Chapter 34
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
Jameson
Two Feet - I Feel Like I’m Drowning
T he party was more successful than expected, and surprisingly enough, we’ve gained an immense amount of interest. I was seated on the stool at the kitchen island, my gaze skimming over all the new signups scribbled onto the sheet of paper. There was no doubt in my mind that this was going to be successful. The door creaked open, capturing my attention. My eyes narrowed on Kash who stumbled inside, his hair sticking up all over the place. His lips were bruised and swollen, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out what he’s been up to. At least he was putting himself out there again. Before this, I couldn’t remember the last time he’d fucked anyone.
“Who’s the lucky girl?” I drawled, returning to the papers spread out before me.
There were over a hundred names on the list, meaning that we could afford to decline people if they couldn’t pass initiation. That thought sent a thrill of satisfaction through me.
“Huh?” Kash questioned, avoiding my gaze as he kicked off his shoes. Instinctively, his fingers brushed over his bottom lip, and he ran his tongue over it, savoring the taste of whoever he’d just been screwing. Whoever she was, it must have been good if she still had Kash drooling over her after the fact. Usually, he’d get bored as soon as he finished and move onto the next.
“I said who’s the lucky girl?” I repeated with raised eyebrows.
“Oh. No one you’d know.” He shrugged. “Just some rando.” He crossed the room, coming to join me at the island. His eyes darted down to the stack of papers, but I could tell that he couldn’t tell what they were. His mind was on another planet.
I snorted a laugh. “You picked some bitch up off the side of the road?” I joked, pressing for more information. “Might want to get tested. How much did she cost you?” I waggled my eyebrows, not bothering to hide the amusement from my tone.
Kash rolled his eyes. “More than you could afford, asshole,” he replied dryly.
I huffed a laugh. None of us were interested in buying pussy. We never had to before and personally, I wasn’t going to start now. I’d be surprised if Kash actually paid someone to fuck him, considering he’s had an endless number of girls flirting with him lately. All he needed to do was snap his fingers and some bitch would spread their legs for him.
Ashton strolled into the kitchen, cutting off any further conversation. He did a double take when he noticed Kash’s appearance, but he didn’t comment on it. Instead, he opened up the fridge and retrieved a bottle of water.
He sat down beside me at the island, glancing over at our sexed-up friend again. “You should probably shower,” he said. “You smell like sex.”
Kash shot him a lazy smile, something dark and unhinged flickering through his irises. “Nah. I want her smell on me for as long as humanly possible.”
I snorted a laugh, but I couldn’t fault him for it. When I fucked Everleigh, it took a while for me to shower for that same reason. Fuck. Everleigh. She hated me with a burning passion right now. My chest tightened at the reminder. But it was for the best. Once Ash was finally done with her, we all had to be. Getting close to her again would be emotional suicide.
As if following my trail of though, Ashton shifted in his seat and clenched his jaw. “I just have one thing left for Everleigh. And then I want you two to take her to Lucas.”
Kash bristled, his eyes snapping to Ash. “ Lucas ?” he asked incredulously. “Why the fuck would we do that?”
“No fucking way,” I snapped in agreement.
That dude was fucking unhinged. More so than any of us. He cheated on her with her little sister, hit her in the face, and seemed borderline controlling. It didn’t matter that it had been an accident. There was no way in hell I was dropping her off at his doorstep.
Ashton sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger. “We aren’t her protectors. The only reason their relationship went downhill in the first place was because of me.” It felt like he was leaving something out if his clenched jaw was anything to go by. That, or he was frustrated that we weren’t okay with his little plan.
I shook my head, putting my foot down on this one. She wasn’t going with him. I didn’t give a shit. If she wanted to walk her fine ass back into his arms, so be it. But I wasn’t forcing her there.
“That’s a stupid fucking plan and you know it,” Kash growled, the muscle feathering along the side of his jaw. My gaze dropped to the teeth marks on his neck, surrounded by some bruising.
“I already told Lucas he could have her. Why do you think he’s backed off?” Ash challenged. “I’m not going back on my word. If she chooses to leave him again then fine. At least I upheld my end.”
The mere thought of Lucas getting his hands on her again had my blood boiling. What if she just stayed with him? What if she gave him her body again? Her heart? A growl rumbled from my chest. It didn’t matter what I said. It didn’t matter what Ashton said, or what anyone said for that matter. Everleigh Knight was mine . Lucas didn’t get to have her.
Kash shook his head, biting down on his knuckle like he was trying to keep himself from exploding. I didn’t realize how much he cared for Everleigh until now. But it was obvious he did. Maybe in the way I did even. That thought was as relieving as it was infuriating.
“You can’t control this,” I gritted out. “Just finish what you’re doing and be done. It doesn’t have to go to those lengths.”
Ashton glanced over at me, an unreadable expression etched into his features. “It’s done,” he said simply. “You knew from the beginning that this would end in breaking her. That’s precisely what I’m doing.”
“How is delivering her back to her ex-boyfriend breaking her?” Kash demanded.
Ash blew out an exasperated breath, as if he were merely dealing with two toddlers. “Because she just caught him fucking her sister. If she actually gave a shit about him at all before any of this, it’ll bother her.”
He had a point there, but it didn’t make me feel any better about it. I still couldn’t shake Everleigh’s words from when we were lying in bed together. Her naked back pressed against my chest. Her soft skin…
Fuck. I was so fucking fucked.
She said she couldn’t even remember hooking up with Dakota. Ash claimed that she was a liar, but he was so wrapped up in his revenge scheme that I wasn’t sure if he’d even know if that was the truth or not. He didn’t care to know.
Either way, Ashton was right. Me and Kash both agreed to help him see this through. It was Evie’s choice whether she stayed with Lucas or not. I couldn’t see her doing that after he cheated on her, but it wasn’t my business. My emotions and thoughts were all over the place when it came to her.
“Fine,” I bit out before I could talk myself out of it. “We’ll do it. But then it’s done. No more torturing her. No more bullying her. I’m done after this.”
“What?” Kash snapped. “You’re not fucking serious.” He was fuming, and I couldn’t even blame him. Though, it did come as a surprise. The bastard was damn good at bottling his emotions.
Ashton jerked a nod in my direction. “We’re done after this,” he agreed.
My chest was tight with tension. After a lot of persuading, Kash relented. Though, he’d locked himself in his room after the conversation and hasn’t come out. Ashton had also filled us in on the plan for tomorrow, and even that was a lot.
I blew out a breath, leaning my back against the headboard of my bed. A cold beer rested between my fingers as I stared off into the distance. When we were teenagers, Everleigh’s laugh had been infectious. I was just now realizing that I hadn’t heard it since then. I suppose she didn’t have a lot to laugh about these days. Did Lucas make her laugh? Did Dallas ?
A rush of white-hot rage shot through my system at the mere thought of him. Dallas. The guy she’s been sneaking around with under everyone’s nose. Dallas and I used to be friends. Our mothers hung out a lot when mine was still alive. It was only natural that I’d be stuck with Dallas to pass the time. It wasn’t so bad, until it was. A memory bulldozed to the front of my brain, stealing my breath with it.
I was hiding in the woods, nothing but trees surrounding me for miles. The sun was hot against my skin and my pulse thrummed violently against my throat. His footsteps weren’t as quiet as he thought they were. Leaves crunched beneath Dallas’s feet along with twigs. When he drew closer, I held my breath, forcing my body to go completely still. There weren’t a lot of places to hide out here unless you wanted to get lost, so I kept close to the house.
Dallas was older than me. By a lot. He was already eighteen, but he was still living with his mom. I was only eleven. He still always played with me when he came over, though. Probably to distract me.
“Where could he be?” he asked, amusement lacing his tone.
I bit back the laugh that threatened to tumble from my lips. Silence stretched on as he stood there, waiting for me right outside of my hiding spot. Anticipation sliced through my body, and I was sure it was his intended effect. After a few long moments, he started walking again, his footfalls growing distant. A breath of relief spilled out of me, and I slumped against the tree, allowing the rough bark to dig into my spine.
Out of nowhere, he jumped in front of me, causing me to yelp out in surprise. My heart was hammering against my ribcage with reckless abandon.
“Dallas!” I snapped, sucking in fast, ragged breaths.
He just smirked down at me, his biceps bulging in his tight black shirt. “I told you I’d win,” he supplied. “I don’t understand why you intend on playing this silly little game when you lose every time.”
I shot him a glare, anger bubbling up inside of me. His light brown hair was styled neatly, not a strand of it out of place. It was clear that he paid special attention to his appearance. It seemed pointless to me. Maybe he did it for girls. Not that I’d know much about that. I only really cared about hanging out with my friends and playing video games when Dad let me. Lately, he’s been letting me a lot more frequently. I think it was so I wouldn’t bother him.
“I’ll beat you at something one day,” I vowed.
He grinned back at me, revealing rows of perfect white teeth. “We’ll see. I’m quite competitive.”
I grumbled in frustration. I wanted to wipe that stupid smile off his face. Once my heart had calmed down enough, I started stomping toward the opening of the trees where my house resided on the other side.
“Where are you going?” Dallas called from behind me, a hint of something panicked in his gaze.
“I’m thirsty.”
His footsteps echoed from behind me, and he caught up in no time, walking by my side. “Are you sure you don’t want to play another game?” he pressed. “We can grab a drink afterwards.”
The thought of another round did sound appealing. But my throat was raw from running and my tongue felt dry. “I’m really thirsty,” I told him. “Why are you being weird?”
He cursed under his breath, running his hands through his perfectly styled hair. Clearly something was bothering him. “Do you have a water hose? Maybe you can drink from there.”
I shot him a disgusted look. Even if we did have a water hose, I wouldn’t drink from it. I wasn’t an animal. “No.”
He seemed to give up after that, not bombarding me with any more questions. For some reason, he didn’t want me to go home yet. I already told him I’d play with him afterwards. He was coming off desperate. When we reached my house, I crept inside. The carpet was worn and weathered from years of use and spills. But nothing was new for long on the north side of town. Mom was away at work and Dad and Helen were hanging out somewhere. Probably smoking cigarettes in his room like they always seemed to do.
I grabbed two bottles of water from the fridge, offering one to Dallas who accepted it. His gaze was darting around the house like he expected something to jump out at him. He came from a rich family, so maybe he just didn’t like being in a house of this condition. Dallas had a brother, but he lived with his father, and I’ve never met him. Apparently, he was my age. He’d probably be more fun to play with.
I unscrewed the cap and took a long drink. The cold water felt good going down my throat and I greedily drank more and more until my stomach felt full.
A weird noise echoed through the house, making me pause. A bed creaking, maybe? I glanced over at Dallas, wondering if he heard it, too. His body was tense, his skin looking paler than usual.
“Are you done drinking?” he asked, staring down the hallway where the noise had come from.
I nodded, twisting the cap back on the bottle before returning it to the refrigerator. A loud moan sliced through the air, making my stomach twist for reasons I couldn’t understand. Against my better judgement, I started making my way down the darkened hallway.
“Jameson,” Dallas hissed in a low tone. “Let’s go outside.”
Ignoring him, I continued toward my father’s bedroom. The door was closed, but the noises were becoming more frequent and louder with every step I took. Once I reached his door, a scream shattered through the air and I jerked the door open, thinking Helen was being hurt or something. My dad could be aggressive sometimes, but he’s never hurt any of us.
My heart got stuck in my stomach when I took in the scene in front of me. Helen was on her back completely naked with my dad between her legs. He was humping her fast and hard into the mattress, her head tipped back in pleasure. My gaze caught on her large breasts as they jiggled with every movement.
Bile rose to the back of my throat, and I quietly closed the door, not wanting them to catch me snooping. Tears blurred my vision as I whirled on Dallas who was still standing at the end of the hallway.
“H-he’s screwing her,” I whispered, my voice cracking.
Dallas glanced down at the floor. “I know.”
That was another punch to the gut. “You know?” I repeated. “You knew this has been happening?”
He didn’t reply, but his silence told me everything I needed to know. Helen has been bringing Dallas over this entire time to keep me occupied so she could have sex with my ‘married’ father. And he knew all about it. He helped her do it.
My hand tightened around the beer resting between my legs. I might have been young, but that didn’t excuse my stupidity. Why else would someone bring their grown child to play with a little kid? Dallas was my babysitter, meant to keep me occupied so I didn’t find out about what was really going on. And now he was fucking Everleigh.
I brought my drink to my lips, taking a long swig. The bitterness of the alcohol was nearly tasteless as I greedily drank more and more. Whatever was going on between him and Evie had to stop. Even if I had to beat Dallas’s ass or kill that motherfucker, he wouldn’t touch her again if I had anything to say about it. He was a piece of shit. Eventually, she’d realize that too.
I’d like to think it was a one-time thing. But it was hard to believe that he’d have lingerie hand delivered to her if he never intended on seeing her again. He had her dress up for him like she was a fucking doll, and for some reason, she did just that for the bastard. I finished off my beer before throwing the bottle down on the floor. It shattered against the wood, spraying all over the damn place. But I couldn’t find it in myself to care. Instead, I reached for one of the extra bottles I brought up with me and twisted the cap off.
My dad was always a piece of shit. As a kid, I didn’t realize how bad of a person he was until he started putting his hands on me. To this day, I still wasn’t sure how long he’d been cheating on my mom. Or if Helen had been the only one he was seeing. Dallas started coming around when I was nine. So maybe somewhere around then. That would have made him sixteen. Still old enough to know better.
My mind flashed to Everleigh. She was all I ever thought about anymore. I missed her. Missed what we used to have. Enduring my father’s brutality was worth it when I had her in my life. Knowing that I’d get to see her and when I did, that she’d take care of my wounds—that she’d hug me and cry for me, that she’d let me pull her into my lap and sit like that for hours with me. Why couldn’t I have met her first? If I had, there was a high chance that none of this would have happened.
Somehow, she’d wormed her way so deeply beneath my skin that she had become my every reason for breathing, for wanting to move forward. Even now when I knew it could never become anything more. I was torn between what she put us through and what my heart wanted. If none of these other factors were at play, I’d keep her forever. I’d fuck her, mark her, claim her, love her the way she deserved. But none of that mattered. Because in the end, she still crossed that line and tore us apart. In the end, she was the one to break me.
So now, it was time to break her.