What the fuck?
Peyton looks fucking pleased about it, and J is still deep in thought, no doubt thinking about how he can control the situation.
“Penn kissed her?” I yell. “Why the fuck am I the only one who wants to rip Penn a new asshole for touching our girl?”
Peyton’s smile fades, his eyes narrowed as he glares at me. “The real question should be what crawled up your ass, Chan? Why are you getting so angry about this? This is exactly what we planned, or did you forget that our deal was that we’d help Len come out of her shell and teach her how to satisfy a man in bed all while rubbing it in Penn’s face? The second that asshole realized that Len moved on, he started noticing her. You should have seen his face when he tried to kiss her and she rejected him to go to her room with me.”
I draw a deep breath, trying to calm my flaring temper. “Are you sure she rejected him?”
Peyton nods. “After the first few seconds, she pushed him away. It was fucking perfect. And now Penn was trying to get all cozy with her right before a jump. This is exactly what we wanted. The idea of Lenley with us is driving him insane, and it’ll mess with his head.”
I exhale, relieved that Len pushed him away. “As long as Len doesn’t encourage him, I guess I can keep my urge to kill Penn under control,” I bite out.
Peyton looks at me as if I said the stupidest thing he’s ever heard. “What the fuck do you mean, as long as she doesn’t encourage him? Shehasto encourage him. We want Penn to grow so obsessed with her that he’ll be crushed when she tells him to fuck off once and for all. A few kisses will only stoke that fire and make him want her more.”
“What?” I’m yelling again. “I don’t want Lenley to kiss that asshole.”
Peyton doesn’t seem to get it. “I don’t particularly like it either, but it’s a necessary evil if we want him to come begging so she can get her revenge.”
I turn to look at J. “Are you okay with that? I don’t want another guy to touch my girl.”
Jameson looks at me as if he is trying to look deep into my soul, but I stand my ground, doing my best not to squirm. “Isn’t that what we agreed on when we made that deal with Lenley?” he asks.
“We said seeing her with us would make Penn jealous, but no one said anything about them kissing.”
Now both my best friends are looking at me with expressions that don’t promise anything good.
“Why is that such a problem?” J asks.
“Because it’s one thing seeing her with you guys or knowing that she’s with you, but we said our deal was exclusive. I don’t like the idea of Penn putting his dirty paws on her. Are you seriously going to tell me that you’re okay with it, J?”
I love my teammates like brothers, but I hate it when Jameson sounds so calm, and it makes me lose my cool even more. “I’m okay with it as long as she kisses him because we told her she can. And our deal said none of us were allowed to sleep with someone else. A few kisses aren’t a big deal.”
I don’t like it. Not one fucking bit. “I—she doesn’t need to kiss him. Penn will be jealous just by seeing her with us.”
Peyton watches me silently with a look that’s hard to decipher. “I think you should chill, Chan. Why does it matter if she kisses him a couple of times when we’re the only ones who really get to be with her?”
I open my mouth to explain but come up short. “Because—”
“Because you have feelings for her,” he accuses.
“I—no!” It’s my knee-jerk reaction. “Fuck. I don’t know. Maybe.”
That makes them both scowl in my direction.
“Chan, we had a fucking deal.” Peyton’s tone is hard, his jaw ticking with barely repressed fury. “Lenley isn’t your girlfriend. She’s our fuck buddy for the summer.”
I don’t like the way his words make me feel. “I know that. It’s just that I don’t want—”
Jameson intervenes. “You do have feelings for her. Fuck.”
I run a hand through my hair, feeling my jumpsuit stick to my back because I’m practically sweating. “I care about her. She’s my friend, and fucking her isn’t the only thing I like doing with her. I like to watch movies with her, and we like the same junk food.”
Yeah, I know, I know. I sound like a complete moron.
“So you do have feelings for her.” Peyton is looking at me in a way I don’t like. “What are you planning to do about it? Ask her to go steady? Dive with her at sunset and make the next generation of skydiving champions?”
I flip him off. “Fuck you! I—I haven’t thought about what’s going to happen when our deal is over. I have until then to figure out if Lenley and I could be more. Don’t worry, until then, I’m happy to continue sharing, but just with the two of you. If I see Penn touch her, I can’t promise I won’t break both of his legs.”