Page 100 of Triple Power Play 3
44
JACKSON
I break my attention from the surveillance video of Aurora in the pool and focus on Grant’s crazy-ass story about ambushing Sloane. “So, what happened?”
He sets his bottle of water on the cocktail table harder than necessary. “The fucking dog happened.”
I assured him he could drink alcohol, but he insists he wants a clear head. I don’t entirely buy it, but I appreciate his support nonetheless.
“The one youhadto have?” I add with a smug smile.
“Fucking thing started practicing its wolf howl. Don’t get me wrong, it was cute, but fuck, my balls are still aching. After that, she came to her senses and kicked me out.”
I can’t help but laugh at his entire fiasco of stalking this girl and climbing over her fence, only to fall on his ass.
Grant joins in, and our laughter catches Ethan’s glower from across the room, where he’s lining up a shot at the pool table.He lifts his head, and beneath his thick lashes and signature scowl, his stormy gaze meets mine.
“He’s pissed,” Grant says, following my line of sight. “We can leave. I didn’t think this through, man. I’m sorry. Honestly?—”
“It’s fine,” I assure him for the hundredth time. I’m okay around alcohol, I am. Before, there was this urgency to consume. Now, the thought of drinking turns my stomach. I’m terrified of anything that’ll jeopardize my recovery and family. If it becomes too much, I’ll leave. “It’s not you. Things have been tense between us.”
Ethan fires the shot, and the cue ball collides with the others in a series of sharp cracks. He banks at least two. Of course, he’s good at pool, kicking all of our asses, just like everything else he does. The twins aren’t bad either.
On second thought, it’s only me who sucks. I blame being distracted. Getting a ball in a hole shouldn’t be so hard, but I’m neither patient nor gentle.
“Why? The whole Patty thing?” Grant scoffs. “Patty is a meddler. She’s in everyone’s business.”
I rake my fingers through my hair. “Not just Patty. I’m sick of hiding. I lived my entire life playing by someone else’s rules. I want to be happy. I fought to be free, fought to be with them, and he’s still pretending to be single—or is single. Fuck if I know.”
In my heart, I know Ethan is not single, but listening to another woman giggle and flirt with him besides Aurora has torn me up. He laughed at something she said, and jealousy coursed through my veins like wildfire.
If Patty had touched him, I might’ve broken her fingers. I can’t imagine what I would’ve done if I’d found them alone together. The image is worse than picturing Reece with Aurora.
It’s a total mindfuck. I’m infatuated with Ethan. I long to be close to him, joke with him, have him put his arms around me in this bar like he does at home. It’s killing me that I can’t or that he won’t.
I’m not capable of letting shit go. I fixate on my problems, and right now, I’ve got plenty. I’m coming out of my skin, barely able to contain my madness.
Ethan. Aurora. Reece.Hugo. The thought of him near Aurora, speaking to her,threateningher, has unresolved guilt and rage eating away at me. I dealt with Kyle for too fucking long, putting her through hell. I refuse to do the same with his partner.
“He doesn’t look single,” Grant disrupts my misery. “He can’t keep his eyes off you.”
“Yeah, ’cause he’s worried I’ll do something stupid.” Such as relapse.
“I’m not so sure about that.” A shit-eating grin spreads across my best friend’s face. “I think he’s concerned about me like you’re concerned about Patty.” He reaches over the table, wiggling his fingers. “Should I play with your hair and see if he breaks my skull?”
I seriously doubt Ethan is jealous of Grant. We’ve rotated playing the winner, and Ethan avoided me even when we faced off against each other. I’m certain this obsession is one-sided.
Still, Grant’s point of view lifts my shitty mood.
I chuckle and swat his hand away. “He won’t. He’ll punishme. That’s his MO. Now, what’s our plan here?”
“Go interrupt her dinner and introduce myself to the family.”
“And if Robert says no, you can’t date his baby girl?”
Grant narrows his eyes. “She’s far from a baby. He’d better get the fuck over it.”
I bring my water bottle to my lips. “That serious, huh?”
