I don’t know what comes next. All I know is that this feels like the end of everything I thought I had.
Everything hurts.
And I wish I’d never fucking come here.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
WESLEY
Dadwasnotthrilledabout being woken up at two in the morning.
He was even less thrilled when I told him I’d broken Lane’s nose and he needed a ride to the hospital.
Emmett was technically sober and could’ve driven him, but he was just as pissed at Lane as the rest of us.
Honestly, Lane’s fucking lucky that’s all I broke. I always knew he was a dick and he said stupid shit when he was talking with the guys, but he’d taken it way too fucking far. He crossed over into the “find out” part of fucking around.
When I saw him pin Sadie against the wall, something in me snapped. One second, I was across the room. The next, I was on him—ripping him off her so hard it should’ve torn his arm from the socket.
The guilt hit me like a sledgehammer when she crumpled to the floor sobbing.It was all my fault.I’d been the one who invited Lane to drink with us. He turned us down three times before I pushed just enough for him to give in. I didn’t think it was a big deal—he never said hecouldn’tdrink, just that he didn’t want to.
We were halfway into our second game when I noticed something different about him. He was chattier than usual, and a little too amped-up. I didn’t think twice at first—most of the guys loosen up after a few drinks.
But he had more than a few, and it escalated quickly. He drank right from the bottle and his fun, breezy energy became twisted and mean.
Still, nobody said anything. Nobody told him he should slow down. Nobody called him out for being a dick. I thought he was finally showing everyone what I’d known all along—Lane was an asshole, and always had been. I didn’t see the red flags until Sadie was in his lap. She was trying to play it off but I saw the stiffness in her shoulders, the way her smile didn’t reach her eyes. I saw it and I knew something was off.
Because I know her.
What I didn’t catch was that Lane was the reason. Not until I heard what he said when he asked her to go up to his room.
She was embarrassed, trying to keep her voice low so the whole table wouldn’t hear. But he was either completely oblivious or just didn’t care.
Like I said—he’s an asshole.
Once he shoved her against the wall, that was it for me. I wanted to drop him right then and there, but Landon was on me before I could follow through.
The edges of my vision blurred, my body vibrating with the fury I’d been holding in for weeks. And then Lane opened his mouth, pulling the pin on my rage grenade. Land didn’t even try to stop me. Lane deserved it.
Fuck, IwishI’d broken more than just his nose. He’d broken Sadie’s heart. Breaking his face felt like fair trade.
I’ll have to wait my turn.
Was that all she was to him—a fucking conquest? She deserves better.
The house hasn’t felt the same since that night.
Dad’s disappointment in Lane was obvious. He’s always thought of him like another son, giving him a job, a home, and a chance to prove himself. I don’t know if Lane told him the whole truth, but Heath Morrow is not a stupid man.
The next morning felt like déjà vu. Sadie didn’t come down for breakfast. Wouldn’t answer the door for me or Emmett. I hated feeling like we were back to square one, especially after all the progress she’d made.
She was a completely different person than the lost, closed-off girl who showed up to throw my summer off the rails.
Ilikedthe new Sadie.
By day two, the pit in my stomach had doubled, and I felt even more shitty. I wanted to be able to tell her I was sorry. I was a mess, but every time I tried, her door remained shut.
Emmett called in reinforcements and drove Lydia over during her lunch break to try to coax her out. But even that didn’t work.
