Page 69 of Bought and Broken

I wanted to come but my father wouldn’t let me because we had some stupid family thing to do with Sheila and Gunner. That fucker always ruined everything for me. My hands clench into fists and I have to force myself to take a few slow breaths before Devon notices something is wrong.

She’s since turned her attention back to the sky, watching the sun slowly come up. Loose strands of honey hair flow around in the wind, somehow making her even more gorgeous. This girl is… breathtaking. Everything about her is perfect. Not only her looks, but just her.

I could have had this then. Years ago. Even before I had her the first time.

But it only would have been ruined later.

Devon and I didn’t start dating until she was eighteen, but it built up for years. We both knew we wanted the other, but I think we feared what would happen if it didn’t work out.

Yet we found that out only a few months later anyway.

I still don’t understand why she did what she did. It makes no fucking sense. I mean, did she just think I wouldn’t find out? Did she plan on keeping it from me? She must know I know… yet she acts like she doesn’t. When I saw her walk out of that room at the party, it hit me so fucking hard because it was so unlike her.

Devon isn’t one of those girls. She doesn’t look for attention, especially not from guys. She’s happy with who she is and doesn’t need constant reassurance. She just wants to be loved for who she is. I gave that to her. And she fucked it up.

Things are good now, almost exactly how they were then. Nearly perfect. So why the fuck did she do it?

I look away from her, my jaw tight.

All of this is only making it hurt worse when it’s supposed to be making me feel better.

Chapter Thirty-Four

Tatum

Devon shoves me aside with a harsh bump of her hip. I nearly knock over the guy beside us, who is playing an intense game of Galaga. It’s loud in here. A bar-arcade is not my typical way to enjoy a Friday night, but it’s what Devon wanted to do, so it’s what we did.

Devon and I have spent every day together since returning from Myrtle Beach, and I’ve enjoyed every moment.

“Let me show you how it’s done,” she says.

She puts the tokens into the machine and grips the joy stick. I watch in awe at how seriously she’s taking these games. This isn’t something I knew about her. Dane and I weren’t big into video games, and neither was Devon.

“When did your fascination with old-as-shit video games start?” I ask.

She scoffs. “Jaws is nothing to turn your nose up at, Tatum.”

She taps the button to shoot little beams at the shark as she navigates her scuba guy around the screen, so she doesn’t get “bit.”

Her head falls back on her shoulders, and she groans when she loses.

“Why are you mad? You nearly tripled my score.” I gesture to her score on the screen.

“Because I can do so much better than this!”

I give her a quick kiss on the cheek, putting my hands on her shoulders. “It’s just a game.”

She narrows her eyes. “I’m going to kick your ass in racing.”

I bark out a laugh, and smoothly say, “Oh, baby. Keep dreaming.”

She gasps dramatically, then grabs my wrist and pulls me to the other end of the bar where the racing game is. There are people playing it right now, and she nearly growls. I huff out a laugh.

“You’re going feral,” I say. She narrows her eyes at me. “Do you want a drink while we wait?”

Devon watches the screen, trying to figure out how long they have left. “Yeah, sure.”

“Be right back.” I give her another kiss on the cheek, this one lingering long enough that I feel her smile.

---