Page 52 of The Friend Zone

I explain how Jagger and I shared Bay when he made me go to apologize for the pool incident.

“Fuck,” Cole groans. “I don’t even know how to feel about it.”

His words rub me the wrong way. “You don’t get to feel anything about it until you get your head out of your own ass and tell her how you really feel.”

Cole sighs. “I don’t know, man. First off, even if I could share her with the two of you… one thing is a wild afternoon in her room, another thing is sharing her long term.”

Jagger backs him up. “Yeah, Cole isn’t wrong. Besides, Topher is still hellbent on getting her back. Even if she didn’t take him back, he would follow through with his threats if we made a move on Bay.”

Cole nods. “Yeah, I think he would. Even just out of spite. Some kind of ‘if I can’t have her, no one can’ sort of deal.”

They aren’t wrong. Topher is a real piece of shit. “You two should still talk to her and tell her the situation,” I insist. “Bay would keep quiet, so Topher wouldn’t find out. But she has the right to know how you both feel.”

I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for them to see my point. When neither of them says anything, I snap. “You,” I say, pointing my finger at Jagger. “Have to apologize and beg for her forgiveness for your behavior in the past twenty-four hours. Whether or not you’re scared of Topher, you hurt her. Bay deserves to know why you acted like a complete dipshit.”

The animosity in Jagger’s tone surprises me. “You think you know everything, don’t you, Ryker?” he spits out. “You’re right that I owe her an apology, but not for the reasons you think.”

What is he on about now? “You didn’t dump her by text and then hooked up with Candace and Bianca the same day? And before you say that you and Bay weren’t together?—”

“I owe her an apology for how I ended it.” He scowls. “I was a fucking coward. But I didn’t hook up with Candace and Bianca. Nothing happened with them. I just wanted Bay to believe it did, so she wouldn’t try to patch things up. That’s why I asked Candace to be my date last night. She was just a decoy to keepBay away from me. I’m stuck between a rock and a fucking hard place. Even if I didn’t care about embarrassing my family with that video, Bay wouldn’t want to be with me anyway if she saw it.”

Cole and I look at each other. “Come on man,” I clasp him on the shoulder. “It can’t really be that bad.”

Jagger exhales a deep, shuddering breath. “That shit’s supposed to stay secret for a reason.”

No matter how much Cole and I plead with him, Jagger refuses to tell us what he had to do to be initiated into Gamma Delta Tau.

“Topher has me by the balls. I’ve always thought he was an asshole, but I never would have guessed that he would end up costing me the woman I love. Please Ryker, treat Bay the way I would have done if circumstances were different. Now I better go for a run. We really didn’t get to practice today and I need to be in tip top shape if we want a chance to beat the bad juju I earned us by not getting my lucky bj before every home game. At least no one will know it’s my fault, Candace and Bianca agreed to keep my secret. I count on the two of you not to rat me out with the rest of the team.”

“I’m gonna go too,” Cole says. “Jagger is right. Topher doesn’t care who he ruins to get what he wants. I’m just glad he doesn’t have anything on you. If Bay has to be with someone who isn’t me, you’re probably one of the best choices I can think of. Topher might have fucked over my chance at being with Bay, but with you in the picture, there’s no way he’ll be able to talk Bay into giving him a second chance. Just don’t hurt her, man. Bay deserves all the best.”

Alone in the locker room, I collect my things, eager to get out of here.

I’ve never liked Topher Mumford and I’ll be damned if I let him hurt my girl.

I’m under no illusion that a relationship with Cole and Jagger in the picture might be harder to navigate. If that is what will make Bay happy though, I’m willing to do anything in my power to make it happen. Bringing down Topher a few notches in the process, only makes everything more fun.

I do my best thinking at the beach, so I head out there for the rest of my day.

If I find a way to fix this shit show, we’ll figure out our relationship later. Maybe I can ask Lakyn’s advice when I get to meet her in person next week in Bridgeport.

CHAPTER 12

REUNION

BAY

“Signorina Bay, che piacere vederla. Diventa ogni giorno più bella, se posso permettermi. (Miss Bay, what a pleasure to see you. You get more beautiful with every passing day, if I may say so.)”

Luigi pulls me into a fatherly hug as he picks me up outside the Gamma house to drive me to Bridgeport.

“Aww Luigi, it’s so nice to see you.” I beam. “You didn’t have to come all the way here to pick me up though. I told Lake I could get the train or carpool with one of the Zetas who are coming to watch the game.”

I’m not surprised when Luigi shakes his head. “Assolutamente no (nonsense).His Royal Highness would have never allowed his sister-in-law to carpool or usepublic transportation.”

He utters the last two words with a visible shudder, as if taking the train was unthinkable.

I’m not going to lie, while I definitely didn’t need to ride in a limo, it’s not exactly a travesty to travel in style.

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