AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Her breath stutters. Had I said that last part out loud? I must’ve because I can see her internal struggle.
“This only ends badly for you.”
“I don’t care.” I lean down to take her mouth. Her lips part in anticipation. Oh yeah, she wants this as much as I do. My lips brush against hers, but before I can fully take her in, Bellow’s yelp echoes down the hall along with the whoosh of the front door.
“Cassie.”
I immediately back away and growl out my words, “Who’s that?”
“Bobby, my boyfriend.”
Chapter Eight
DALTON
Boyfriend?
Questions flit through my mind like rapid fire. Who the fuck is Cassie’s boyfriend, and why hasn’t she told me about him before now?
I stagger backward. I feel as if someone sucker-punched me. Guilt flashes in her eyes, along with remorse.
“I’m coming,” she says, her voice garbled. She pushes off the wall and steps toward the living room.
Unable to move, I stand there trying to process that Cassiehas a boyfriend.I know we’re not a thing anymore, but shouldn’t she have told me? Or gave me a warning?
I hear theirI missed yousand a wave of nausea rushes through me. I step out, ready to meet my competition, but stop short. She isn’t mine. She made that clear by not wanting to be found, but I’m not ready to see her in another man’s arms.
“What’s wrong, baby? You look upset.” The guy wears khaki dress pants with a dark blue polo shirt. He may as well pop the collar up like some douchebag from the eighties. Preppy Boy studies Cassie’s face and brushes his thumb across her cheek. My body tenses. Those tears are meant for me—not him. I want to yell for him to stop, to get his hands off my girl, but something seems off about their embrace.
“Nothing’s wrong. Just happy to see you.” Her voice comes across as weak, and any sane individual would tell she’s lying. This guy smiles as if he hit the multimillion-dollar jackpot.
“I missed you too. Four months is too long. I can’t wait to tell you everything.”
Four months?
It’s been four months since they’ve seen each other, and they greet each other like distant cousins? Sorry, Preppy Boy, my girl Cassie doesn’t like you the way you think she does.
I need to get out of here. Stepping toward the kitchen to fill my water bottle, I give a curt nod as they turn toward me. I ignore Preppy Boy’s assessing gaze. I can tell the moment he notices my tats. Judgmental people are all the same. Without fail, their noses turn upward as if tasting something sour. Yeah, well, the only things sour around here, buddy, are your prejudices. I continue to the sink.
“I see your dad has another lost sheep.”
“Bobby,” Cassie chides. Then she grabs his hand and tugs him toward me. Lovely.
“This is our latest house guest, Dalton Boyd.” She gestures toward me but averts my gaze.
I abandon my water bottle and extend my hand, not wanting to come across as a total dick even though I want to smash every bone in his preppy body. “Nice to meet you.”
He reciprocates, placing his buttery smooth hand in mine and shaking it like a dead fish. Is this what Cassie prefers—delicate touches as opposed to calloused hands?
“I assume you won’t be around much with baseball and all.” His gaze roams along my ink again as disapproval coats his features. Usually, I don’t care what people think, but his gestures bother me for some reason. Maybe because this is the guy Cassie has decided to date. He couldn’t be more opposite from me.
Was I just a phase for Cassie? A way to satisfy those bad boy needs before committing to a life of boredom? My chest tightens. I always knew I wasn’t good enough for this girl, but I did think what we shared was real. Maybe it wasn’t.
My gaze slides to Cassie. “Yeah, I don’t spend too much time here.”
“Where do you attend school?” Preppy boy asks.
“Cessna U.”
