Page 17 of Destroying Everleigh

“Fuck you, you piece of fucking shit,” I seethed.

I moved to sidestep him, but Ashton had come out of nowhere, his car idling a few spots over. Was he in on this sick shit? Of course he was. He probably told them exactly what to say to rile me up. Hatred consumed me whole as I glared at the boy I once loved with my entire being.

“I’ve had enough of seeing your goddamn face for one day,” I snapped. All the pent-up rage I had was bulldozing to the surface, even if they weren’t the cause for all of it.

I shoulder-checked Ashton on my way through the parking lot, and to my surprise, he let me go. My body was vibrating with rage as I stepped back into the ice cream shop, sliding back intomy spot across from Briley. Her eyes were wide as she stared at me, but I shook my head, letting her know that now wasn’t the time to dissect it.

One thing was certain though. Jameson was no longer my friend. Maybe he never was. It could have been all in my head, but that was difficult to believe. Not with all the things he’s shared with me. How he trusted me more with his emotions than his own friends, climbing through my window to cry in my arms after his father beat him and blamed him for his mother’s death.

I loved him like he was family. Cared for him, and never told anyone of the things he told me out of respect for him. Apparently, that didn’t mean shit in the grand scheme of things.

Tears blurred my vision as I stared out the window. Kash was now out of the truck again, Ashton raging about something before slapping his hand against the back of Jameson’s head. I couldn’t even find it in me to smile about it.

The way Jamie had spoken to me was so hollow and cold. Like what we had never happened. I knew he blamed me for breaking Ash’s heart, but I thought our friendship was stronger than that.

Evidently not.

CHAPTER SIX

Everleigh

Age 17 (before the incident)

Leah Kate - Fuck Up the Friendship

Ashton’s tongue moved against mine as he held me close, flush against his firm body. His grip was tight against my waist, like he couldn’t get close enough.

Jameson cleared his throat, tapping his foot against the ground with false impatience. I laughed, pulling away from my boyfriend. Kash had an arm draped around Crystal’s shoulders who was glaring daggers in my direction, but I’ve grown to ignore her. She knew not to disrespect me in front of Ashton. He made sure of that.

“She’ll be fine,” Jameson groaned. “Now go.”

Ashton had a wedding to attend, and Jamie promised to keep me company in the meantime. His older brother was getting hitched and I didn’t want to intrude, despite how much he begged me to go. He kissed me again, a smile playing along the edges of his mouth.

“Leave your window unlocked.” He winked, taking a step back to put more space between us.

It didn’t matter how long we’ve been dating at this point; he still made me feeleverything. I could never get used to his touch, his kiss, the warmth of his body. He made me feel things I never even knew existed. We’ve been dating for two years now, and it still felt like it hadn’t been anywhere near as long as it has.

“Okay,” I agreed, my heart smashing against my ribcage.

Crystal snorted with an eye roll before leaning into Kash. Even though the two of them were dating, she still looked atmyboyfriend like he was the true prize.

Ashton took a step backwards toward his vehicle, his eyes glued to me. “I love you.” He always said it so intensely with this serious admiration in his gray eyes. He hated having to part from me and I shared that sentiment. We spent every single day together. It’s been like that since freshman year.

I laughed as Jameson moved in, wrapping an arm around my shoulders. “I love you, too. Now go.”

Ash hesitated but finally relented with a nod before turning on his heels and making his way toward his car. I watched as he slipped into the driver’s seat and started it. I waited until he was backing out of the school parking lot before I leaned into Jameson, reveling in his comfort.

Ash brought me to school today, so I didn’t have my car. Which was the main reason I got stuck with Jameson in the first place, but I wasn’t complaining. He had quickly become my best friend, and I did enjoy hanging out with him.

“You ready, Evie?” he asked, his warm breath feathering against the top of my head.

When I nodded, he let me go. He moved toward Kash, holding out a fist for him to bump before sliding a disgusted glance over at Crystal. He couldn’t stand her for whatever reason, but I was glad we had that in common. Once the guyswere done screwing around, he led me to his motorcycle. His dad wouldn’t spend the money to buy him an actual car, so when the weather got bad, he’d either ride with me or Ashton since Kash typically picked up Crystal and he hated being near her.

I shouldered my bag as he moved to straddle the bike, kicking the stand down and using his weight to support it instead. Climbing on the back, my hands wound around his waist.

“Tighter,” he said.

I obeyed, tightening my grip around him.

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