Page 10 of One Hot Night
Does he send flip books to all the girls? Show off his rocks? At that thought, my good humor sobers and at the next opportunity to stop, I text him back.
Me: Please stop.
He does, and a little piece inside is disappointed that one text is all it takes to shut him down. Which is stupid.So stupid.I should be relieved. Happy even, that he respects my wishes. Only, his quick retreat feels too easy, and not at all like the challenge I saw in him last night. Whatever. We don’t really know each other beyond the biblical sense, and I have bigger worries at the moment. Callie. She still hasn’t called or texted.
As her home comes into view I breathe a little easier. She’s okay. She has to be. At least that’s what I tell myself as I force my feet up her walkway in steady steps. I bang against the door and wait, the minutes passing like an eternity. The weight of the world presses down on my chest, or maybe it’s my hangover; either way, my legs go weak and I lean against the column of her front archway to keep upright. “Damn it, Callie. Open the fucking door.” I’m seconds from calling Emergency when it swings open.
“Jill.” Her voice croaks. She looks like complete shit, and I think that’s dried puke matted in her hair, but she’s alive. Thank fuck. “You came.”
She’s here. Alive. Of course she is. I push into her place, angry at myself for even thinking otherwise and relieved as hell that nothing’s wrong. My anxiety won that round, and an unsettled energy buzzes in my veins, making me restless.
I can’t help but give her a verbal thrashing for scaring me—after I hug the shit after her. She explains how she must have lost her phone at the party, and her apology is heartfelt. I can’t stay mad. It’s not her fault, and it’s not as if I didn’t also sleep most of the day away. While she gets dressed my conscience gets the better of me and I admit to hooking up with Cam, then about my current predicament. “I’m dating someone else.”
“What?” Her eyes go wide with shock and maybe a little hurt, too.
“I know!” I heave out a sigh, more guilt etching its way into my mind. “I should have told you but it’s still new and we work together so we’ve been keeping it on the down low. We haven’t slept together yet, but we aren’t seeing other people. And last night I had no intention of hooking up with anyone!”
We don’t keep things from each other. Not most things anyway. I don’t know exactly why I didn’t confide in her about Preston. Maybe I always knew I’d screw it up? Maybe I was fooling myself. “Stupid. I’m so stupid. I should have seen it coming and I should have said no, but he was so good and hot and—fuck! Callie what do I do?”
“First, you take a deep breath. Everyone makes mistakes and like you said, this guy and you aren’t sleeping together so it’s not really cheating.” Her smile is understanding, and I appreciate her attempt to placate my guilt. But she’s wrong. Last night was cheating. If anything, hearing it aloud only makes it more real. I slept with Cam when I promised Preston we wouldn’t see other people. No matter which way I cut it, or how good it felt in the moment, what I did was wrong.
“It’s cheating. We’ve already had the discussion about not seeing other people. We’re together. I’m sure you know what I mean since you’ve done the same with Chase.”
Her gaze drops to her hands, and she picks at her nails. “Do you really have to have that conversation to be considered exclusive?”
“Wait?” Hold the front door. “You and Chase haven’t discussed that yet?”
Her eyes widen. Shit. I glance away. I can’t pretend that isn’t alarming.
“Not in so many words.” Her voice is soft and full of trepidation. “But I trust him and we’retogethertogether. I mean, you saw how he was with me last night, right?”
Now I feel even worse. She’s in a good place, and Chase was all over her last night. I don’t need to project my own guilt onto her budding relationship. “Hey, of course I saw.” I take her hand in mine and gently squeeze until she meets my gaze. “He’s totally into you. Had eyes for no one else.”
Callie’s smile brightens, and even though her mascara is smeared under her eyes, and her skin pale, she appears a thousand times better from my words. I make her promise not to tell Chase about my tryst with his brother, then tug her off the bed.
“Come on, let’s get you back to your car.” I sigh, checking the time on my cell again. I could cancel my date with Preston, but I won’t take the coward’s way out. I’d only see him at work tomorrow anyway. I have to deal with the consequences of my actions. I’d rather rip it off like a Band-Aid.
“I hope my phone is still at that apartment,” she says, locking her front door and then following me down the drive and into my car.
I could offer to text Cam for her, to see if anyone left a cell behind since that’s where he lives, but my pride refuses. He programmed his cell in my phone, and the only reason I can think he would do that is because he assumed I’d be back, begging for a round two.Ha!Fucking idiot. I don’t play needy girl games. Never have and never would.
A few minutes into the drive downtown to Alicia’s condo and it’s clear Callie’s feeling her hangover. I keep the music low, and take each turn with care. We don’t talk either, which is probably why the text alert from my phone sounds off like a bullhorn. Once. Then twice. Again and again. I give my phone a glance, but ignore the message. It’s probably Alicia. Has to be. I told Cam to stop and he did.
It pings again.
Callie rips the phone from the console before I can stop her.
“No! Don’t!”
“Jill!” My name leaves her mouth a screech and I just know. Her eyes are wide as they stare at the screen. “That’s Cameron!” She doesn’t look away, as if she’s stunned, and I don’t blame her. I was too the first time my eyes locked on that monster. “My boyfriend’s brother, Cameron!” She drops my phone into the console and clenches her eyes shut.
“I know! I know!”
“He just texted you a pic of his dick!”
“He’s been doing it all day! I swear, I asked him to stop at first, but it’s kinda hot,” I admit and sneak another glance at my phone. Oh. My. God. These photos have captions. My legs press together. “He’s a great sexter.”
“How am I supposed to act like I didn’t see that?”
