Page 89 of When You're Gone
“Start talking, bro.”
I huff out a sigh and run a wet hand through my hair. Having a best friend is all well and good until he sees right through your shit and calls you on it.
It’s not that I don’t want to tell them what happened. Rhett’s one of the few people in my life who knows almost everything about my dipshit dad and his manipulative power plays. But right now, I can’t even think about my sperm donor without seeing red.
I want to punchhimin the fucking face.
I want to dragherout of bed by her hair to scare the shit out of her.
I want to do something reckless—something rowdy—something to help me forget the shitshow that is my life.
My jaw clenches so hard I think I might crack a tooth. I finally look over to meet Rhett’s gaze.
I shake my head twice and blow out a shaky breath. I don’t need to explain to him that I’m barely holding it together. He knows. That’s why he won’t let me leave.
“I’ll tell you. But not now,” I grunt, my voice low and gravelly.
He assesses me for a few seconds before nodding once. He keeps staring, and I watch his expression morph into determination before he nods again. We’ve been best friends since we were five. I know a decision has just been made.
“You’re staying here tonight.”
Again with his bossy-ass demands. I roll my eyes and cock one eyebrow.
“Honestly, bro? I’m feeling a little too wound up to just chill in the hot tub and watch you lovebirds go at it.”
Tori’s eyes light up for a split-second before she cranes her neck back to look up at Rhett. I watch them have a silent conversation that drags on for several seconds as a pang of anxiety twists in my gut.
“V…” he warns.
Tori slips off his lap and reaches past him for a Gatorade bottle. It’s undoubtedly filled with something they snuck from the Wheelers’ well-stocked bar. She takes a little sip and swallows before locking me in her gaze.
She has these gorgeous green eyes that cut into me and jolt me with their brilliance. It’s like she sees right through my armor. She can somehow just look at me and know my truth. Rhett may be my oldest friend, but she has become my closest friend since I transferred to Hampton High a year ago.
“You’re all wound up tonight, Jake.” Her voice is soft but no longer laced with pity. There’s a flirtatious tone that has me squirming slightly where I sit.
“Yeah. But like I said… I don’t want to talk about it,” I snap out, harsher than intended.
“But I bet youdowant to blow off some steam.”
I can’t tell if she’s flirting with me, trying to distract me, or just trying to push Rhett’s buttons. This is not the girl next door we grew up with. She’s a red-blooded woman with an agenda.
She smirks. “You could watch us.”
My head jerks at her words, my eyes instantly landing on my best friend. I’m too scared to ask for clarification… I don’t want Rhett to flip out. To my shock, he looks mildly annoyed, but mostly amused. I track his movement as he reaches out to trace the bikini string along his girl’s collarbone before snapping it against her wet skin.
“You’re trouble,” he whispers.
“I’m just trying to help,” she replies innocently.
Rhett rolls his eyes, cups the side of her face to tilt her chin, then kisses her deeply. He pulls away a few seconds later, then murmurs “fine.”
Was that… permission?
Tori’s pupils blow out as she looks up at her boyfriend, then back over to me. I try to steady my heart rate as I search for any signs of unease on either of their faces. She’s visibly excited. But my fucker of a best friend won’t even look over at me so I can see where his head’s at: he only has eyes for her. I’d accuse him of being pussy whipped if I wasn’t so eager to partake in her suggestion.
He finally turns his head in my direction. Tension spikes between us. The hot tub feels about twenty degrees hotter now. My breathing sounds obnoxiously loud to my own ears. They’re both staring at me—holding me in a trance—keeping me rooted on the bumpy underwater bench. This isn’t something I’d ever thought about until this moment… but it’s wickedly tempting now that I know it’s a possibility.
Rhett keeps his eyes on me as he bows his head and whispers in her ear, loud enough for me to hear: “You want to let him watch us, beautiful?”
