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The brunette nods and picks up the ball, weighing it in her hand.

Fuck. This is exactly the kind of ‘ridiculous college antics’ Dad was talking about. I shouldn’t care, but for some reason, I do.

The game continues, and the guys land one cup after another while the girls miss almost every shot.

I stifle another yawn. The pounding in my skull is getting worse.

“Good luck, boys.” I give a lazy salute to them. “Try not to get slaughtered by the newbies.”

Brandon flips me off as I turn and head for the stairs, the smell of cheap beer and stale sweat clinging to me now. Fuck, I need a shower. And about a gallon of coffee.

When I get upstairs, I head straight for my room, ready to crash face-first into my bed. But as soon as I open the door, I stop short. “What the fuck?”

Blake is sprawled across my sheets, wearing nothing but a lacy red bra and panties. Her long red hair spills over my pillows as she gives me a sultry look.

“Hey, Bash. I was waiting for you.” She grazes her collarbone with her nails.

Right now, she’s the last thing I want to deal with.

“Not tonight.” I drop my bag in front of the bed. “I need you to go. Now.”

Her pout turns into a scowl. “Come on, don’t be like that!” She crawls to the edge, reaching for my belt.

Usually, I’d be down for a quick fuck, blow off some steam after the shit day I’ve had. But right now, with the pounding in my skull and her reeking of cheap booze, I’m so not in the mood.

I catch her wrist, stopping her. “Blake, I said no. Get dressed and get out.”

“Come on. I know you want it.”

Releasing her wrist, I grab her chin roughly, tilting her face up to examine her eyes. Dilated pupils and a flushed face beneath the freckles. She’s high as a fucking kite.

“What did you take this time, huh?”

She jerks her head away. “What’s it to you? I just wanted to have some fun.”

“Not tonight, you don’t.” I stride over to the chair and snatch up her dress, throwing it at her. “Get the hell out. I’m done dealing with your drug bullshit.”

She gapes at me incredulously even as she slides the dress over her head. “Are you serious right now? You’re gonna kick me out?”

“Damn right, I am,” I say. “I’ve got zero patience for junkie fuck-ups tonight. So either get your shit together and have an actual conversation with me, or find someone else to screw around with, ’cause I’m over this.”

Blake huffs, scrambling off the bed to shimmy the dress down over her hips. “You know what, Bash? Go fuck yourself.” She shoves past me toward the door. “Let me know when you stop being a dick.”

“Back at ya, B,” I call after her as the door slams shut.

Christ. I scrub a hand over my face and sink down onto the bed. Even when I explicitly tell her I’m not interested, she still tries to push it. I care about Blake. I really do. But I can’t keep enabling this self-destructive shit. It’s time I stop messing around with her altogether…

Sighing heavily, I toe off my shoes and flop back. I’m too damn exhausted to think about it now. All I want is to pass out for a few hours and give my aching head a break from this fucked up day…

Barron.

What if I don’t want to be a Barron?

I need a drink, but I can’t go down like this.

I stalk into the bathroom, stripping off my clothes and leaving them in a crumpled heap on the floor. Cranking the shower knob all the way to hot, I step under the scalding spray, welcoming the sting against my skin.

The water sluices over me, and I place my palms on the cool tile, letting my head hang between my shoulders. The pounding behind my eyes starts to ease a bit as the steam rises around me.

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