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“You asshole!” I raged. “Was she even sober enough or did you just take what you wanted?”
Caden’s eyes flared at my words. “Oh trust me, it wasn’t the alcohol that made her beg for my cock.”
He was full of shit, and I knew it, but it didn’t stop me from lurching forward again, only to be pulled back by Jackson’s arms locked around my biceps.
“Fuckingleave,Caden! Now!” Jackson bellowed, straining to hold me back. Caden flipped us off before stomping away.
I collapsed to my knees as Jackson finally released me. Struggling to take in air and feeling like my heart was being ripped from my chest, I closed my eyes and took in three deep breaths.
“I’m sorry, man. He’s a grade A piece of shit. Want a beer?”
I looked at my watch. “It’s not even noon.”
“Yet you’re here throwing punches. So…” He shrugged as he handed me a beer after fishing around in the nearby cooler from last night. “Look, bro, you might not have spelled it out, but it was pretty clear what your intentions were with Bella.” He peeled the label off his beer. “It sounds like he took advantage of the situation. But what the hell happened? You wimp out again?”
I glared at my best friend, and the urge to deck him too rose quickly.
“Fuck off,” I spat.
He held up both hands. “Calm down, I’m just asking what the fuck happened because you’re not usually a chicken shit about women.”
I took a seat in one of the lounge chairs, and Caden’s coffee caught my eye. The anger bubbled back up. Lashing out, I knocked it off the table and sent it flying.
Jackson sighed as coffee spewed out across his pool deck.
“I kissed her.” I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees.
“And what? She turned you down?” His tone said he didn’t believe that.
“And nothing. We didn’t talk about it. I thought I should give her space at the bonfire last night… she was looking forward to catching up with friends—I didn’t want the night to end up being about us.”
“Buuuullshit.” Jackson stared me down. “You’re pussy-footing around because you’re scared as fuck that she doesn’t want the same thing you do.”
I lowered my head farther. He was right.
“Maybe.” I sighed. “But then I pissed her off. She called me out for the push-up thing and other stuff that triggered crap she dealt with when she was with her ex.”
“Shit,” Jackson muttered.
I nodded. Shit indeed.
“He’s the one who slept with anything with tits, right?”
My head popped up and my eyes went wide. “How do you know about that?”
“I was at the bar the night Ashley told you Bella caught the prick cheating again. Remember? I had to stop your drunk ass from driving down there and beating the fuck out of him.” He shook his head and shot me a lopsided grin. “I knew then you were a goner.”
“Fuck, I almost forgot about that night.”
“So… what now? Can you get over this?”
“I don’t know.”
“Fucker, you do know. This isBella.” Jackson frowned.
“Maybe we both need some time and space.”
“I might be a single schmuck, but even I know that’s exactly how you ended up here alone this morning. Man up—talk to her.” He gave me the “don’t be an idiot” look.
