Page 1 of Feverburn

Prologue

My hand flew to his face in a harsh bitch slap. I reeled back, gasping at my action as a sting spread on my palm.

I had never slapped someone before.

I had also never been cheated on before.

It was a day of many firsts.

I was working my usual shift at Rise-N-Grind, a local coffee shop in Boston, when my boyfriend, Tyler, visited me. He strolled towards the back hallway, nodding for me to follow. The next thing I knew, he pulled me into the bathroom, locked the door, and swooped me in for a hungry kiss.

Tyler was always up to something, which made it fun to be on the other side of his spontaneous affections, but it also made me feel out of control. He could charm the panties right off me, so I always had a game plan.

Even if he was a total catch, there was a cost. He was one of those greedy guys who always wanted more—another kiss, another date, another selfie.

“Why are you here?” I asked between kisses.

He shrugged. “I wanted to see you. I missed you.”

We had spent last night together, but still, his confession softened me. I leaned into him, enjoying the fleeting moment. He clutched my hips before crumpling the fabric of my skirt up.

I broke the kiss nervously, “Baby, I can’t. I’m at work.”

His fingers skimmed my hip bone along the waistband. “You deserve something to get you through your shift.”

“But we’re in public.”

He lowered his hand with a smirk, causing a gasp to escape me while I clung to his shoulders. “Besides, you said one of your New Year’s resolutions was to be more spontaneous.”

The panties were charmed right off me, and I was picked up, trapped between him and the wall, my legs locked around his waist. Sure, it wasn’t one of my best moments, and in some corner of my mind, it irked me that he twisted my personal goals to get some action. But my annoyance melted away the more we kissed and moved together.

Halfway through a whimper, the door swung open with my favorite regular customer, Kaylee, on the other side. Her jaw fell along with her purse that slumped off her shoulder. The swinging bag triggered the paper towel machine to squeak out, making the moment even more awkward.

Tyler pulled from me, plopping me on my feet and causing my skirt to shift down my legs. Together, we stood there panting in shock as time lurched to a cringey crawl. I didn’t know if I should say something cheeky like ‘come back with a warrant’ or laugh it off.

That decision was made for me when she balled her hands into little fists and shrieked, “You cheatin’ asshat!”

“No, wait!” he shouted at her retreating figure before looking back at me.

My palm struck his stupid face while spots appeared in my vision. “What the actual fuck?” I spat.

He rubbed his jaw. “She’s just a crazy ex!” It was my turn to shriek as I pushed at his chest, not letting him crowd me. “She’s nothing. She means nothing to me.” He unceremoniously ripped off the condom. It snapped with my last nerve.

“She’s not nothing, Tyler! She’s a full-fledged human being, you fucking creep!” I shoved at his chest once more, forcing him to back away. “I don’t need to hear you justify it. Get away from me!”

Even though I was blindsided, my decision was easy. He couldn’t convince me of his innocence. If some lady barges in on me having sex with my boyfriend and claims he’s her man, too, I will believe her. I’ve learned in life—it’s best just to believe women.

This whole mess felt like a Dolly Parton song, and I was Jolene.

“Nothing happened. It was just a couple of dates, I swear. We haven’t even hooked up.”

I rolled my eyes, pulling on my underwear before going to the sink, aggressively pumping the hand soap in my fury. “You’re making some interesting decisions pissing off a woman with an entire album of your dick pics.”

“Rosie, you need to calm down.”

“Calm down? Oh, of course! I feel magically better with that stunning suggestion! What do you want me to say, Tyler? You were stupid enough to get caught cheating. Don’t force me to do emotional gymnastics to make you feel better. You deserve to sit here with your dick out and no dignity.” I tore the paper towel off the machine to dry my shaky hands as a tingly sensation traveled from my shoulders down my arms.

He zipped up his pants. “You’re not hearing me out.”

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