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Haze and I both got tested a few days ago just to be safe. I made it clear that I wasn’t sleeping with him without protection—even if the tests said he was clean. The pill isn’t a hundred percent effective. I’m not trying to become Riley the second. The results recently came in and… it goes without saying that knowing we’re both STD-free isn’t helping me control my urges.
Riley’s been around every single day.
Every single day.
Jacob’s the definition of an angel, but the fact that his mother has to tag along with him is slowly driving me mad. Kendrick says that I’m pathetic for staying. That I should leave this sinking ship while I still can.
I’m starting to wonder if he’s right.
The only good thing to come out of this hell is that I’ve had more time to focus on my online classes. It’s made me wonder how Haze’s going to graduate. He’s missed so much school. He doesn’t look too worried about getting held back, that’s for sure. I think back to the way no teacher ever wrote down that he was absent and wonder how many corners he can cut just by being the kid of the school’s biggest funder.
Riley’s flirting is getting more obvious with each torturous day that goes by. Even Kendrick, who didn’t notice for a week when his own sister dyed her hair red during freshman year, knows that she’s trying to seduce Haze.
I don’t want to tell him because I know what he would say. He’d tell me not to worry because he loves me. I’m sure from his perspective, Riley just seems like a caring mother who wants her child to have a father. On day number three, she asked Haze to go to dinner without me. Something about Jacob not liking strangers. I almost laughed. She said that like Haze wasn’t also a stranger who Jacob met less than a week ago. Haze denied her request, which made her mad. She tried to disguise it, and she might’ve successfully fooled Haze but not me.
I get a towel out of the cabinet and curse when I realize that I don’t have any clean clothes with me. One quick trip to the bedroom shouldn’t be too hard. I just have to find a way to avoid Haze’s questions. I open the door and walk back in the room to see him standing shirtless next to the bed. He’s just put on sweatpants. He wasn’t lying about always sleeping naked.
See why I’m struggling with my involuntary vow of abstinence?
He furrows his eyebrows, surprised to see me back so soon.
“Just getting some clothes,” I say, hoping to run back to the bathroom without trouble. My hopes quickly fall. The look in his eyes tells me he’s not letting me get away that easy.
I grab whatever clean clothes I can find and speed walk to the exit, but before I can turn the doorknob, he wraps his hands around my hips and spins me around. My back hits the closed door as he presses his muscular body to mine.
Dang it. So close.
“What’s wrong?” He gazes deeply into my eyes, and I can tell he’s hoping to find the answer I won’t give him in there.
I can’t keep it in any longer.
“She wants you,” I blurt out.
There’s no going back now.
“What?” He frowns.
“Riley. I know you don’t see it, but I do. Even freaking Kendrick sees it. She wants her perfect little family together and for me to disappear.”
Then, as I expected, he looks at me like I’m crazy.
Yep. He’s completely clueless.
Why am I even wasting my time?
“Forget it.” I try to move away from his hold, but he doesn’t let me.
“Winter, wait, talk to me.”
Am I going to have to spell it out for him?
“She laughs at every single one of your jokes, she’s touchy, she’s constantly reminiscing about the good old days. Deny it all you want, but she wants you back and you know it.”
The confused look on his face remains. He really has no idea what I’m talking about.
Guys…
Unable to take any more of this nonsense, I bring my hands to his chest and push him off me. I manage to slide back into the bathroom and shut the door. I remove my clothes and get into the shower in a rush. The hot water soaks and soothes my muscles as I close my eyes, trying not to think of all the ways this shower could’ve gone differently if there was no Riley. If there was no Jacob…
