Page 17 of Stay With Me
It was pointless to say anything after that anyway since she started dating Travis once again—as she always does.
I hate that even after what he did tonight, she’ll crawl back to him and take the blame for his actions. Even if I shared my feelings with her right now and told her we should be together, I’d always worry about the day she left me and went back to him.
Though I can’t figure out why she does because he’s a controlling asshole who treats her like shit. It’s like he has a spell on her that prevents her from seeing her worth and just how awful he truly is.
Travis and I used to be cool until I found out he’d cheated on her, then gaslit her into thinking it was her fault for invadinghisprivacy when she looked at his phone. And somehow, she ended up apologizing to him.
Then he lost all my respect the minute he started taking advantage of her when other guys would murder someone just for a chance to have her.
But after tonight, he’ll never take her for granted again.
I just need to convince her she deserves better.
“You can’t sleep with Landen!” Noah giggles, glancing at me before she looks at Magnolia. “Tripp would get jealous.”
Goddamn her.
“OfLanden?” Magnolia cackles in disbelief.
“Of any guy you’re with,duh!” Noah rolls her eyes. “He was ready to murder Travis tonight. He abandoned his own sister to get you.”
“I knew Landen had you!” I defend. “Plus, I wouldn’t let any guy take advantage of a woman who’d been drugged. Especially a friend of yours. So shush your mouth.”
Magnolia smiles at me, and I hate that it calms my racing heart. “So you only saved me because I’m Noah’s bestie? No other reason?”
Instead of falling into her trap, I tighten my lips to hold back from spilling everything.
“You did kiss me earlier…” she reminds me as if I could possibly forget.
“Against my will,” I tease. Not that I mindedat all. But when she does shit like that, it messes with my head.
If she wanted to kiss me so badly, why is she dating that loser?
“You’re right. So we should even the score.”
“What’s that mean?” I ask, knowing I shouldn’t.
This is definitely another trap.
“You get to kiss me now. Or hell, doanythingyou want to me. This high is makin’ me needy and so,sohorny. Plus, I deserve birthday sex.”
I cover my groin so she doesn’t notice the bulge forming in my jeans. She needs to stop talking and confusing my dick.
Turning away from her, I growl, “No.”
“Wh—”
“Because unlike your douchebagboyfriend”—I meet her pleading eyes—“I don’t take advantage of women under the influence or fool around with those who are in a relationship.”
She winces as if I verbally slapped her, but she needs to hear it. Innocently flirting with guys is one thing, but cheating isn’t something I want to be involved in. Even if they break up after this, I’d just be a rebound.
“You’re not stayin’ with him after this, right?” Noah asks her.
"The Statue of Liberty will walk before I ever take him back. Plus, he never wanted to do anything I wanted to do. Even go to the movies! What kind of psychopath hates the theater? So yeah, we are never, ever gettin’ back together." Magnolia shakes her head as if she truly means it, but I know better than to get my hopes up she'll smarten up this time. "I'll need to grab my stuff from his place at some point. That'll be fun."
“You ain’t going alone. Landen and I will come. Waylon and Wilder, too, if needed.” Our older twin brothers are more unhinged than both of us together.
Magnolia’s hand reaches for my thigh, but before I can stop her, she pulls back. “You really consider me a little sister type, dontcha?”
