Page 94 of The Drop

"Yeah, I missed you."

"I did too," I whisper, brushing her hair behind her ear. She looks up at me as we hear people start the countdown.

"What are we, Grant?" she whispers as I ghost my lips against hers as the countdown gets to zero and cheering erupts.

I kiss her with an entire week's worth of pent-up frustration. She grips my forearms as I hold her face and kiss her senseless.

"What the actual fuck?!"

Chapter Forty Six

Brooke

I pull back from Grant like he's burned me, and his wide eyes match mine as we turn toward the top of the stairs where Cami is standing, her face furious.

"Fuck," he breathes out as I shift back to put some distance between us, not sure what to do.

"Fuck is right, Anders." She storms down the steps, her face full of anger. "As in, what the fuck are you doing? Get away from her."

"Cami," I stand, trying to get her attention so her anger isn't just being directed at Grant.

"No, B, he needs to be told this isn't okay." Grant stands to face her head on as she reaches us. "You're his friend, not a notch on his bedpost."

"That's not what this is." He sounds angrier than I've ever heard him.

"Sure, just like all the other girls at all the other parties," she scoffs, rolling her eyes, and I look behind her, noticing Bear, Adam, and Gunnar are heading down the steps towards us.

"I said that's not what this is," Grant raises his voice louder.

"Grant," Gunnar warns him with not only his voice but his stance as he steps forward, ready to move between them.

"She's accusing me of using Brooke like she means nothing." He runs his hands through his hair, and I bite into my lower lip, still not knowing what to say. "I'm sick of being made out to be something I'm not."

"Maybe find a nice girl to stick with, one you see a future with," Cami sneers at him. "Instead of sleeping around all the time and trying to sleep with my best friend."

"I found a nice girl," he mocks her, "but she didn't want to tell you because this is how you would react, and she's my best friend, too."

"Grant," I gasp, grabbing his arm and pulling him back. Cami had no idea that this wasn't just a kiss. I could have salvaged some kind of conversation to explain it all properly, but I turned to look at her. All I see is shock and hurt. We don't hide things and we don't lie.

Well, until now.

"B?" she questions, her voice cracking slightly, cocking her head to the side, confused.

"It was nothing," I rush out as she takes a step back, and I feel Grant flinch next to me. "I didn't want to tell you because it was just fun, and I knew what you thought of him sleeping around."

"So, every time I talked about going on dates." She laughs coldly, crossing her arms defensively. "You were lying when you said you weren't ready?"

"It wasn't like that." I was tearing up because I know no matter how I try to tell this story, it sounds bad. "I wasn't ready, but I was just having fun with Grant. " I look at him, but he's not looking at me, he's looking at the ground. "I don't know," I whisper.

"How long?"

"Cami…"

"How long?"

"Since the beginning of October," Grant looks up, finally filling in the most damning part, and I turn to glare at him.

"You know what screw you, B," Cami throws at me. "I gave you a room when Josh screwed up. I held you while you cried, supported and helped you with The Drop, and you've just been lying to me this whole time?" She turns, storming up the stairs with the boys quick on her heels.

---