Page 69 of Offsides

Would she use me like that?

I don’t want to believe it, but why wouldn’t she tell me what’s really going on?

I think back over all of the texts and alerts that she’s gotten the last week or so and how she’d always hide her phone, dismiss my concern, and change the subject.

The longer I think about it, the clearer it becomes that those things were all about him.

And the only reason I can think of that she wouldn’t tell me is because she still has feelings for him. I mean, she’s taken him back countless times already. I’ve sat through her talking about all of her breakups in the past. And I’ve watched as every time she’s gotten back together with him. Why would I really think this time would be any different?

Because I wanted it to be different. I hoped it would be different. I wanted her to be mine. Maybe I moved too fast. Again.

“Stupid stupid stupid,” I mutter to myself, operating more on autopilot to get to her house.

Maybe I should’ve waited until she was all the way over him before confessing my feelings. Maybe I should’ve let her date someone else first. Have a rebound and get that out of her system so that she could be ready for us to have something real.

Did I screw up my chances with my impatience?

And what am I even doing now? What’s my plan here? Jackson said I needed to come, and I’m just rushing headlong into god only knows what. What if the reason she didn’t tell me to come is because she really doesn’t want me there?

Part of me wants to turn around and go home. Would that be the smart move?

Maybe. But I also need to know what’s happening. I deserve that much, at least. Don’t I?

When I reach Dani’s house, I find her car parked on the street and park behind her. There’s a guy in a black coat with dirty blonde hair peeking out from under a gray beanie pulled low on his forehead.

It’s hard to tell with the winter layers, but he looks to be in decent shape. About my height, maybe an inch or two taller.

He turns and watches as I climb out of my car, a look of contempt on his face. Turning his head slightly, he spits on the sidewalk, his eyes never leaving mine.

Classy.

This is Dani’s ex? He looks like a complete douchebag. What did she ever see in him?

I look around the front yard and take in the closed front door, the curtains drawn over the front window. Where’s Dani?

“Who are you?” demands the douchebag on the sidewalk. He scans me as I walk up the driveway. “You must think you’re something special. But you’re not. She’s just an ugly little whore, who can’t keep a guy interested for long.”

Rage—blazing, white hot, incandescent rage—floods my system, narrowing my vision to only this asshole’s face.

Is he talking about Dani that way?

The wind whips at my face, biting my cheeks and the tip of my nose as I rush him. Shoulder down, I wrap my arms around his middle, driving him to the ground.

He lets out anoofof surprise, but he’s fighting back immediately, shoving at me, hammering at my spine with his fist. “Get the fuck off me, you piece of shit. You think you can steal my girl?”

I pull myself off him enough to land a punch to his middle. Unfortunately it doesn’t quite have the effect I wanted—knocking the wind out of him and paralyzing his diaphragm for a second to shut him up—because he’s curling up and his abs are flexed, muting the worst of the blow. Dude obviously works out.

“Shut the fuck up!” I shout, scrambling to my feet as he does the same. “She’s not your girl. She hasn’t been for a while now. You dumped her. Again. Are you really surprised that she didn’t just sit around and wait for you to come crawling back this time? Seriously? Are you that dense?” I look him up and down. “I know they say steroids shrink your balls. I hadn’t heard they shrink your brain too.”

He rushes me, and I swivel away, easily dodging his heavily broadcasted attempts to tackle or punch me. He might have muscles, but he doesn’t have the skill to take down an opponent.

“Stop!” Dani screams from the front door. Rushing down the steps, she places herself between us, her back to me, her arms spread like she’s trying to defend me from her rabid ex. “Luke. What the hell?”

Scowling, he jerks his head at me. “I could ask you the same thing. You calledthis guy? You haven’t punished me enough so you bring him over to—what? Rub my face in the fact that you don’t want me anymore?”

“Oh my fucking god,” I groan, but Dani ignores me, instead keeping her focus on her ex.

She laughs, shaking her head in disbelief. “Un-fucking-believable,” she mutters, obviously to herself. I can’t help agreeing with the sentiment. This fucking guy.

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