Page 48 of Fight for You (Flirting with Forever 2)

y hands, not wanting to see everyone’s reactions.

“Nooooo.” Madison is the first to respond. “No. No. Just no.”

Piper and Quinn speak up at the same time with the same exact question. “What the fuck?”

“That bastard.” Sophia shoots me a flustered, apologetic look.

Zoey goes for her drink again, draining it. “There’s more to this story. I mean, how did this happen? You thought he deleted them? Sweetie, did you pose for these pics?”

I cringe, pulling my hands from my face. “Yes … sort of. But not. No, I mean, no.” I blow out an exasperated breath. “Let me explain.” I grab my bag and dig through it, looking for my phone. “Shit. Well, I was going to show you one of the photos and the texts, but I think I left my phone at home.” I grit my teeth and suck in air through them. “Anyway, I definitely didn’t know he was taking actual photos. I’d been hanging out at his place and had taken a shower. When I went to get out, I realized I’d forgotten my towel in the bedroom. He came in to see why I was calling for him, but he wouldn’t give me my towel, he just kind of stood there staring at me. I may have said something smart like, ‘Take a picture, it’ll last longer.’ I never thought he’d actually take photos. That’s when he started joking around, acting like he was a photographer and I was a model, holding up his phone like it was a photo shoot.” I groan. “I may have posed a bit, thinking it was all just a game, so some of the photos look like I posed for him on purpose. When I realized what he was doing, I told him to stop. I told him to delete them.” I’m embarrassed to see my hands shake as I bring them up to tuck my hair behind my ears. My cheeks heat as blood rushes to my face and stains them a deep red. This is mortifying. “Guys, he told me he deleted them, but obviously, he didn’t. He keeps sending them to me as a reminder that he could show them to people if he chose to.”

“And Sawyer doesn’t know any of this?” Zoey questions. Her disbelief at the whole situation is clear on her face.

“He’s aware that Ed knows about us, and we’ve been trying to lay low all week because of it, but he doesn’t know about the photos. He knows I’m not telling him everything, but he hasn’t pushed me to explain what’s going on. And now I’m so screwed. I feel like such an idiot.” The last word comes out of my mouth on a gasp. Out of nowhere, tears fill my eyes, and I cover my face with my hands again as the stress of the last several weeks hits me all at once.

“Had, we’re going to figure this out. You’re not alone.” Piper gets out of her seat to wrap her arms around me. “Come here.”

She pulls me out of my seat, hugging me tightly. I let her hold me and I sag against her, letting her take on some of the burden of my situation. Before I can even blink again, everyone is out of their seats and we have one massive, comforting group hug happening right in the middle of the cider mill.

Sophia is the first to speak once we ease apart and sit back down. “Ladies? We need a plan, and I think I have an idea how to fix one part of the problem.”

Chapter 28

Sawyer

Hadleigh gave me a key to her apartment yesterday so I could feed Space Ghost for her while she was out with her friends for her birthday. She’d said they might be late, but I was welcome to wait for her if I felt like it. Ha. If I felt like it … I’ve been waiting for Hadleigh my whole damn life. I’ll gladly wait tonight so I can see her on her birthday, for sure.

When I get to her place, Space Ghost greets me with a yowl and winds himself around my feet while I move around the kitchen getting his food and some fresh water.

“All right, buddy. Here we go.” I set everything down on the little mat Hadleigh has on the floor. Apparently, Space Ghost is already a master mess-maker. “How long do you think it’ll be before your mama gets home?” I wait a beat before I answer. “Not sure, huh? Me neither.”

I kick off my shoes and settle in on the couch. After locating the remote in a basket on the coffee table, I pull up the guide and click on the History Channel to see what’s on. My phone buzzes with a text.

Willow: You staying with Hadleigh tonight?

Me: Yeah, sorry. You’re on your own for breakfast again.

Willow: Don’t apologize, Sawyer. I’m excited to see you so happy.

Me: :)

I’ve just finished watching The World Wars when I hear Hadleigh’s phone go off in her bedroom. Well, shit. I hate that she’s out without her phone, but at least she isn’t the DD tonight, and I know she’ll have a safe ride home with her friends.

I pluck Space Ghost up off of my chest and set him down on the couch. He doesn’t even stir as I get up to go find her phone. I stop at the doorway, scanning the room, and finally land on it where Hadleigh must have left it on her dresser. I pick it up and glance down at it as I head back out to the living room. A notification is visible on her locked phone screen.

Ed: Doesn’t he know you’re mine?

What the fuck is this? A tiny photo notification shows up immediately after that, and my eyes widen, unable to believe what’s on the screen. My jaw clenches and unclenches as I try to process. The image of Hadleigh wet and naked hits me like a freight train. My stomach churns and my blood begins to boil right in my veins. I take a deep breath and blow it out through my nose. My lips form a grim slash across my face, and I try to control the caged monster inside of me who wants to leap out, find Ed, and tear him limb from limb.

I swallow and set the phone down, unable to handle seeing any more. My heart sinks like a heavy stone in my chest, and my mind races to all sorts of horrible conclusions. Has she gone back to him? She’s his? Was our complicated relationship just too damn much for her to handle? She could have fucking said so. Has she been cheating on me … with him?

This can’t be happening. She wouldn’t do this. I thought—I thought I knew her better than this. After everything we’ve shared with each other about our past relationships, this is what I get? I clutch my head in my hands. No. She wouldn’t do this.

The unknown proves to be too much for me to take. On a strangled growl, I grab my coat and head home.

Chapter 29

Hadleigh

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