Page 55 of Brutal Days

“I totally respect you for wanting to wait to have sex.”

I shoved a handful of popcorn in my mouth.Why are we watching this movie if she plans on talking through it?If I’d known she would, I would have taken her to the action one.

“If we don’t go to the party next weekend, we should go on a road trip and visit your brother. I bet the parties at Thane are crazy. I would love to go to one.”

“Mm.” I was done talking.

She could say whatever she wanted, but my mind was on what had happened earlier, when I’d had access to all of Sky, and I preferred it to stay that way.

My phone vibrated, and I yanked it from my pocket. But it wasn’t Sky. Phoenix had sent a group text to his brother and me about working out later. My fingers flew over the screen as I responded to him, then I hit the button on the side to extinguish the bright light, turning the phone back off. I didn’t put it in my pocket again.

We made it twenty minutes before her hand rested on my thigh. Halfway into the movie, she slid it higher and tried to stroke my dick. When she leaned into me and whispered that she would jerk me off if I wanted, I removed her hand and told her no, I just wanted to watch the movie.

CHAPTER THIRTY

SKYLAR

#ComingClean

Ahh!I tossed my phone on my bed and flopped backward, bouncing slightly on the mattress. It’d been three days since we’d slept together, and I couldn’t get him out of my mind. I didn’t want to want Damon, or to check my phone a billion times, hoping he had messaged me. I turned onto my side, curling into a ball.

I didn’t want to care if he was out with Gia or at home doing her. But I did. I cared too much. And because I couldn’t tell Gia how I felt, I had no one to talk to. It sucked so badly.

Wanting Damon was a losing game.

Rather than lie there in a ball of self-pity, I grabbed the book on my nightstand and tried to read. When I read the same paragraph three times without having any idea what it said, I tossed it aside. I couldn’t concentrate. I checked my phone—again. Nothing.

Wandering to the family room, I dropped onto the couch and turned on the TV. I was home alone, as Mom worked that Sunday since she had it off last week. I wished she were with me. We could have gone and done something. Even waitressing would have helped take my mind off Damon. But of course, I wasn’t scheduled.

Annoyed, I grabbed my purse and went outside, deciding to take a walk. It was better than moping around the house. I walked for a long time until I heard the sound of the waves and followed them to the pier.

It was crowded, and I wove through people, feeling marginally better as the sun began its descent. I sidestepped a rather large guy, but his hand shot out and lightly grabbed my arm. I looked up and smiled when I saw who it was.

“Hi, Tucker.” He still had a shiner from when Damon had hit him repeatedly. “How’s it going?”

“Sky.” He grinned then tugged me over to the side of the pier and away from where people were walking. “I wanted to thank you for making sure I got home after the fight.”

“Of course.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe Damon did that to you. How do you feel?”

“I’m fine. Did you ever find out his deal where you’re concerned?”

It was dangerous territory. “There’s nothing. He’s dating my friend Gia. I have no idea why he went out of his mind.”

Tucker chuckled. “He may be dating her, but he’s into you.”

I rolled my eyes, refusing to engage. “What are you doing here?”

“I was hanging out with Trent and Melissa. They left to get homework done, and I don’t have any, so…”

“Want to hang out with me at the festival?”

A traveling one had set up not far from there.

“Yeah, sounds good,” he agreed.

We walked down the beach, chatting about college applications and majors, where we wanted to go, and how weird living away from home would be. We kept up the easy banter when we got to the fair, and I laughed often. He was the perfect distraction, and if anything had been budding in his mind at the fight with all the touching, it wasn’t there anymore. We were just friends, like we’d always been.

The small hairs on the back of my neck rose, and I didn’t need to turn from the shooting game I was playing with Tucker to confirm who had arrived.

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