Page 6 of The Boy Next Door
“Nothing.” I face Winston again. “She doesn’t want to talk to you.”
With an arrogant chuckle, he slowly retreats. “I have a feeling that in a week, after a nice little bid, I’ll be having that date.”
“A fucking virgin auction, what a dumbass. What kinda girl would...” When I spin around, Em is frozen in place with her cheeks a telltale pink. Surely, she wouldn’t do something like that and not so much as mention it to me. “No.” I drag my hand over my face. “Please tell me he’s full of shit?” Her gaze falls to the ground and she drags the toe of her Converse over the grimy tile floor. “Em!”
Shrugging, she coyly glances up and offers a halfhearted smile.
Holy shit!“You havegotto be kidding me!” I groan. “Jesus...”
Her expression crumples, and I know then that dipfuck wasn’t telling a lie.
I grab the bar towel, shaking my head as I wipe over the counter. “Fuck that, Em. I can’t believe you would do some shit like that!Whywould you do something like that?”
“Evan.” She grabs my arm. “Just listen for a second.”
“I’m not letting you do it.”
She laughs. “Oh,thatis rich.”
“Serious, Em.” I glance over my shoulder at her. I can’t get the image of Winston stripping her clothes off, kissing her...fucking her...out of my head. My cheeks sting with an angry heat.
Her jaw tenses, her nostrils flare, and she crosses her arms over her chest before popping her hip to the side. It’s her signature stance and it tells me I’ve just royally pissed her off. “Likeyoucan say anything tome!”
I toss the bar towel on the counter. “You’re my best friend, and you think I’m supposed to let you make some dumb decision. Jesus, you don’t sell your virginity to a stranger.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah, well, you shouldn’t give your virginity away to your pre-cal teacher, either.”
That was a low jab, and one that makes my gut twist any time it’s mentioned. Miss Beasley, the blond bombshell of a teacher that was all legs and tits, she saw me struggling and offered to tutor me. Things may have gone further than they should have, but the rumorsdefinitelywent further than I ever did. But what sixteen-year-old boy is going to say he didn’t fuck his hot-ass teacher? I was a virgin who earned golden player status overnight.
The thing Em doesn’t know—the thingno oneknows—is that I’mstilla virgin. I mean, sure, I’ve messed around. I’ve done everything but have sex, because every time I got to the point of no return, I couldn’t go through with it. It just felt like I was betraying Em.
And yet here she is about to sell her virginity?
No fucking way I’m letting that happen.
She stares at me, gnawing at her lip. “Ev...”
“I don’t want to see you make some stupid mistake you’ll end up regretting for the rest of your life,” I say, hoping she can hear the sincerity in my voice.
She attempts to walk past me, but I grab her arm. “Em...” I lower my voice to a whisper. “You’re basically letting someone pay to fuck you.”
“It’s a charity auction.” I see the hesitation, the doubt in her eyes, but she’s the most stubborn person I’ve ever met, so she’d never admit there’s something morally compromising about the situation. Surely, she sees how fucked up this is?
“And you’re not my father, Evan.Ormy boyfriend.” Her eyes narrow. “Or anyone who has any right to tell me what I should and shouldn’t do.”
And now, I want to strangle her. “A group of girls throwing out their virginity like it’s a fucking Kit Kat bar at a Christmas parade is not charity, it’s prostitution!”
Her eyes widen. She sucks in a deep breath. “You’re an ass,” she says through gritted teeth.
“Hey, I need another drink, Drake,” Winston calls from the bar, but I ignore him.
“It’s fucked up, Em,” I whisper. She snatches her arm away from me and storms off.
When I turn around, Winston’s eyes are trained on Emma. He bites down on his lip before looking back at me. “Don’t worry, Drake. I promise Iwon’tgo easy on her.” My skin heats. “I’ll tear that pussy up. Just for you.” He smirks.
My hand lashes out like a snake striking prey. I grab his shirt, yanking him across the bar before I punch him right in the face. He struggles against my hold and gets in a good shot to my left cheek that leaves me dazed. I stagger back into the wall, knocking a few bottles of liquor from the counter. Glass shatters everywhere as he lunges toward me. Thankfully, I move just as his fist goes through the sheetrock. We grab on to each other, pushing, shoving, punching. People try to tear us apart, but we’re both fueled by egos. Pride. Lust for the same woman.
“You’re not going to fucking touch her,” I say with a growl, then I ram his head against the wall. He grunts before collapsing in a heap at my feet. Panting, I take a step back and wipe my hand underneath my busted nose.
“Alright, buddy. You’re done here?” Derrick, the bouncer, pats my back as Winston feebly attempts to clamber to his feet.
Derrick leans down and helps Winston up. “Shouldn’t go running your mouth...” He steps to the side, crossing his arms over his chest. “Now, get out before I call the cops.”
Winston glares at me before he walks to the door, and Derrick leisurely goes back to the front, leaning against the wall by the entrance.
I’ll put up with a lot of things, but I won’t put up with anyone disrespecting my girl like that.
