Page 107 of Bought and Broken

“You’re being dramatic.” I turn and head inside the house.

“Like hell I am!” he calls after me, shutting the door.

I go back up to my room, and his footsteps follow.

“When is the last time you showered, bro?”

“I don’t know. Tuesday…”

“Today is Tuesday!”

I grab a pair of pants from my dresser. “Last Tuesday, I guess.”

“Try again. No way in hell do you smell that bad from just a week.”

I roll my eyes and go into my bathroom, knowing he won’t stop until I do what he says. I’ll admit the shower feels good. I have to wash my hair twice because it’s greasy. And I somehow grew a beard… I don’t know when that happened, but I make sure to shave it off. When I’m done, I walk into my room to find Dane with his shirt collar over his mouth and nose, spraying a can of air freshener around the room like he’s trying to cover up the smell of a dead body.

“Is that… is that cum?” He groans, pointing at my bed.

I go over to look at the spot he’s pointing at.

“Definitely not,” I say. “Drool, likely.”

He gags again, shaking his head.

“We need to talk,” he says, heading for the door. “Outside!”

I follow him down the hall and through the library to the back balcony. He drops into a chair, sucking in air as if the inside of my house is actually toxic.

“You need to air this house out.”

“I’ll get right on that.”

“Have you talked to Devon?”

I grit my teeth. “No.”

“Have you tried calling her?” He glances at me and I hold his gaze. Does he know something I don’t? Is he going to hand over information? I drop into the seat beside him, running a hand through my damp hair.

“Only a million times.”

He nods carefully, staring out at the backyard.

When I was a kid, I remember thinking how cool it would be to explore it. But I never got the chance because my father didn’t let me do things like that.

The silence is getting to me. Dane and I haven’t spoken since the charity event. And now he just shows up here to ask me if I’ve talked to Devon? I thought he was mad at me.

“Is she okay?” I ask suddenly, worried that the reason he’s putting aside his hatred for me is that she’s hurt and he’s come to tell me.

“Fine according to Summer. I haven’t talked to her either.”

She’s fine.

That sucks.

It’s not that I want her hurt, but she isn’t upset about any of this? Did she really move on so quickly? Without a care in the world, just like last time? How is she fine with this?

“I love her,” I blurt.

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