Page 85 of Unleashed

I snap my attention to Hadley. “What?” My tone is deadly, but what’s left of my soul wants to die.

Nope. I couldn’t give two strokes what the fuck she does, even with one of my best friends. Is he, though? Maybe he’s getting back at me for blowing him off while in Durham. Calculating bastard. I’ll string his ass up, cover it with peanut butter, and laugh when birds and squirrels feast on his asshole.

Christ, I’m the calculating bastard.

Hadley sighs, and I hear it over the music. “He saw someone he knows from work. I think they’re at his table, talking. Stop avoiding answering my question and denying you feel nothing for Simone, Rod.”

“I... Nothing...” I growl as I shove my hand into my hair, not caring if it sticks up because of the hair gel I used. “Jesus, Hadley. Nothing happened to me.”

When Hadley rolls her eyes, I know I have to throw her something. “In high school, I got into a fight at a party on graduation night. The end. Drive safe.”

Hadley’s skepticism remains unchanged, but before she asks more questions, I throw out my hand. “Simone is a damn bitch, and would say anything to ruin my date. I wish she’d leave me the fuck alone.” As soon as I say that, I feel better. Then worse.

Hadley gasps and shifts on her feet. “You’re her husband for the week. Right?”

I swallow so I can answer, but no amount of force will make my throat work. I shake my head, hating the role I lost but still wear as a noose, all because I couldn’t stay away from Simone, pissed off or missing the hell out of her. Which I don’t.

Hadley looks around the table. “Why’d Rhonda leave without saying goodbye?”

I shrug. “Maybe she didn’t want to miss an episode of The Kardashians.” No. It sickened Rhonda to hear how I allowed myself to be a victim.

Hadley checks her phone and nods as she taps out a text—probably to Richmond’s daredevil, who finally grew balls and married his longtime girlfriend. Dick. “I think I’m ready to go home. Finley’s in bed.”

“Coach Wilder is probably warming up his bat to slide into our shortstop.” I wish I could bleach my fucking mouth and brain.

Looking up from her phone, Hadley smirks, biting her lip with hearts in her eyes. Christ.

“Hey there. You ready?” Tansy asks, shimmying against me. Her nipple ring drags along my long sleeve, and it revs me somewhat. See? Simone knows zilch about what I can or can’t do.

“Yep. So ready,” I say with a ton of confidence I’ll never feel amid the constant undercurrent of rage and shame.

I glance at Hadley amid the swirling lights, her piercing green eyes see straight through my bullshit. We aren’t BFFs for nothing. We get each other. But now that Hadley is onto the scent of something else wrong with me, she’ll never end her quest to solve the mystery. Like she can fix me. No one can. Hadley will always hold a place in my heart and my life, but I just can’t tell her the truth that only my parents and Simone know. It’ll skew the way she sees me, which is a horny clown with no filter. And no prospect of falling for another woman.

When Tansy’s hand goes to my chest and slides down to my belt, I grab her hand to stop it. I only do that because we’re in front of Hadley in a public place. Nothing more.

Hadley glowers but turns her head to hide it. I don’t know if it’s because I’m with Tansy or because I’m not with Simone. Hadley’s declaration months ago still rings in my head: “That’s how you’re fucking mine!” I’m still reeling from that.

Hadley says, “I’ll tell Nico and Sylvie. Where is she?”

I nod toward the bar. “I think Tucker is humping a dirty mophead.”

Scowling, Hadley shakes her head. “Whatever that means.”

When Tansy pulls my hand, I let her lead us out of the club. Reaching fresh air, Tansy releases my hand and links her arm with mine. She says, “Let’s go to your place.” Shit.

“Uh, my roommate has family over.” Technically, I’m homeless, but that’s a needless detail.

Tansy pouts. “I’m crashing with my family until next month, and tonight, my mother has friends visiting. Let’s sit in your car for a while. We’ll figure out something.”

I nod, but I want to get the fuck out of here. Why, though? Simone and I won’t be talking or fighting. And her dad is there? Still, this is the last place I want to be.

While Tansy tries to hurry, I amble to my car. Simone isn’t even here, but she’s driving me fucking crazy, and I must be since I’m thinking about her nonstop and perpetuating the damn lie, so her idiot father pays. It’s the least he can do after the way he treated Simone’s mother, Julie. She’s a nice lady. If I can scrounge a bit of retribution, I’ll do it for her because Simone doesn’t give a fuck about me helping, as long as it doesn’t mess with her newfound happiness. She’d be ecstatic if I died.

I’m so done with her treating me like garbage.

Slow-burning rage fuels me as I unlock the car. Tansy rushes to the passenger side before I drop into the driver’s seat. As soon as I close my door, Tansy dives toward my face, but I turn, and she kisses my neck. She groans but licks my skin, and her tongue piercing scrapes against my battered but soaring pulse. I should care about Tansy crawling over me, but anger rules every inch of my body instead.

I stare straight ahead at passing cars, their lights blurring and streaking through the bushes before us. I palm my hip pocket for my keys but don’t pull them out since I have nowhere to go.

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