Page 14 of Before. Then. Now.

Finding my phone, I saw a missed text.The time stamp was an hour after Shaw first arrived.

Vi: I want a picture of her on her knees sucking you off.Pretty please.

Grinning, I snapped a picture of Shaw sleeping peacefully.

Me: Sorry, baby, she’s already worn out.I’ll get you that pic by the end of the night, though.I promise.

Her reply came almost immediately.

Vi: I hope you know I’m going to lock you in our bedroom for the next week.I’m aching for you.

Me: I’ll bring home the present you so generously sent me, and we can play all you want, baby.

Vi: Deal!

CHAPTERFIVE

jagger

Luca bumpedmy shoulder as we walked toward the restaurant entrance behind our wives.

“You’re going to lose a tooth if you keep clenching your jaw that hard, bro,” he advised, concern in his voice.“You’ve been quiet all evening.Everything okay?”

“I’m fine,” I gritted out, thrusting my hands into my slacks pockets to hide how tightly I was curling my fingers into fists.I was not fine.I was fucking losing my mind.

All because of a tiny little blonde with purple eyes.

I’d been patient.Kept my hands to myself.For years.So many fucking years.For the first time in my life, I’d completely denied myself something I craved.Because I didn’t want to push her too far, too fast.Didn’t want her to have regrets.When Vi finally realized how much she meant to me, I needed her to fully understand every aspect that would change for us all.

Being patient was a virtue, but I was no godsdamn saint.Vi had yet to give me so much as a hint that she wanted to move forward with me.Shaw?She had taken their experimenting to new heights, and I loved watching them together.Being a witness to their private relationship was a gift.Watching their bond strengthen was beautiful.Seeing how happy they both were filled a part of my soul I hadn’t realized had been empty.

But I was left adrift, wondering how Vi felt about me.She hadn’t given me a single sign since this thing had begun with her and Shaw.Which was fine.I had remained patient, even though it was slowly killing me.She simply needed more time.When she finally decided the moment was right for us to explore our own connection, we would.

And maybe I could have continued being patient if she hadn’t started icing me out.For the last few weeks, she had been giving me the cold shoulder.My texts got monosyllabic answers—when she actually answered.Half the time, my texts went unread.If we were in the same room, she would completely ignore me.

This was not how it was supposed to be between us.Ever.Even when Shaw and I were struggling to figure out our relationship, I’d always known Vi’s place in my life.She’d been my best friend when I’d needed one the most.When it was hard to get out of bed in the mornings while Shaw refused to speak to me, Vi became my reason.She got me through the worst years of my life.

And now, she wouldn’t even look at me.

It pissed me the fuck off.

Hurts.Hurts so bad, I can barely breathe.

Shaking away the thought, I focused on how Shaw had her pinkie entwined with Vi’s as they entered the restaurant.Their heads were close together as Shaw whispered something to her bestie that had Vi giggling.

Luca grabbed my elbow, stopping me from following the girls.His eyes rapidly shifted from one shade of brown to another as they drilled into me.“Stop lying to me, Jagger.I want to know what the fuck is going on with you.Look, I know I’ve been busy lately.I’m sorry I haven’t been around, but you know you can tell me anything.There’s nothing you can’t talk to me about.”

Scrubbing a hand over my face, I blew out a breath.“She won’t even talk to me.”

A lump filled my throat, the hurt I didn’t want to think about twisting inside me until it was a struggle to keep standing upright.

Confusion pulled his brows together.“Who?”

“Violet.You haven’t noticed how cool she is to me lately?I mean, when she actually acknowledges my presence.”

“I noticed she didn’t answer you a few times on the drive.But up until tonight, I hadn’t noticed anything off with her.Honestly, I thought it was because you looked grumpy as fuck when we picked you and Shaw up.”

I laughed dryly.“No, man.She’s been avoiding me like the plague.Rarely answers my texts, and when she does, they are simple yes or no responses ninety-eight percent of the time.She won’t even look at me.I don’t know what I did to piss her off, but she’s big mad.And the one time I dared to ask her what was wrong, she told me to look in the mirror.That was the last time she answered my messages.Four motherfucking days ago.”

---