices came from the kitchen, so I started that way without thought. I wanted to celebrate with my besties.

Tyla was asking, “Where’s JuJu?” when I reached the opening.

“Probably with Colton again,” Sasha answered, just as Theo snorted.

“Are you fucking kidding me? She’s still seeing that white douchebag?”

I had opened my mouth to call a greeting, but closed it at his question, not wanting to deal with any more of that tonight. The two couples were gathered around the counter where three boxes of pizza from the corner store lay spread open as they hovered and ate.

Feeling extra and unneeded and not wanting to listen to Theo make any more cracks about Colton, I began to back away.

But Theo snorted. “Guess this proves white guys are resistant to the cold.”

I paused, frowning. Huh?

“Why’s that?” Chad asked, his mouth full of pepperoni and cheese.

Theo shrugged. “I mean, he’s gotta be. That or he’s fine with freezing his nuts off every time he sticks his dick in her ice cold, igloo pussy.”

As a part of me shut down to avoid feeling any kind of pain, Tyla gasped and walloped him on the arm. “Theodore Jamal Richmond! What the fucking hell?”

“Well, it’s true!” Theo cried, ducking and lifting his arm when Tyla went for his face next.

“That is not true at all.”

“Oh, shit.” Chad had finally noticed me in the doorway, his next bite of pizza frozen halfway to his mouth.

Sasha glanced over and gasped, slapping her hands over her mouth.

When Tyla saw me, she immediately began to shake her head. “No.” She stepped toward me. “JuJu—”

But I retreated a foot, and she slowed to a stop.

“I was just letting you guys know I was home,” I said quietly. When I swung my gaze toward Theo, he actually had the decency to look contrite. “And I’d appreciate it if you would stop calling him that white douchebag. His name is Colton.”

Then I turned away and walked stiffly to my room. When I reached it, I closed the door without any fuss and moved immediately to my closet to pull out a suitcase. I had no idea where I was going as I filled it. I just didn’t want to be here.

Outside Sasha and Ty, I wasn’t really friends with anyone else in town, not friendly enough to ask to stay with them, anyway. And bothering Colton was out of the question. His family didn’t know about us for a completely different reason. Besides, he was miserable and in pain right now. He needed a break.

Maybe Pick could help me out. I’d heard of some pretty awesome things he’d done for a couple of my coworkers, even though bothering my boss when he was probably at home with his family right now seemed all kinds of wrong.

I’d just stuffed a handful of underwear, all plain cotton but with vibrant colors, into the suitcase when a soft knock came at my door.

Tyla pushed it open, hesitantly peeking inside. Sasha crept in right behind her.

“He’s gone,” Ty told me, her eyes full of apology. “I kicked him out.”

“Chad left too,” Sasha reported.

I sighed and dropped my armful of socks onto my mattress. “You guys, you didn’t have to do that. I can go.”

“What? You’re not going anywhere,” Sasha stated firmly. “This is your home. And why is there blood smeared on your shirt?”

I glanced down and blinked at the rusty smear covering my right breast. Colton had broken open his knuckles and scraped his arm in th