Page 22 of One Last Time

“What the hell is going on?” I demand.

Tate shakes his head, “Bro, I’m sorry. Fuck. Your cell was ringing, and this bitch…” He nods in Julia’s direction, “answered it.”

I frown. What the fuck was she doing in my room?

“That’s not the worst of it. The caller was Payton,” Tate says. “I took the phone from her and spoke to Payton briefly, I’m sorry man, but she said that she doesn’t want to talk to you. She’s sick of having you shove women down her throat. Something about witnessing you with a girl and having them answer your phone.”

What he’s saying makes no sense. Besides Julia, when did someone answer my phone? Hell, when did she see me with another girl?

“It’s time for you to leave,” Cas growls, and the women jump and scramble to get away. Skirting past both Cas and me on their way out.

I take my cell from him and try calling her back, “Why the hell was that bitch in my room?” I snarl at him as there’s no answer.

“You’re an asshole, Tate. You lost your girl because you’re a fucking idiot. Now, we’re losing ours because you can’t get a handle on your life!” Cas yells, the frustration of today finally spilling out.

I storm into my room as I realize what’s just happened. My one chance at getting my girl back, and it’s ruined. I can’t wrap my head around what she meant by her words. As soon as the door closes behind me, I sink to the ground, my head in my hands and I try to figure out my next step. I love Payton, and I know she’s my future, I just have to make her see that.

CHAPTER 13

Silas

THREE MONTHS LATER

Three months, three long-ass months, and still no word from Payton. I’ve called, emailed, sent her letters, and even have gone as far as turning up at her apartment. None of them have brought me any closer to getting my girl.

My phone buzzes with a notification, and my body locks. The past three months, my phone’s been hopping. I set up alerts, so whenever Payton’s name is mentioned, I get notified. Cas has started calling me a stalker, and in a way, I’ve become one. The past three months, Payton has started to date, there’s pictures of her and three different men. Seeing those images made me want to kill someone. I never thought seeing a picture could hurt. But damn, it tore my fucking heart out.

My bedroom door bangs open. “Don’t look at it,” Caston tells me, and I glare at him. “I’m being serious, man, don’t fucking do it.”

“What the hell are you talking about?” I swear he’s lost his mind these days. Saya’s gone, and just like Payton and I, she’s not had any contact with him since she left. “Cas?” I ask when I see the worried look in his eyes.

He shakes his head, “Fuck, you’ll kill me if you found out that I knew.”

He’s not making any sense. “What?”

“Payton, she’s in town,” he tells me. My legs start to shake, I lock my knees so that I don’t land on my ass. “I wasn’t going to tell you because, well the past three months have been hell, but then I thought if it were Saya, I’d want to know.”

“Where is she?” I ask as I unlock my phone and check the notification. There’s a picture of her and her girl, Bianca, posing for photos outside one of Seattle’s more exclusive restaurants. Both women look hot as fuck with bright smiles on their faces. The Christmas lights in the city shining brightly behind them only adds to their beauty.

“Please tell me you’re not going to do anything stupid?” Cas pleads with me.

What the hell does he think I’m going to do?

“Ah, good, you’re here.” I turn to see Jack and his brother Harrison standing in the doorway to my room.

Seriously what the fuck is going on?

“We’re going out tonight,” Harrison says, and his tone brokers no arguments. The man is fucking huge, he was a SEAL and looks as though he could snap someone’s neck with just one hand.

We’ve been out with the Cassly brothers a few times; they’re great guys, and we always have a laugh. The men are pussy-whipped to say the least, but then again, if I had what they all had, I would be too. I want what they have.

“What’s going on?” I ask, annoyed that everyone seems to know except me.

“Your girl’s in town, we’re here to stop you doing something fucking stupid,” Harrison says with a grin. “Not tonight anyway. Tomorrow, when you and she are able to think straight, you can talk to her, until then, you’re coming out with us.”

I glance around and see both Jack and Cas pleading at me with their eyes. Since I joined Seattle Silverbacks, Jack has become somewhat of a confidant to Cas and me. The man has it going on, his relationship with his wife, Sarah, is what everyone wants. He knows everything that’s happened between Payton and I and he believes there’s been some wires crossed somewhere. My girl is running scared and hiding from me.

“Fine. But drinks are on you,” I grumble. I’m not in the mood to go out drinking.

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