Page 72 of Twisted Minds

“What, baby?” He rucks my shirt up, drawing one of my nipples into his mouth.

“Wait. Stop.” Seeing my serious change in tone he sets me down.

“What is it?” We both freeze, hearing the moan in the room next to us. Hunter grins. “Looks like we’re not the only ones with this plan.” He presses his lips back to my neck, but I push him back, moving to the door and pressing my ear against it. Anothernoise sounds but the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. “What? People are fucking. What’s wrong?” I hold my hand up as I hear it again—clear words with desperate intention.

I know that voice.

Opening the door fast I see red. Derrick’s pinning Noah to the bed, and the panic in Noah’s bleary eyes is clear. “Get the fuck off him.” Noah sags with relief.

“What the fuck!?” Hunter storms into the room, grabbing Derrick by the back of his shirt and tossing him onto the floor as if he weighs nothing.

“I’m going to fucking kill you.” I lunge toward him, but Hunter catches me around my waist.

Derrick gets up with quiet calm, looking at the two of us with a slimy grin. “What’s the matter bestie? You said you were done with him, so I thought I’d have a go.”

“Derrick, get the fuck away from him.”

Hunter frowns at me. “Mark, what’s going on?”

Derrick clicks his tongue. “Hunter, Hunter, Hunter.” He shakes his head. “Don’t you know? Mark and I are besties.”

I want to punch his face in. “No, we fucking aren’t!”

Derrick clutches his chest dramatically, and I feel like the air in the room is slowly leaving, choking me little by little. “That hurts. It does.” Noah gets off the bed, moving behind me.

“Stay the fuck away from my friend.”

Derrick’s eyes darken as he stalks over to me, but Hunter pushes me out of the way, blocking the path between us. Derrick’s brows rise, the corner of his mouth lifting in a cocky smirk. “Still dragging this out, Mark?” Staring right at Hunter, he shakes his head. My blood freezes as realization hits me. “You know what? Forget what I asked you to do. Tonight’s as good a night as any.”

“Derrick, don’t—”

“What is he talking about?” Hunter turns to me.

“I mean, seriously. Even I’m shocked you’ve dragged this out so long. I thought maybe you came clean and told him because you started to actually give a shit about him. He still doesn’t know, though, does he?” Derrick laughs. “Mark, that’s pretty low. Don’t you love him yet?” he asks Hunter.

“Derrick, just fucking leave us alone.”

“Oh my god! No fucking way.” He laughs harder. “You love him too. Holy shit.” He’s laughing uncontrollably and I want to punch him. Shaking his head, he steadies himself. “Well, I guess I have to be the only decent person here and tell the truth. Seems cruel to keep this going.”

“Just leave us alone!”

Derrick gets in my face and shoves Hunter away from me, beer hot on his breath. “You fucked with my good time again, and now I’ll fuck with yours. Hope defending the whore was worth it.”

I snap back without thinking and punch Derrick in the nose with a satisfying crack. He clutches his face, cursing, and blood drips from his hands as he holds his nose. “Shut the fuck up you piece of shit.” Turning back, I look at Noah. “Get out of here, now!”

“Mark—”

“Now!” I snap, watching him gather himself and leave the room. Derrick starts to laugh through bloody teeth. “Hunter, are you happy with your new boyfriend? I mean, you have me to thank, really. He wouldn’t even have talked to you if it wasn’t for me daring him to date you.”

I can’t look at him, but I hear the strain in his voice, and it breaks me. “What is he talking about?”

“Funny story. A fucking hoot really. I was pissed about you getting me kicked off the team, I wanted revenge, and Mark being the great friend he is . . . he helped me out. It was actually his idea.”

“What is he talking about?” Hunter asks, but he sees the truth in my silence. I can’t move. I’m paralyzed. I can’t speak. “Tell me that’s not true.”

“Oh, it gets better. You see, our boy here has a terrible secret.” Derrick hooks his arm around Hunter’s shoulders and Hunter shoves him back hard. Unfazed, Derrick glares at me. “Mark is kind of a monster.”

“You fucking prick,” I snarl.

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