Page 74 of The Trouble with Players

“Oh yeah?” He pressed kisses all over my face.

I giggled until he stopped.

“We’re gonna have a hell of a senior year together. Okay?”

I nodded, hoping he didn’t feel like I constantly needed reminders that he wasn’t like my father.

He finally released me and rolled off the sofa. He pulled on his clothes from last night. “I’m gonna grab a bagel. You want one?” he asked, tossing me my clothes.

“Sure,” I sat up and pulled them on.

He followed me out of the pool house and to the back door. I stepped into the kitchen, stopping short which caused Crew to stop behind me. A woman I’d never met before stood beside my father who sat on a stool.A cold chill rushed up the back of my neck as I looked between them. The woman was younger than my mom and had beautiful blue eyes and blonde hair.

My hands began to tremble and my heart began to race. “What the hell is this?” I asked, my chest tightening with each breath.

“Peyton?” my father said, jumping up from his stool.

“You asshole! How could you bring some whore into our house?!” I spun away, pushing past Crew in the doorway and rushing outside, desperate to catch my breath. Was he fucking serious?

Breathe.

I made it to the beach and dropped to the sand.

Breathe.

Had he been cheating all along?

Breathe.

Had he made me out to be the bad guy for not forgiving him when he’d been unfaithful all along?

“Peyton?” Crew called as he ran out from the path onto the beach. “Are you all right?” He knelt in front of me and grabbed my hands. “Breathe, baby.”

I tried. I really did.

“It’s not what you think,” he said. “That was my mom.”

I blinked hard. “What?”

“Back at the house. That was my mom.”

Embarrassment washed over me. “What?” I repeated, my breath returning to me.

“Come on.” He ticked his head toward the house. “I want you to meet her.”

Even though the air returned to my lungs, my eyes widened. “No.”

He laughed. “No?”

“I just called your mother a whore. There is no way I’m going back in that house.”

“I’ll explain why you said that. She’s cool. She’ll get that it was a big misunderstanding.”

I shook my head. “I can’t.”

“So, you don’t want to meet my mom?” he asked amused.

“I do. But I need time.”

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