Page 75 of End Game

Frustrated, I tear off my hoodie and hand it over to her. “Put this on,” I demand.

She takes it from me and slips it on without protest, rising to her feet to let the hoodie drop to practically her knees. It’s huge on her, covering her entire dress, and honestly? I’m relieved.

Seeing her in that dress has me thinking all sorts of thoughts, none of them productive. All of them dirty. Touching her earlier, kissing her—that didn’t help.

What the hell are we doing, anyway? The constant back and forth is confusing.

“Why would you say that?” I ask when I realize I haven’t responded to her. “Is it so hard to believe that you’d want to be with me?”

She barks out a laugh, covering her mouth immediately, but that doesn’t stifle the sound. “Are you for real right now? More like they’re wondering whatyouare doing withme.”

“No one would wonder that,” I say.

“She would.” Everleigh waves a hand toward the door.

“Portia doesn’t count. She’s just jealous.”

“You know she’s using Frank to get back at you.” Everleigh sounds sad.

“Yeah. She probably is.” I run my fingers through my hair, pushing it away from my face. “I wanted to explain to him what’s going on, but he’s not in the mood to talk to me right now.”

I’m positive he’s angry with me, but shit. It was automatic, pretending that Everleigh is with me. We tried to sell that to Portia already, and we need to stay consistent.

I glance toward the door, realizing it’s become fairly quiet out there, and I go to it, pressing my ear against the wood.

“I think she’s gone,” I whisper to Everleigh.

“I’m not gone!” Portia screams, making me leap away from the door, anger filling me all over again.

“This woman is making my life a living hell.” I walk past Everleigh and throw back the thick comforter on my bed, kicking off my shoes before I climb beneath the sheets and jerk them back over me, covering my lower half.

“What are you doing?” Everleigh asks, her blue eyes extra wide.

“You going to hang out at my door all night, Portia? Huh? Do you want to hear us having sex? Is that what you’re waiting for?” I’m yelling. Goading her. “I’ll make her moan extra loud just for you!”

I don’t give a fuck about her feelings anymore. She’s pushed me right over the edge.

“Nico,” Everleigh whisper-hisses at me, but I ignore her.

“Fuck you, Nico!” Portia screams as she begins pounding on the door yet again.

My phone buzzes with a text.

Coop: For the love of God, stop egging her on.

Me: She won’t leave me alone so I’m giving her exactly what she wants.

Coop: No, you’re pissed and you’re being a complete douche. Knock it off. Stay quiet and she’ll leave you alone.

Damn it. I know he’s right, but I’m too fired up to take his advice. I toss my phone onto the nightstand, folding my arms beneath my head as I lie there against the pillows that are propped against my headboard. I decide to make myself comfortable because it looks like I’m not going anywhere else this evening.

Stuck in my bedroom with Ever isn’t such a hardship, is it? I guess it is when I’ve got my ex yelling at us from outside a locked door.

And Portia is still yelling. Calling me every creative name she can think of. I can hear Frank trying to calm her down, but she won’t listen to him. She’s pounding on the door. Think she might’ve even kicked it at one point.

“If you dent my door, you’re paying for it!” I yell at her just to be an asshole.

My phone buzzes, but I ignore it. Probably another text from Coop telling me to stop.

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