Page 61 of The Hookup Type

A gust of wind barreled down the street, and I crossed my arms in front of my chest. I watched Jaxon pace back and forth on the sidewalk with his hands locked behind his head.

When I saw Jaxon kicking Heather out the morning after I slept with Bryson, I always thought that would be the most Jaxon ever made me feel uneasy about him. Seeing him in that light made me nervous about being around him, afraid of the moment that I might be on the receiving end of it. That was nothing compared to what I had just witnessed. It was like he had blinders on, and Tyler’s face was the only target.

I had never seen him so angry. He looked like someone I didn’t even recognize. I stared at the blood on his hands and shirt. I replayed the moment when I thought Tyler would hit me, and tears sprung to my eyes.

Images of Bryson lip locked with some girl in the corner worsened the kick in my gut. I could’ve been laid out on the bar floor, and Bryson wouldn’t have even known. I had just made out with him, and he carelessly moved on within fifteen minutes.

Why was it so hard for him to care about me?

“Hey,” Jaxon said and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. I wiped my tears on his shirt and sank into his embrace. He tightened his grip and rested his temple on my head. “It’s okay,” he whispered in my ear, and I nodded into his chest. I didn’t want him to see me upset since this incident had nothing to do with me.

Connor’s voice echoed down the road. “Jaxon!”

Katie started crying at the sight of us. I ran to her for a hug, and she sobbed into my shoulder.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bryson emerge from the back entrance of The Attic. Heat rose from my stomach and engulfed my chest. I needed to be angry at something, and he just volunteered himself.

“Can you take her home, please?” I asked Connor, and he nodded.

“Where are you going?” Katie asked.

“I’ll meet you there,” I reassured her. “Give me a few minutes.”

“I’ll wait for her.” I heard Jaxon say as I crossed Court Street.

I moved quickly to where Bryson was standing with a few guys I didn’t recognize.

“Asshole,” I yelled as soon as I was close enough for him to hear me.

His smile grew at the sight of me, and that pissed me off even more. I wanted to knock that drunken smile right off his face.

I shoved his chest, and he planted his feet to avoid falling over. The guys he was with took a few steps back to give us space. Bryson’s eyes darkened, and his smile quickly evaporated.

“Did you even see what happened in there?” I sneered and his mouth formed a hard line. “No, you didn’t. You couldn’t have seen anything because you had your tongue shoved into some other girl's mouth.”

He shifted his gaze, and I could tell he was pissed with this conversation.

“What the fuck is your problem?” he spat. “Your friend gets into some shit with some frat guy, and you’re pissed at me?”

“I’m pissed because you’re a fucking asshole. You make out with me, do the same routine on some other girl, and now you’re all smiley and shit expecting me to be excited to see you? Look at my lip, Bryson! That could’ve been a lot worse in there.”

“And it’s none of my business, though!” he exclaimed, his voice reaching the same level of frustration as mine. “You get mad about dumb shit! I’m not your fucking babysitter, and I’m not your boyfriend. I don’t know why you do this.”

I stared at him, and he stared back. He showed no emotion on his face and wore the same expression he had after our fight last weekend.

“I’m fucking done, Bryson.” I shook my head and turned to walk away.

“Hold up.” He grabbed my hand and pulled so I faced him. “Why are you doing this?”

I shrugged. “Because for the first time, it’s easy for me to.” The words left my mouth so effortlessly that they shocked me. I attempted to walk away again, but he pulled me back.

“I’m sorry,” Bryson lied and shook his head. He was annoyed and ready to be done with this conversation. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, sounding more sincere. “Are you okay?”

I took a deep breath and tugged one final time before he let go. I left him standing there outside the bar. I kept a steady pace and crossed back over Court Street with a lump in my throat and a punch in my gut.

Chapter37

Jaxon

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