Page 104 of IOU

“Your watch is going crazy, dude,” Sebastian tries to rationalize with me. “Take a breath. You don’t want to end up in the ER right alongside your friend, do you?” He points at Tucker, and for a fleeting moment, I consider the idea. I could use one more hit to make myself feel better. The look on Ainsley’s face ... She was devastated.

My heartbeat pounds in my ears. “He’s not my goddamned friend, asshole, and neither are you,” I lie, which just causes Sebastian to laugh.

“Holy shit. You’re right, Row. He does love her.”

I attempt to shrug out of Rowan’s hold. “Shut the fuck up. I’m fine. Let me go. I need to find her.”

There’s no need in denying that I love her. I can fool the entire campus, but I can’t fool these two idiots, they know me too well.

Rowan’s grip tightens around me. “We’re going with you.”

Of fucking course. They can’t let me lick my damn wounds in private. I knew coming back to campus was a bad idea. All I needed to do was lie low for another couple months. Fucking Pops and his demands.

“I need my hands,” I tell Row. “I need to text someone.”

I see Sebastian nod like he’s giving Rowan his nod of approval. If I wasn’t so anxious to get to Ainsley’s ass, I would send an elbow straight into Rowan’s ribs for even asking for Sebastian’s approval. No one runs me, especially not Sebastian’s crazy ass.

After a second, Rowan eases off me and I dig out my phone, nodding over my shoulder for Rowan and Sebastian to follow me. “Drive,” I bark at Sebastian, tossing him my keys.

I jump in the passenger side and unlock my phone and fire off a text to the person who started this whole mess in the first place.

Me: Is she with you?

IOH-MB: Yes. Give me a few minutes with her. She’s very upset.

The hell he’s getting a few minutes with her. He’s getting the few minutes until I get there. After that, I’m dragging her ass back to the apartment and locking her in until she agrees to listen to me.

Me: I’m on my way.

IOH-MB: You need to calm down before you get here. You’ll just make things worse.

Why does everyone think I’m not calm? I’m calm, dammit!

Me: Don’t let her leave.

IOH-MB: Maverick...

Me: Mitchell...

IOH-MB: You’re both giving me indigestion.

Totally Ainsley’s fault. If she had just listened to me and not run off, we could have sorted this out at home, naked. I would have even begged while she hugged her sea lion and I poured beer off the balcony and onto the neighbors. We both would have had our vices. Now I’m running around campus with blood on my knuckles like some kind of a psycho.

A few minutes later we pull up to Fire Station 764, and no sooner than we park, Sebastian shouts, “Oh shit! Look out!”

I look up just in time to see a fire extinguisher come down on the hood of my car. “Why didn’t you tell me Boss put you up to this?” Ainsley screams.

I jump out of the car and attempt to snatch the fire extinguisher out of her hand, but Mitchell “Boss” beats me to it. “Why aren’t you mad athim?” I yell back, taking a step closer as she takes one step back. “Hit the fucking firetruck, not my car! He’s the one who started all of this!”

“You both should have told me,” she cries, tears streaking down her cheeks and dropping onto her shirt. Her face is flushed and her hands are shaking. All I want to do is wrap her in my arms. I never meant for any of this to happen. The last thing I ever wanted was to cause her any more pain.

“And told you what exactly?” I answer for both Bostic and me. “That Bostic gave a fuck about you and didn’t want to see you sleeping in your car anymore?”

She sniffles.

“Or that he asked me to find you a place to stay and one look at you had my crazy ass offering you my poker room instead? I could have easily secured you an apartment if I had asked Sebastian’s mom. She’s the best realtor in Atlanta!” I take a breath, trying to calm down. “But I didn’t, Ainsley. You want to know why?”

Bostic puts his hands on her shoulders and pulls her to his front. It pisses me off. She should be with me.

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