Page 43 of Destroying Everleigh

Fuck. This encounter just reminded me why I’d chosen to keep my distance before. My dick was so hard it hurt. Then again, I would have been able to control my urges had she not gotten on my lap. How was I supposed to predict that she’d do that?

“You already apologized, remember? Last night.”

“It didn’t feel like it was good enough,” I countered. Her eyes dropped to my lips, like they’d suddenly become the most interesting thing in the world to her. “If you want to kiss me, do it.”

She scoffed, jerking her gaze back to mine again. “Why, so you can tell Ash how much of a slut I am?”

I rolled my eyes, annoyance building up inside of me. “Don’t hold that against me. I already said I was sorry. Do you not believe me?”

“I do.” She sighed.

“Then shut the fuck up.”

She shot me a glare, but she knew better than to think I was being an asshole. A smile danced around the edges of my mouth, and I settled back into the sofa, pinning my attention on the show still playing.

After a few moments, she rested her head on my shoulder, causing me to tense. It was how she acted with Jamie and with Ash. Never me. Mostly because we hadn’t bonded in the way the three of them had. I’d be lying if I said I hated it. A warmth spread through my chest, my fingers itching to grab her and pull her closer.

But I couldn’t.

Because if I let myself fall for her, especially while she was dating my best friend, it would cause too many problems. Which was why I’d go right back to keeping my distance from her. Only seeing her when we were in a group. If Ash needed someone to drive her home, then he could ask Jameson. I’d be the last resort.

It was better that way.

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

Everleigh

Mila J - My Brain

“So, you coming to the party this upcoming weekend?” Amber asked from the edge of my bed, doing a good show of acting like my nasty ass house didn’t bother her.

“That’s the plan.”

I tried to go to as many parties as I could, mostly because it was one of the rare occurrences in which I got to kick back and be a normal college kid for once. My grandma had come through and took the kids for the night, giving us all a break, so that meant I had a day to myself for once.

We were relatively close with our grandmother, but she was older, and I hated asking her for help with the kids because of it. But she was the one who had called me. Her relationship with my mom was strained at best, so she usually called me for updates on the younger kids.

Briley chose that moment to whirl around from where she’d been checking herself out in the mirror for the last severalminutes. “You’re going to the party next weekend?” she asked in disbelief.

“Yeah, why?”

She huffed and moved to drop down onto her bed across the room. “Because I wanted to go. I already told Angie I’d be there.”

Annoyance simmered beneath my skin. I worked my ass off for these kids, Briley included. I helped with homework, made sure they got baths every night and brushed their teeth. I worked a dead-end job, did my best to clean during my down time—which was few and far between—made sure to grocery shop every week, and had them both in bed at decent times every single day. All Briley did was watch them for a few hours while I went to work.

I was just asking for thisonething. I never got to do anything for myself. Briley got to hangout with her friends whenever she wanted.

“And I told Lucas,I’dbe there.” I turned to face her. “Look,” I breathed. “I understand that you want to go to this party and hangout with your friends. But there will be more. All I’m asking is that you let me go to this one, and I’ll let you go to the next one. I know it sucks, but Mom can’t watch the kids in her current state, Bry.”

She contemplated that for a moment, her eyes dropping to the floor. It made me feel guilty as shit, because she deserved to have a life, too. And it wasn’t like she was missing out indefinitely like I had been. It was just sacrificing one party. She could do that much for me, right?

Finally, she released a huff of frustration. “Fine,” she gritted out. “But Iamgoing to the next one, and there’s nothing you can do to stop it.”

“Fine by me.” I grinned. “Thank you.”

She grumbled something incoherently before rising from her bed and storming out of the room.

“Well, that went better than expected,” Amber said, jabbing her elbow into the side of my arm. “And while we’re still on the topic of the party, want to go shopping?” She waggled her eyebrows at me.

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