Page 56 of Protect

I sit down and blow out a breath. I’ve felt like shit about that for two years. It’s one of the reasons why I’m taking things soslow with Violette. I would never want to take that from a girl again without it meaning something.

“You didn’t tell me you were a virgin, Kyleigh. I barely even remember that night, but what I do remember is that I told you I just cared about you as a friend, but you were adamant sex was a good idea.Youlied, You said you didn’t like me that way either, that it was a one-time thing, that we were friends with benefits.”

“Yeah, well, I figured you would change your mind,” she says quietly. “We could’ve been great together, King.”

“Why would I change my mind? All you did after was cause drama. You called my friends, my job, Kyleigh. You took it too far. You told people you thought you were pregnant when you weren’t.”

She looks down and tucks a lock of her long blonde hair behind her ear, and I grit my molars to calm down. I need to refocus here.

“This ancient history doesn’t matter. I was honest with you, if you had told me you were a virgin, or that you wanted more with me, even as drunk as I was, I never would’ve slept with you.”

I look up at the rotting wood ceiling of Max’s porch. “Look, I can’t take back that night. So what does any of this have to do with me? Why am I here?” I ask.

“When we hooked up it humiliated me, everyone knew we slept together that night, and I guess I forgave you, sort of, for a while.”

“Well, you dated someone else for six months, so yeah, I assumed you were over it.” I retort.

“I had to act like I didn’t care. But then you started bringing Violette Taylor everywhere, and I don’t fucking get it, King. She’s bland. She’s a fucking science nerd and she’s fat.”

I’ve never in my life, wanted to hit a woman, but IwishI could just reach across the space and give her a smack for talking about Violette like that.

“I don’t want to hear you talk about Violette,” I say through gritted teeth. “I can’t believe you’re making some sort of fucked up jealousy a part of this. And you still haven’t fucking told me what you want!” My voice booms as I spit my words at her. I’m losing my fucking patience—fast.

“You want to keep this our dirty little secret? You’reminenow,” she says, leaning forward in her chair. “You’re making up for all the times you ignored me, after we were together. You’re going to go to prom withme. You’re going to show the whole school that in the end, you choseme. I’m going to tell everyone that you came groveling back to me.” She folds her arms across her chest. “If you do, I’ll keep my mouth shut and after you keep up your end of the bargain, the video is yours.” She shrugs. “It’s that simple, and no one will ever know how fucking stupid your lowlife friends are.”

“Not a fucking chance in hell, Kyleigh.”

She shrugs, unbothered, and stands.

“Then I give the video to my dad, and oh... here he comes,” she says, nodding down the street where headlights shine toward us. She leans down and tries to tweak my chin. I push her hand away. “I’m finishing my senior year with a bang, King,” she says smugly. “I won’t be the girl you stepped over anymore.”

I just look at her, trying to understand how someone could possibly be so manipulative and so fucking bold as to try to blackmail me into dating her. For no reason other than to hurt Violette and prove something to friends that will probably mean nothing to her by this time next year. How fucking shallow is this girl?

I watch her walk down the porch. Her father’s eyes land on mine when he pulls in the driveway. I stand. She smiles at her dad as he cuts the engine. The thing she doesn’t know is that all my friends told me to date her. But she just has no substance. I didn’t connect with her, or any other girl, the way I did withViolette. Kyleigh isn’t brilliant and cool, she doesn’t listen to my kind of music or kick my ass at cards.She’sthe one who’s bland.

“Hi, Daddy, you remember Rowan?” she asks as her father gets out of his truck. My name on her tongue is like poison.

Jacob and Max push open the screen door and bring with them the heady scent of weed.Fucking Christ, I was gone for ten minutes.

“Deputy Miller,” I say, extending a hand to distract him from my two obviously high friends.

He takes my hand in his. “Rowan, hell of a game you played last week”

“Thank you, sir,” I answer as he looks around, taking in the surroundings his daughter is being picked up from.

“Rowan came by while I was tutoring Max.”

If this situation wasn’t tragic, I would stifle a laugh. Kyleigh tutoring anyone is just insanity. “And he just asked me to prom!” Kyleigh says excitedly, putting me right on the spot.

Deputy Miller gives me the once over. I know he’s a single dad, Kyleigh’s mom split years ago, and he gives Kyleigh whatever she wants.

“Well, I know Kyleigh will be pleased with that, seeing how you treated her less than favorable last year.”

The fuck?

“I tell my dad everything,” she says, looking at all three of us. “He’s my best friend.”

I repeat. The fuck?

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