Page 7 of Yearn

The moment Max spotted me, he dropped his hand and stepped back. Adam assessed my obvious temper with cool amusement, which only ratcheted up my emotions. I deliberately ignored him and focused on Max.

“What are you doing?”

Gabriella didn’t seem to care I was about to lose my shit. “Hi, Landon. How was your shift tonight? I heard you made a killing in tips. Congrats.”

I ground my teeth in order to keep my tone even. “Maybe I wasn’t clear before,” I said. “This is our place to hang after work and let out some steam. I don’t appreciate you cuddling up with my boyfriend anywhere. Not at work, and certainly not here.”

Max groaned. “Baby, it’s not like that. We were literally talking about Red. She was asking me a few questions, that’s all.”

“Sure. That’s why you’re laughing at her phone and taking a pic together?”

Gabriella’s green eyes widened in mock horror. Up close, she was a guy’s wet dream, with her impressive chest and red lips and thick auburn hair. It was obvious both Max and Adam were easily trapped in her whole fake persona of non-threatening, innocent trainee who just wanted some friends. “Oh, my God! I swear I’m not interested in Max—I know you’re both together.I was showing him my new puppy. See? I just posted.” She shoved the phone at me and I blinked as the screen filled with a cute, pointy eared Yorkshire terrier. I also visibly noticed her rocketing follower count, making mine look pathetic. Oh, I knew the game well. She’d done it on purpose to make sure I knew my place.

“Sure, I believe you.” My look explicitly said I knew she was a liar. “Max, let’s go.”

“Aren’t we going to breakfast?”

It was our routine to close out the bars and head to the diner for breakfast. His pleading face made me want to scream. I forced a smile. “You can. I’m leaving. You decide.”

Adam muttered a curse. “Why do you have to be so bitchy? Gabriella wasn’t out to steal your boyfriend, okay? Trust me, you have him on a short enough leash. He should’ve choked months ago.”

I spun around and jabbed my finger at him. “And I know you love to instigate all of these little episodes. How dumb do you think I am?”

“If the shoe fits?”

Gabriella smothered a giggle. Steam rose from my head. “I know about Long Beach. I know you deliberately took Max out and tried to hook him up with your Jersey friend.”

“I did nothing!” Max practically yelled, moving around Gabriella to stand near me. “Baby, let’s go. You’re drunk.”

The panic in his expression told me everything I suspected. They’d all headed out to the shore for one of their regular guy trips. When I tried to get a hold of him, he didn’t answer text or phone all night. I immediately had that awful instinct something had happened, but each time I tried to poke and prod, the guys stuck together and protected their own.

Rumors of a drunken video taken on that trip with Max’s tongue in a random girl’s mouth had made its way aroundRed, but every time I tried to get my hands on it, the thing disappeared like smoke. Coop and Noah swore it was lies and that he’d passed out in the room alone. Adam wouldn’t even deign to try and reassure me.

Maybe that was the reason I felt off about our relationship. Loyalty was my primary need, and if my boyfriend was kissing other girls, I couldn’t stick around. “I’m not drunk. In fact, I’ve never seen things clearer.”

Adam’s face tightened. “Why should I defend myself? You believe what you want anyway. Leave Gabriella out of your drama.”

Gabriella threw her hands up. “Landon, I’m not sure what I did, but I want to be friends. I promise I’m not looking to take your man.”

My gaze swept her skimpy outfit and obvious need to have every man’s attention. It wasn’t her owning her sexuality that bothered me. It was the way she needed to have other women’s men to feel validated. I’d been around the type forever and spotted it easily. My voice iced. “Trust me, I’m not worried.”

She jerked back at the insult. “Maybe you are just a jealous bitch. I’ve only been nice to you.”

“And I know you want much more than to be my friend.”

She assessed me, then shrugged. “Fine. I’m not going to chase you around or beg to be part of your little group. Think what you want. But I will let you know I’m not going anywhere. Rock told me tonight we’ll be sharing your section, including tips. Said you had a lot to teach me.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder. “Or maybe I’ll teach you a few things.”

Gabriella slid off the bar stool. “Thanks for the drink, Max,” she said, deliberately squeezing his arm. Then she took off leaving me all steamed up, and not in a good way.

Adam seemed to think her exit was amusing. “She’s cool. If you’d get over your ego, I think she’d fit in great with everyone.”

Max stared back at me, obviously not wanting to defend me to his friend, or back me up. As usual.

That’s when I knew I’d had enough. No matter how many times Adam insulted me, or I asked my boyfriend not to flirt with women who were obviously after him, Max wouldn’t listen. Maybe all this worry I’ve been having about us was really just instinct.

Instinct that this whole relationship I’ve been invested in wasn’t worth my time after all.

I pulled myself up to full height and flung out my words in a trembling voice.

---