Page 170 of Unleashed

“Why would he?”

“I thought maybe you two worked things out.”

“We’ll never be together.” I swallow the swift, aching pain squeezing my throat. “We’re better off far apart.” I glide my fingers over the glass flowers adorning my chest. “He’s dating, so I guess he’s happy.”

“He doesn’t seem to be.”

I notice Finn and Hadley holding hands as they walk toward the field. Greg can’t be as happy as my brother. Finn and Hadley leave no doubt that they’re in love. He fell first. She’s all he talked about after they met in the hospital. She’s his beginning and end, which he almost took literally. I can’t imagine Greg ever gushing about me nonstop to anyone or being unable to live without me. To him, I’m more like a subpar rest area on Interstate 64 with clogged toilets and no paper towels.

Behind them, at the curb, Val and Nico remove things from the trunk of her red Buick. Nico is a snack, but he’s not Greg. Would Greg care if I flirted with Nico? I doubt it. He’s never cared before.

“Hello, brother. Sister-in-law.”

Finn raises a judgy eyebrow while Hadley smiles and says, “Hi, Simone.” She lets go of Finn’s hand and meets me at the fence. My brother makes a face for me, stealing his emotional support vagina. “Finn told me about your dad at graduation. I’m so sorry.”

I shrug as I watch Nico carrying the big yellow-and-red water cooler. “I miss the money more than my father. But he could say the same about me. Honestly, he’s not worth my time or the effort to kiss his ass and play by his misogynistic rules. He treated Greg like shit too.”

“Yeah, Rod told me about all the things your dad said to both of you.”

I nod, somewhat annoyed at how Greg blabs everything to Hadley like it’s an obligation in their BFF-dom.

I notice Ricky walking toward us with Sylvie. Holy fuck. She wanted us to have a threesome with him. It feels somewhat weird that we saw each other naked, and she got off to Greg and me fucking. Maybe I didn’t think this through too well.

“Where’s Rod, anyway?” Hadley asks as I watch Ricky and Sylvie.

“I thought you’d know.”

“I’m not his wife.”

I roll my eyes. “Neither am I.”

“Where’d he stay last night?”

I cross my arms as I notice Greg’s car pulling to the curb. “At my apartment.”

“Spill it,” Hadley says with a laugh, but then she narrows her eyes like I’m out to annihilate Greg.

“Nothing to tell,” I mutter as Sylvie saunters over.

“How about last night?” She giggles as Hadley looks on. Awesome.

“What about it?” I ask, pretending to be busy stretching my glove.

“That was the hottest night of my life.” I give her a look that would melt candles before I drag her further from the fence. She whispers, “Don’t get weirded out about it, Simone. We should do it again soon. It felt much more intimate with both of you expressing your love.”

“We didn’t and don’t do that. We’re not really together. You know that.”

“You and him last night? Neither of you were faking it. He kissed you like you’re the only woman he ever wants to kiss.” I cock an eyebrow, and she scoffs. “You think I’m joking? Let’s find out.”

Sylvie goes to Hadley, now talking to Val. “You’re his BFF. With whom does Rod’s heart lie?”

Hadley’s eyebrows tighten, and she glances at me. “Why?”

“I’m doing a poll.”

“You’ll need to ask him.”

Sylvie giggles. “Not yet, silly. Is it Shasta?”

---