Page 139 of Naughty & Nice

All the air comes rushing out of my lungs.

I mean, his words aren’t really a shock. Today is the day we all return home and go back to our old lives.

Wilder will go back to partying with the team and hooking up with any and every girl who looks his way. And Hendrix and I will figure out what life is like as a couple.

My heart squeezes at the thought of us embarking on everything together. Officially together, not just best friends who need to figure their shit out.

My brows pinch as I stare at him. But unlike the last few days, I don’t feel like I know him. Like we’ve become closer.

He’s looking at me as if I’m a stranger…

A stranger he doesn’t like.

“Yeah, we are. But?—”

“There’s no but. What happened here ended when I came on your ass last night. It was fun, sure. But it’s over now.”

“But—”

“Forget it ever happened. I have.”

His words are like a knife through my chest, and I take a step back as if he physically hit me.

“What are you talking about?” I whisper, unable to gather enough strength to speak any louder.

“You’re being just like them,” he spits, looking me up and down with his top lip peeled back.

Fury races through my veins.

“Them?” I naively ask.

“Yeah,” he muses, pausing before landing his find blow. “The jersey chasers.”

My chin drops as hurt seeps through my veins.

How dare he.

How fucking dare he compare me to them.

“I’m nothing like them,” I hiss in disbelief.

One side of his mouth kicks up in a smirk. But it’s not a sexy one. It’s full of arrogance and condescension.

“They always want something more from me. They’re never happy with the little breadcrumbs I give them.”

My teeth grind as my hands ball at my sides.

“Fuck you, Wilder. Before all of this, I was your friend. I’ve never been one of them.”

I spin on my heels and march away from him, my body trembling with anger and tears burning my eyes. And it only gets worse when I step back into the bedroom and find Hendrix fast asleep where I left him.

I got out of bed because of my concern for Wilder. How fucking stupid am I?

Wilder’s never given a shit about me. Not really. I’m just the girl who made friends with his brother and inserted herself into his life.

He never asked for me to be the third wheel, but I never really stopped and considered how my close relationship with Hendrix might make him feel.

A loud sob threatens, and I clamp my hand over my mouth to stop it.

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