Page 172 of Tainted Romance

I glanced at Ebony, she was standing and looking furious. Seems like I wasn’t the only one listening to their conversation and pissed off about it.

“Hear me when I say that, Blake. You aren’t going anywhere with her!” she added, glaring at him.

He turned on the seat to look back at her. “Piss off, Ebony, I’m not stopping you from fucking whoever you want. Like him for example!” Blake looked at me.

Ebony took a breath, but I think she was a second from ripping his arm off Allie, and I would be more than happy if she did that.

“Her and I aren’t together,” I said.

“Don’t bloody well lie to us, Zane!” he snapped. “Ebony was bragging to Allie about it yesterday in the bathroom so don’t sit there and act like you aren’t fucking my mate when you are!”

I gripped Ebony’s arm, my eyes narrowing at her. “What have you been saying?”

She looked me in the eye. “Does it really matter? It’s not like I’m lying.”

She was saying that to keep face with Blake. She was completely fucking lying.

“Ebony, start spitting the truth now because I won’t have Allie thinking you and I are something when we aren’t.” I didn’t need Allie thinking any worse of me than she already did.

“Ok then. She can read your mind, right?” Ebony put her hand on her hip. “Remember Saturday night? Get that memory in your head and then tell me I’m lying.”

Saturday night. I felt Allie enter my head. Ok, Saturday night. I remember drinking. Fuck, I remember the hangover on Sunday. I think I’m still feeling it today and it's Tuesday.

Saturday night I was drinking with Taylor at the bar near the pool. A few others joined in. Ebony showed up. I remember everyone disappearing and Taylor going off with Cassie leaving me with Ebony.

She decided she wanted to go swimming. I don’t really remember much after that. Wait no; I do remember her telling me all the reasons why we should sleep together.

Then she took her bikini top off.

My eyes widened. “Nah, no way, Ebony. Don’t lie to me. You know I was drunk.” She had to be bluffing with me right now. The reason I was drinking in the first place was because of Allie. No way would I have slept with Ebony.

‘But you don’t know, and she is saying you did,’Allie spoke to me. She actually spoke to me. Sure, it was in my head, but it was the first time she had spoken to me since she left me.

I tore my eyes off Ebony and looked at Allie to find her blue eyes staring at me. They were coated in pain. Fuck, I could feel her pain.‘Allie, don’t think the worst of me. Please.’

Our eyes were still locked, and I saw the debate playing in her eyes, and then I remembered the way Ebony came towards me topless, with that look in her eyes, like she wasn’t going to stop until she got what she wanted. I was angry, pissed off. I had just finished a week of watching Allie with Blake.

I didn’t do it, did I?

Ebony was a liar. She lied about it to begin with. She was lying right now. I looked back at my so-called friend. She was arching her eyebrows at me.

“Remember yet, Zane?” she said impatiently, clicking her tongue. “Do you remember the part where I was completely topless and alone with you? Everything else might be blurry, but I’m guessing you still remember the start of the night.”

“Ignore them, Allie. Think about the festival, we always have fun.” Blake looked back at Allie. Clearly, they had some good memories of going together. Fuck, when it came to those two, all they had were good memories. “Come on, I’ll even buy the weed.”

She was looking at his hand which was running up her leg.

If it wasn’t for the humans in the room, I would throw the table that was between her and me and rip his hands off her. Fuck, I might even attack him. My patience was getting thin.

“Ok, I’ll go, but you better make sure you get good weed and not the cheap stuff because the last time I was left with the worst headache,” Allie said while Blake grinned like she had just agreed to fuck him.

Hell, she pretty much had. Drugs. Alcohol. And the two of them. By themselves. With a history of doing each other at these events.

I didn’t know what they usually got up to, but I only had to guess that Blake’s main motive to get her there was to get her away from me. Break the little connection Allie and I had, and then he would make her his.

“Done.” Blake kissed her cheek. “You won’t regret this, Winters.”

“Actually, come Monday. I’m sure that’s all I’ll be doing considering our history at festivals.” She turned in her seat. “Screw this Math. I need a smoke.”

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