Page 19 of Fine, Dork

Beckett slammed his palms down on the counter. “Fuck it! Let’s ride ATV’s. I’ll go again with Lyla if she gets mad.”

Preston grinned. “That’s what I’m talking about! Take your balls back, dude!”

Beckett laughed. “Yeah!” Then he scratched the stubble on his chin. “But I only want them back for a couple of hours because Lyla does this thing with my balls where she—"

“Stop. Stop talking.” I held up my hand. “Don’t tell us about Lyla putting your disgusting, hairy balls in her mouth.”

Beckett threw his head back and let out his big, deep laugh. “They’re not hairy! I manscape!”

Preston snorted into his beer and set it on the counter. “Yep, she owns you. All right, let’s go!” He grabbed the keys to Kinley’s parents’ car that hung by the back door. “I saw an ATV rental place near the airport when we got here. Let’s go have some dude time where we don’t think about the women that make us manscape and beg for forgiveness when we don’t know what we did.” He glanced over at me. “And the prudes that dump us for no good reason.”

I would have no problem not thinking about Savannah. Kinley, on the other hand, that would be a struggle. My chest was already constricting thinking about this “messing around” thing ending. I should stop it before she could rip my heart out for the five-hundredth time.

I put the half-full beers back in the fridge and followed Preston and Beckett out the front, thinking of one of the times that K broke my heart.

???

Sixteen Years Old

Fucking Kinley. This was just like her to whine at me and force me to come to a football game with her only to disappear twenty minutes after we’d arrived. I didn’t particularly enjoy watching football when the team was good, and our high school team was beyond pathetic. I rounded the corner behind the bleachers and immediately wished I hadn’t.

She was there, with her newest and dumbest boyfriend, Micah. He had his big fat hands all over her body and his lips on her neck. Kinley’s eyes were closed, and her lips parted slightly. She let out a little sigh when Micah gripped her ass. Then he slid a hand down the front of her jeans.

Kinley and Micah were fighting two hours ago. That was why she asked me to come with her. I’d pathetically hoped that they were breaking up, and I’d get to be the one that comforted Kinley when she was sad. It looked like they found it within their hearts to forgive each other, though.

I swallowed the lump in my throat and tried to ignore the excruciating twist of the knife in my heart. I knew K did a lot more than kiss all of her stupid boyfriends. People talked, but I’d never actually had to see it before. This was too much.

I turned to leave before they noticed me and accidentally kicked over a half-empty can of soda.

Kinley’s eyes popped open and settled on me. Shit.

Micah was unconcerned with the noise and continued his hungry mauling of Kinley’s body until she shoved him off.

“Jaxon!” She offered me a hesitant smile. “Is, um, is it like half-time already or something?”

Micah turned and glowered at me like an angry, stupid bull.

I fought to keep my face free of expression. “Nope.” I shoved my hands in my front pockets. “I’m heading out, so I was looking for you to let you know. It looks like you’ve got another ride home.”

“Oh!” Kinley’s face fell, and she stepped away from Micah. “Are you not having fun, J?”

I blinked slowly and met her concerned gaze. It almost looked like she gave a damn, but I knew she didn’t. Kinley was worried about her own good time, no one else’s. “I’m having a fucking blast, Kinley.” I made sure not to use her cute little nickname.

She noticed. Her face fell further, and she bit her bottom lip. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to ditch you or anything. I just um, I ran into Micah, and we had a good talk—"

I scoffed. “Yeah, looks like it.” I glanced over at Micah. “You’ll take her home, then, man?”

Micah draped his thick, muscled arm over Kinley’s shoulder. “Yeah, dude. Thanks for giving her a ride here.”

I gave him a stiff nod and walked away, ignoring Kinley when she yelled. “J, Beckett and Preston are on their way if you want to wait and hang with them!” I didn’t. I wanted to get the hell out of there and scrub my eyes out with soap. I never wanted to see another guy with his hands on Kinley.

“So, is that dude gay or something?” I heard Micah ask. The dumbass thought he was lowering his voice.

“God, no. Seriously, Micah? He likes the kind of girls that wouldn’t be caught dead with us.”

“What kind of girl is that?”

“Smart girls.” Did Kinley sound sad? I shouldn’t worry about it. Micah would make her feel better.

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