Page 157 of Bona Fide

I brought him back in and, even though I told him not to get attached to me, I knew he would anyway. It’s his nature.

And it’s mine to never want to push him away again.

Except this time, I'm saving his future. I'm making myself the bad guy because I'll never love him like he deserves, and he'll never recover the backlash of a sex tape being released to the public.

My heart isn’t his.

Wade abducted it and has no intention of putting it up for ransom.

“I want you to take care of yourself,” I whisper. “Please, do better than what you have. You deserve it.”

“Rea, please.”

“I do love you, Jed. But not in a way that will ever fill us to the brim of a happy life. You’ll resent me because I’ll never be able to fully give myself to you. And I’ll live with the guilt of my mistakes. Just know...please, just know that I want the best for you. And this isn't it.”

And then I hang up.

His number shows up above the block option of my phone, and I debate about using it.

I press it.

I clench my phone harder, pulling the ripped piece of paper out of my back pocket.

Me: It’s done.

I drop the phone like it’s a deadly disease, raking my hand through my thick hair.

Again, I didn't think of the consequences. I did what I wanted to hurt, slay, and murder anything that took me out of my comfort zone or threatened me in any way. Jed and Grant would, obviously, be collateral damage, but I was too consumed with myself to care.

But that second sex tape…

Jed would never do such a thing. He's not as possessive as Wade, but he wouldn't throw me on blast either.

I shake my head. There’s no fucking way.

My phone dings off a notification, and I swipe it up.

Unknown: Prove it.

Me: Can’t.

Unknown: Convince me then.

Me: I just did, I said it.

Unknown: Not good enough.

Me: Go fuck yourself.

Unknown: Don’t need to.

Unknown: But, if you’re offering, I’ll see what I can do.

Unknown: Anus is next. Get rid of him.

I roll my eyes, he's talking about Enzo, and that's where I'm going to need to draw the line.

There might be things that Enzo does that bug the living shit out of me, but they are minor. Wade can be in his feelings about Grant and Jed and for the right reasons, but I'm not giving in to this.

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