Page 114 of What if I Told You

He throws up his arms in frustration. “This is why communication is key, man! She didn’t fuck him because he was too drunk to get it up.”

Wait.

They didn’t…

“But…but the pictures…”

“She passed out drunk! She had no idea the pictures were taken, you stupid ass fuck nut!” Griffin tosses me a water bottle. “We all learned this over the past twelve hours while you’ve been passed out on this couch. Now would you please drink this so you can help your fucking hangover enough to be coherent? For Christ’s sake talking to you is like trying to skate on cement.”

I sit up and drink down the entire bottle in one sitting and then wipe my mouth with the back of my hand. “So, you’re telling me she didn’t sleep with Furbling?”

“Yes!” Ledger nods.

“And she didn’t know those pictures were taken?”

“Correct!” He nods again.

Fuck.

“Are there more of them out there?” My brows shoot up and I slide my hands through my hair realizing just how greasy and dirty it is after not showering last night. “There could be any number of pictures of her body out there on the internet.”

“Exactly.” Ledger nods one more time. “And that’s what you should have been thinking about last night instead of letting your fucking ego get in the way.”

“Dude,” Griffin says, taking the seat next to me on his couch. “You very nearly walked out of that bar with that woman last night. You would’ve thrown everything between you and Ella away over some tramp who was feeding you line after line just to get to your dick. Had I not been there…”

“How were you there, by the way? Why were you there?”

He cocks his head and gives me an incredulous look. “You didn’t think I was going to let you drive out of the arena and spend a night drinking yourself into oblivion without keeping an eye on you did you?”

“But…”

“I followed you dumbass. I grabbed my clothes and shoes from my locker and ran to the garage in my uniform. Most uncomfortable drive of my life but that’s what friends are for. Once I saw you walk into the bar I knew I needed to give you a few minutes’ worth of shots so I was able to change my clothes at least. You never saw me walk in and I was only sitting a table away. I heard everything. You were going to sleep with that woman.”

“But…I was drunk.” I shake my head. “I didn’t mean?—”

“Yeah, just like Ella didn’t mean it seven years ago?”

Shit.

“You’re right.” I hang my head. “You’re absolutely right.”

“Yeah, I know I am.”

“I’ve made such a mess of things?”

“A little bit, bro. Yeah.”

“How am I supposed to get her to talk to me about any of this after all I’ve done?”

Griffin pats my leg and gives me a half smile. “You start by going to get a shower because you smell like shit.” He leans a little closer and adds, “I left my favorite pajama pants and t-shirt for you in the bathroom.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

ELLA

“Wow! That’s…a lot.” Paige’s wide-eyed stare on Facetime comes at no surprise. “I remember that night with Furbling. And by that I mean I remember you telling me you had dodged a huge bullet. And hell, that was so long ago! I can’t believe August would just accuse you and hold something against you like that. As if he’s never made a fucking mistake in his entire life.”

“Yeah. I remember feeling so stupid the next morning. But I was really grateful things didn’t, you know, work out.” I shrug. “And I’m trying not to blame August too hard until I can really sit down and talk to him again. He was having a really tense day yesterday to begin with because he knew the game itself would be rough. He just didn’t expect what happened would happen. So I get it. He was pissed and hurt and his world was sort of knocked off its axis for a bit.”

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