Page 74 of Just Say Yes

Trent didn’t wait for my response. “Man, she is primed and ready.Desperate, you know what I’m saying?”

When did he forget to grow up? Had he always been like this?I exhaled. “Did you call me just to tell me you’re getting laid?” I pinched the bridge of my nose.

His drunk laugh cracked through the speaker. “No, man. I’m going to be at your match tomorrow. Make sure there’s a ticket for me. Good seats too. Club level for your boy.”

Panic spiked my heart rate. I had been trying to get ahold of my best friend ever since MJ had told me they had dated. He’d hurt her feelings somehow, and the thought of it gnawed at my insides.

I’d assumed MJ would attend tomorrow’s match, but if Trent showed up and surprised her, it would be a complete shit show.

Loyalty to my longest friend warred with the hurt I could imagine in MJ’s eyes. I needed to get to the bottom of it.

“Hey, I think I ran into someone you might know. She works with my grandfather and we got to talking ... MJ King?” My ears buzzed as I waited for Trent’s response. I wanted something—reassurance, I guessed—that while things between them may have ended, MJ was simply holding on to old hurts.

Distorted music thumped through the speaker. “Nah ... doesn’t ring any bells. Why?”

No way any man in his right mind would have dated MJ and not remembered. It simply wasn’t possible. Maybe it was a case of mistaken identity? Could it be his name was bland enough to be a coincidence?

I ignored the headache building behind my eyes. “It’s nothing, I guess. Look, I have to go. The team’s waiting and?—”

“Oh, wait! Fuck yeah, I remember her. The nurse, right?” Lead filled my gut. “I worked formonthsto get into her pants, but once she finally gave in, she lay there like a scared rabbit.” His dismissive and cruel laugh sent me reeling. “Fucking waste of a virgin pussy, if you ask me.”

The phone shook in my hand. Every muscle in my body tensed, ready to snap. My vision tunneled, the only clear image in my mind was Trent’s smug, drunk face. He’d reduced MJ—my Julep—to some twisted punch line, and I wanted to destroy him for it.

Blood and rage whooshed between my ears.Virgin.

I squeezed the phone and wanted to smash it against the wall. Anger and confusion mixed as I played his cruel words over and over in my mind. Without even saying goodbye, I ended the call and clenched my fist.

When a text came in, I could only stare at it.

Trent

If you get the chance, bang her and report back. Tunnel bros! And don’t forget my ticket.

I gripped the phone so tightly I thought it might snap. Trent’s words looped in my head, each one crueler than the last. How could someone treat her like that? How had I not seen this side of him before?

The walk back to the private dining room was slow and torturous. I finally understood why MJ had gotten so upset when she realized I was friends with Trent. His past conquests had never really been any of my concern, but now it was affecting someone I knew. Someone I was starting to care about.

When I got to the entrance to the room, I stared at her. My teammates were surrounding her, laughing and including MJ in their conversations.

She deserved so much more than Trent’s careless cruelty. Hell, she deserved more than me. But the thought of anyone else having her, of her trusting someone who didn’t see her worth—it twisted something inside me, dark and possessive.

Her hazel eyes lifted and met mine. A shy blush crept across her cheeks, and my throat itched like sandpaper.

The fact Trent couldn’t have cared less about her was only the tip of the iceberg. He’d taken her virginity, and if he’d treated her anything like his past conquests, then when he’d lost interest, he had dropped her like a hot stone.

I barely knew what to do with that information.

As MJ’s laughter floated across the room, I made a silent vow. Whatever it took, I’d make sure Trent stayed the hell away from her. He planned to show up at my match tomorrow, and for the first time I wanted to fucking kill him.

TWENTY

MJ

When my eyeslifted and met Logan’s, something had shifted. Tension and frustration pressed on his shoulders like a bad omen. He looked miserable and handsome at the same time, with his brows pinched down and his large frame coiled tight.

When he settled in the seat next to me, I leaned over. “Is everything okay?” I whispered.

The silence between us wasn’t just heavy—it was suffocating. My chest tightened with each second he avoided looking at me.

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