Page 79 of The Chance

Growling, I push to my feet and stomp closer to his beanbag. “We’re not talking about me.” I snatch the joint right from between his lips and snuff it out on the sole of my boot. “Why did he hit you?”

Mac huffs and pulls out a fresh joint.

“Like I said, got too close during practice.”

“Bullshit. I’ve never seen you share your set.”

He flicks a flame to a lighter and burns the end of the joint. “You haven’t seen me doshitfor months, Jordan.”

I flinch, a red-hot feeling burning my chest wide open.

Actually … make that green.

“Did you sleep with him?” It tumbles out of my stiff jaw before I can stop it, my heart racing too fast.

He rocks back, his brows flying up behind the bandana I fucking tied on his head and pinches his smoke between his fingers.

“Did I?” His smoke-holding hand goes to his chest, and he lets loose a laugh that’s bordering on hysterical. “DidI.” He pushes to his feet and plants a hand right between my stiff pecs. “Did I? No, the only thing I did was fuck a straight man with a God. Damn.Complex.”

My stomach twists violently and I growl. “This isn’t aboutme.”

Mac nods and works his jaw. Takes his time pulling in a puff of smoke that flows through his nose, before his hard as fuck sight lands back on mine.

“Then tell me what you wanted three days for.”

My tongue sticks to my teeth.

“Tell me what your nightmare was about. Better yet—” He pulls in a puff and points two fingers in my face, “—tell me why the fuck you couldn’t come to Europe with me.”

Me … not us.

Insides burning, hands itching, I flex my fingers and will them to stick to my sides despite how badly I want to just grab him. Kiss him. Show him why none of that matters now.

Showmyselfwhy none of that matters.

But I don’t touch him. I don’t reach for him until he’s scoffing and brushing past me.

“Vida.”

“Do you regret it?” he asks the wall, a tick to his jaw and a redness to his eyes that has nothing to do with the weed.

“I don’t have regrets,” I lie and swallow hard.

I didn’t … until you.

“I’m gladyoudon’t.”

A piece of my heart chips off and shatters at his feet when he jerks from my grasp, his comment hanging so fucking heavy in the air that it grows and grows with each second that I don’t stop his retreat.

Stop him,something warns me.Stop him before it’s too late.

But my tongue is too thick for words, my brain too foggy to clarifyhowto stop him, my heart begging for him to just give me a moment, when he pauses at the ladder’s opening.

“Would you take it back?”

I shake my head at his back. “No.”

He scoffs and puts the joint between his lips, dipping to get the latter under his feet.

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