19. Reese
I don’t think I ever want to drink again. Fuck, my head is swimming. My mouth tastes like cotton, and I could really use some water, but I don’t want to open my eyes because I know the morning light trying to pierce through my eyelids is going to hurt like a bitch when I do.
I reach a hand out, but instead of water, I touch something soft and warm. I bolt up, and through burning eyes, I look at the bed next to me. Dark hair drapes across the pillow.
There’s no memory of me talking to any girls last night, let alone falling into bed with one. The last thing I remember is playing foosball with my buddies, but there’s no denying there is a girl in bed next to me. Her back is bare, which isn’t a good sign. Running my hands down my body, I realize I’m naked too. That’s a really bad sign. Pushing the girl’s hair away, I jolt back.
I fucking know this girl, unfortunately.
My best friend’s girlfriend.
“Zoey.” I shove her shoulder before scrambling from the bed.
With a grumble, she flops onto her back. I look away, not only because I don’t want to see her tits but also because I need to find clothes and get to the bottom of whatever’s going on. I know I didn’t fuck his girlfriend. One, I would never do that to Elijah; he’s like my brother. But two, I can’t fucking stand the girl. Didn’t the first time I met her two years ago, and the feeling is the same today.
“Zoey.” I walk around the bed and shake her, still looking for my shorts. Yes! Finding them on the floor on her side, I ignore how bad that looks for my situation and step into them.
The door across the room flies open, and Elijah steps in.
“Bro.” He laughs at me, holding a hand up to block my dick as I finish tugging my shorts up. “Sleeping naked at someone else’s house is a little weird, ya know?”
I shoot a look at Zoey, who’s still asleep, and he follows my eyes before his round. “Holy shit. You had sex?” he whisper-shouts, probably trying not to wake the girl. The girl he has no idea is his girlfriend yet.
When he finds out…
As if she knew what I was thinking and wanted to make my life even worse than she already has, Zoey yawns and sits up, pushing her hair from her face. She smiles at me, and my stomach fucking rolls. “I had a good night last night.”
Fuck.
I wait for it to click with Elijah. He’s still staring, his face a mask of indifference as he takes in the scene in front of him.
“You fucked my girlfriend?”
Oh shit. I shake my head. I didn’t. I know I didn’t. “I know it looks bad, E. But I promise I didn’t fuck her—”
“Yes,” Zoey says with her head down and fake sadness in her tone. “I’m so sorry, Elijah. It just happened. We… we’ve been sneaking around behind your back for months.”
What? What the hell is this girl on?
“No the fuck we have—”
“Just tell him, Reese.” She stands, at least having the decency to wrap a sheet around her.
“E.” I turn for him, but it’s not the eyes of my best friend I meet. It’s the eyes of an enemy. Cold and distant, and I know he wants to punch me. I’ve seen this very same look on him more times than I can count, but it’s never been directed at me. “You know I would never.” I take a step toward him. “Especially after everything.”
He flinches. “Don’t fucking bring my dad up, you backstabbing piece of shit.”
“I didn’t fuck her! I fucking swear, Elijah. I know it looks bad, but I swear to God we didn’t.”
“Swear to whoever the fuck you want, but it doesn’t change shit. You woke up in bed with her, right?”
“Yes.” The answer tastes like acid in my mouth.
“Naked?” His jaw clenches. Mine does the same, and I nod because I can’t bear to mutter the words out loud.
“So tell me, Reese.” He spits my name like it’s dirt on his shoe. “If roles were reversed, what would you think?”
I say nothing because we both know the answer, and the answer sucks. I didn’t fuck her; I know I didn’t. I just need to get to the bottom of whatever the fuck is happening. How she got in here, and why I was naked. Why she was naked, because I refuse to believe it was sex.
“Thought so,” he mutters, a humorless laugh slipping past his lips. “Do me a favor and stay the fuck away from me.” He storms to the door and slams it behind him.
I stare at it for a long time. Too long. And by the time it hits me what just happened, the only thing I can hope is that he doesn’t tell Winnie. She’s mad at me for a very legit reason already; I can’t give her a second one. Especially when something isn’t right. I don’t sleep around. The last person I fucked was Winnie, and I planned to keep it that way until we fucked again.
And I hate Zoey. There’s not a single fucking chance I would ever take her to bed; sober or shitfaced.
Turning, I glare at her with a brand-new hatred, maybe more anger burning inside me than ever before, and I so badly want to hit something.
She eyes her nails, not an ounce of care that she just ripped my best friend’s heart out and stomped on it.
“I don’t know what actually happened last night, but when I find out, you’re going to regret ever coming between me and the people I love.”
She saunters my way and reaches a hand out, but I shove it away. She fakes a pout. “Pushy for the guy begging me to fuck him last night.”
I spit out a laugh. “Not in a million fucking years would I beg you to fuck me when I can have the best pussy around.”
Hurt slashes through her eyes, and she crosses her arms. “Who?”
I scoff and move across the room to find my shirt.
“Who is it, Reese?”
I’m not telling her it’s Winnie. She would only make her life more miserable than it already is.
I find my shirt and wallet, thank fuck. Opening it, I pull out the photo and stare down at it, wishing I could go back to that moment. I wouldn’t make so many fucking mistakes if I could.
Zoey sneaks up behind me and snatches the Polaroid from my hands. “Well, well, well. Look what we have here.”
“Give it back, Zoey.”
She pulls her arm away when I reach for it, and since the only thing covering her naked body is a sheet, I’m not going to fight her and risk it falling.
“Is Reese Larson fucking underage pussy?”
Technically, no. I Googled the age of consent—which is sixteen in this state, and since Winnie is sixteen…
Zoey doesn’t need to know that, though, so I keep my face unreadable. “Mind your fucking business, Zoey.”
“Oh, he is. Well, I have to admit. I thought you were a good boy. I’m a bit surprised.”
“You don’t know shit, Zoey.”
I reach for the photo again, and she lets me have it this time. I place it back into my wallet to keep it safe and then shove it into my pocket.
Carrying my shit, I head for the door. I need to get out of here. Before she pushes me to a point of no return. She might not care about what she just did to Elijah, but I do. I saw the last bit of life he was holding on to since his dad died dwindle, and it fucking scares me.
Things between us have already been rocky since everything with his dad, but now? I don’t know how we come back from this unless I can somehow prove we didn’t fuck. Which I don’t know how to do.
“And to think I thought I had to wait until I turned eighteen to get with you. Silly me.”
“Shut the fuck up,” I growl. “I haven’t admitted to anything.”
“You don’t have to say anything when I see the way you look at her. I saw the way you held her at her dad’s funeral. That’s not brotherly or friendly. It was love.”
I shoot a glare over my shoulder. “So I love her. That doesn’t prove anything?”
Her mouth gapes like she didn’t expect me to say that. I’ve always loved Winnie; that wouldn’t be a surprise to anyone close to us.
“Just watch your back, Reese. It only takes a small inkling in a cop’s ear about underage sex, and you know my mom’s husband is a deputy…”
I slam the door behind me because I don’t care to hear her threats. They don’t mean shit to me. I didn’t admit to anything, and no one knows about Winnie and me besides us. And I know she wouldn’t say anything even if Zoey is crazy enough to go to the police.
At least, I hope not, and if not, the scummy age-of-consent argument has my back.
Fuck, what a mess.
Elijah is probably home now, blabbing everything to her. I should go home and wait for the fucking police cars to line up my driveway, ready to carry me away and murder any future I planned.