Page 59 of Yearn

by Maroon 5

Iwatched the video in growing horror and rage. On screen, I continued fucking the blonde—Brianna or something like that?—while the camera kept filming, mercifully turning off when the pillow connected.

Sweat dotted my forehead. My head still hurt from the shots, and I’d been in a deep, happy sleep until Landon called. I went to bed confident I’d finally move in with my girlfriend and start my new chapter.

Now, I woke up to a nightmare where she’d dumped me and had proof I cheated. I wasn’t getting out of this mess easy, if I was able to get out at all.

Fuck.

Climbing out of bed, I turned on the light and marched into Coop’s room. Thank God, Elle hadn’t stayed over. The last thing I needed was a supportive girlfriend losing her mind and yellinghysterically at me before I could get my story together. Coop was snoring under the tangled blankets. I shook him roughly and called his name a few times until he shot up.

“What the hell, man? What’s wrong?”

“Dude, I need you. Landon sent me the link to the video from Long Beach. She’s freaking out and broke up with me.”

“What?” Coop rubbed his head and russet strands stuck up in random patterns. “Wait—how’d she get the video? We just left her!”

“I know. She called me hysterical. Told me she knew the truth and said it was over. I denied the whole thing, figuring some asshole got in her ear, but this was the actual recording. Coop, who the hell would do this? Who sent it to her?”

“Did she say who did it?”

I shook my head, still in shock. “No idea, I didn’t get that far in order to ask her. How is this happening? After all this time, I thought that video was over. You said it was deleted!”

“It was! We all got rid of it like you told us. It was probably one of those guys from the party who tracked down Landon.”

“Doesn’t make sense. I’ve never seen those guys again, and how would they get her number? Someone’s lying and I’m going to find out who.” My whole body was shaking. I couldn’t help it. I pushed the button and watched the video again, seeing it through Landon’s eyes. I didn’t think it was possible, but the second time things got worse. I caught more details—my bare ass moving frantically as I fucked her, my head thrown back obviously getting ready to come, the woman’s bouncing breasts and groans. Crap, did she say my name out loud?

Oh, I was so fucked and not in a good way.

Coop got out of bed. “Let me see it.” I gave him the phone. His face told me everything I needed as he watched. I was trapped. Saying it wasn’t me, or that I was too drunk to enjoy itwouldn’t work. I’ve been in close situations before with women, but I never cared like I do with Landon.

I should have never done it. Landon wasn’t worth the sacrifice or hit of adrenaline I usually craved when I was around women and alcohol. I got sloppy and now I was going to pay.

Coop shook his head. “I don’t know, man. This is bad.”

“I know! I have to try and talk to her. I don’t think I have any play left. No way could I say it was edited.”

“No, you can’t pile another lie on this one. I think you have only one option left.”

I met his gaze and felt the dread creep over my body. “The truth,” I said. “I’m gonna have to beg and do whatever’s necessary for her to forgive me.”

Coop winced. “Yep. And then? You have a long ass road to redemption. I’m talking constant trust issues, crying, blaming, the works. Is she worth it? I know you love her, man, but she may not come back. You can move on and find someone else? Start fresh?”

Coop made sense. I wasn’t one to allow a woman to control me or lead me with a leash around my neck. And if I committed to this path, Landon would have a power like no other. For her to eventually take me back, I’d need to prove myself and be a good boy for a long, long time.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. I hated the feeling of desperation so I tapped into the other emotion right on its heels.

Rage.

“You should’ve stopped me,” I muttered. “I was wasted and instead of being a decent friend, you not only let me screw her, you laughed and watched them film the shit.”

Coop let out a snort. “Aww, hell, no, you’re not pinning this one on me. I mentioned going home and staying out of trouble. You were the one who insisted we had more play left in us.”

“I wouldn’t have let that happen to you, dude! How would you feel if you lost Elle?”

“I’d want to kill someone.”

“Exactly. What about Noah or Adam? Did they leak it to someone? Noah can get sloppy with his phone—maybe he didn’t delete it. And Adam has been distant lately. What if he got pissed and wanted to teach me a lesson?”

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