Page 88 of Yes No Maybe

“No judgment here.” Dean puts his hands up submissively. “But that’s whereI’mthe lucky one… I have Rowan.”

His words hang in the air like an arrow in suspended animation aimed at me. The only thing keeping me from pouncing on this asshole is Rowan—she looks genuinely pissed at his smugness.

I scoff, raising an eyebrow. “Youhaveher? Interesting word choice. You don’t evenknowher.”

Rowan jumps from her seat, sending her chair scraping across the deck. “I’m done. Tired. It’s getting late. Mom and Dean have had long trips today. Right, Mom?”

“Oh, yes. I’m exhausted.” She rises, widening her eyes at Mira.

“Better get home to the family,” Mira says with obvious reluctance.

“Yeah, this is getting… weird,” Sara says slowly.

As theit’s-been-lovelyandwe-should-do-this-againremarks line up, Rowan’s eyes lock on me. She looks defeated and disappointed. My anger vanishes into regret. I’ve put her in a tough position and made it worse by being an asshole. Stepping toward her, I’m determined to put it right, even if it means apologizing to the prick beside her.

But then Dean says, “All night in your bed is exactly what I need, Rowan.”

Son of a bitch, I want to hit this asshole.Only I can’t. Not after what she’s been through. I remember her words.Anger is destructive.

Still, I stop, afraid I might do it anyway if I get closer, especially with the daring look in his eyes as he hones in on me. Rowan winces at him, taking in his cocked brow and sly grin. He’s proud of himself for getting the last word in. He should be—he gets to go home with the woman I love.

Mother fucker.

No choice—I storm inside the house. I can’t look at him anymore. I can’t watch her leave with him. This is why no one should ever fall in love.

The party comes to a quick end outside, and thankfully, my neighbors know me well enough not to expect any more of my hospitality. Shadows move across the living room as I pace, new drink in hand, and then vanish altogether. I try not to think of them together, but Dean’s sabotaged me. I can’t think of anything else—his hand on her knee and slithering upward, his mouth leeching hers, his fake-ass platitudes in her ear.Damn it.

Why would she give herself to a man who doesn’t even see her? She’s only a ghost to him.

“What’s with you and ghosts, huh?” Devin appears, sporting jeans, Nikes, and a FanBoy Comics t-shirt.

“Not now.”

“Calm down.”

“Can’t.”

“That won’t help.” He nods to my drink. “If you hadn’t been wasted after your party, things might be different now.”

I slump. He’s right. Sober, I would’ve pressed her to tell me what happened, and she would’ve opened up to me then—I’m the one she came to, after all. Not that asshole. And any loyalty to Dean would be long forgotten. “You’re not helping.”

“Fine. How can I help?”

“How do I get her to see that he’s not right for her?”

“Maybe she sees that already, and she’s simply trying to end things the best way she can.”

I groan. “He’ll weasel his way back in like he never left.”

“You don’t know that. Why don’t you trust her? She trusts you… or did.”

“Did you hear his bullshit? Not even the role of a lifetime could make up for hurting her?” I scoff, downing my third glass and going for another.

Then, a villainous laugh bellows from my depths. “Let’s put him to the test, huh?”

Devin locks eyes with me. “Don’t.”

I yank out my phone and scroll through my contacts.

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