Page 18 of The Breaking Point

“What the hell?” I groused, sitting up. I brushed dirt from my shirt, hoping that my hair wasn’t full of leaves.

“I thought you’d be up here,” he said as he sat down next to me.

I scooted as far from him as I could, which wasn’t far, given how small the tree house was and how huge Brady was.

“I thought you went home?”

“I went to a bar down the street. And I could tell from your picture you were up here.”

I sighed, rolling my eyes. “Okay. Do you need something?”

“Did you get my text earlier?”

“That you’re a dick? Yeah. I already knew that. You didn’t need to come back to tell me.”

He chuckled. “Still spicy, huh? Well, I am sorry. I was a dick tonight. Feel free to punch me if you want.”

I was sorely tempted, but I knew that I probably wouldn’t even make a dent in his fat skull.

“I’m still mad right now,” I said, “but I’ll get over it. Eventually.”

Brady put his chin on his palm. “So. How’s it going with Will?”

I burst out laughing. “Seriously? Man, I envy your sheer audacity sometimes.”

“I’m being for real!”

I rolled my eyes. “Will is great. Amazing. I’m so glad we’re dating.”

“I can’t tell if you’re being serious or not.”

I looked away. “We’re just getting to know each other,” I hedged.

“Was that your first kiss?” Brady asked, his voice rough.

“We’ve kissed once before.” I swallowed, my mouth going dry. “But we haven’t had sex yet, if that’s what you’re asking.”

Brady made a strange noise in his throat. “I don’t need to know the details.”

I knew that, but I also knew that talking about it bothered Brady. Why, I didn’t know—or I didn’t want to think too deeply about it.

“I’m thinking about Will being my first,” I blurted.

I couldn’t look at Brady. I waited in anticipation, my heart pounding. But when Brady said nothing, I forced myself to look at him.

The light was dim, but I could just see how dark Brady’s eyes were. His jaw was tight, his fist clenched.

“I’m happy for you,” he said finally.

He didn’t look happy. He looked pissed. Why did he hate Will so much? Was he really such a bad choice for a boyfriend?

My gaze moved from Brady’s eyes to his mouth. My heart leaped when he licked his lips.

And then I could feel his heated gaze on my own mouth, and suddenly, the air crackled with tension. The hair on the back of my neck rose.

Brady leaned forward—ever so slightly, but I saw it—and I couldn’t breathe.Was he going to kiss me?

But then he just said, “Let me know if you need any sex tips, kid.”

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