Page 21 of Destroying Everleigh

“Of course. If you don’t want to, I’ll respect it. But you might want to be more firm with Jamie, because he’s a persistent little fucker when he wants in someone’s pants.” He smirked, amusement twinkling in his eyes.

The thought of having to tell Jamie to stop touching me, to tell him no, didn’t sit well with me. I didn’t want him to get the wrong idea. I’d never had a problem with it, aside from the earlier stages of our friendship, but today he was more adamant. If I wasn’t with Ashton, I might have done it. But I wasn’t willing to be someone’s one-night-stand. Especially his. There was too much history there. We played video games, threw mud at each other like children, I’ve even started my period on his bed one time, and he had to clean the sheets. It was humiliating. But he didn’t act repulsed at all, and certainly didn’t look at me any different for it. He laughed it off.

I was lucky enough to just be his friend.

CHAPTER SEVEN

Jameson

Blackbear FT Gucci Mane - Do Re Mi

“The stupid bitch punched me,” I growled after Ashton had slapped me in the head for interfering. Apparently, he wanted to be the one to break her for what she did to him. But Ash was my best friend. Fuck that.

She ruined everything.

Our friendship, she broke Ash’s heart, and even Kash suffered when she did what she did. Because of her, I’d never let a bitch get close enough to me like that again. She fucking ruined me.

Ashton glared at me. “I have it under control. You can have your fun, too. Just let me do what needs done first.” He leveled me with a hard look. “Trust me. We will all get to fuck her shit up.”

I leaned against the tailgate, my jaw throbbing where she hit me. She was lucky we were in public. “I want what’s owed to me,” I snarled. “Before you showed up, I was going to take it.”

Fury flashed across his face and before I knew it, he was on me, fisting the front of my shirt in a vice-like grip. “You lay a finger on her and I’ll tear your shit up,” he seethed. “Got me?”

I shoved my palms against his chest, forcing him back a step. Kash watched us with disinterest, placing a cigarette between his lips as he sucked, the smoke billowing out around us after he lit it. My heart was pounding against my chest with adrenaline. I wasn’t Ashton’s little bitch. I respected Everleigh at the time and her relationship with my best friend. But they weren’t together anymore.

“You going soft on me already?” I snarled. “She fucked your goddamn brother and you’restillprotecting her?”

Ashton jerked me forward by his grip on my shirt, his nose coming within inches of mine. “Say that again and I’ll rip your dick off and make you choke on it. She’ll get what’s coming to her. I’m biding my fucking time. It’s only day one.”

Kash patted me on the shoulder, silently urging me to step down and reign in my emotions. Hesitantly, I blew out a breath and dropped my shoulder in defeat. Seeing her sitting there with her family like nothing had ever happened grated on my goddamn nerves. Even more so after hearing all about her preppy little boyfriend. She was living the dream. Had her family, captain of the soccer team, a boyfriend who was a captain, too. Even friends. Ash filled us all in over the phone on the drive up here. It was worth transferring schools for. Since everything went to shit, finding her and making her pay was the first thing on my list.

“Fine,” I gritted out. “Just say when, master.”

He smirked at me, a mischievous glint in his eye. “Soon.”

Kash took another long pull of his cigarette before he snuffed it out and let it fall to the cement. “I’ll keep him in line.” He smirked. “He’s just pissy right now. We drove thirteen hours and haven’t even unpacked yet. Spent the day enrolling in classes.”

Ash snorted at that, amusement flickering in his gaze. “That true, James? You tired and throwing a tantrum?”

“Fuck you,” I snapped.

I pushed off the tailgate and made my way to the passenger side of the door, their laughter following me. Slipping inside, I propped my feet on the dash, my head aching from all the thoughts swarming it. It felt weird being back here. Too many damn memories I had no interest in dissecting. This ice cream parlor had become somewhat of a safety net for me. It was one of the only places left standing that my mom had taken me. There was also the infamous diner on fifth avenue, which shocked me when we drove past it to come here. Figured that place would be long gone by now.

My mom had been perfect. She always went out of her way to make sure I was heard, to make sure I was happy. How she ended up with my piece of shit father was beyond me, but she must have seen something in him no one else did. The abuse didn’t start until after her passing, but I was sure she would have left his ass had she bared witness to it. Even after being away from my dad for the last year, I still had nightmares about the depraved shit he’d do to me, or make me go through, just to fill some kind of sick fantasy.

Blowing out a breath, I leaned against my seat and closed my eyes. His beady hazel eyes peered back at me through my lids—the same eyes I owned. Dark blue with green flecks through them and a dark blue hue.

“You’re lucky I don’t put you in foster care, make you the state’s problem. You should be grateful.”

“Why you smiling down at your phone like some prissy little bitch? You got a girlfriend I don’t know about?”

“You’ve done it now, boy.”

“It’s time for you to become a man. Your mom was too easy on you. Told her that, too.”

My throat felt tight as I peeled my eyes open, my heart racing in my chest. The only solace was that I no longer had to live with him. Even in my later years of high school, Ash, Kash, and Everleigh had helped me to avoid him. But when Evie spread her legs for Dakota, Ash slipped into himself and seemed to forget about me—not that I blamed him for it. I blamedher. She was the only girl he’d ever loved, and she ripped him to shreds. Because of her fuck up, I was stuck at home more often than desired. I knew it wasn’t anyone’s place to help me, but it reminded me that my homelife was temporary.

Swiping my tongue along my lips, I settled back into the seat as the driver’s door creaked open and Kash hoisted himself up. He didn’t bother buckling up as he put the key in the ignition and twisted.

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