Page 9 of Untamed

“Nice.” Rhett scoffs. “Don’t use my woman to get in another woman’s pants.”

“I don’t just want to get in River’s pants.”

“There it is,” Wells says.

“There what is?” I turn toward him.

“‘River’s just a friend,’ you always said. I knew there was somethin’ more there.”

“We all did,” Rhett adds. “Should’ve seen the way you looked at her. Like she hung the damn moon.”

“No I didn’t—”

“Never did understand why you fucked every woman in this town but her.” Wells takes a seat on his cutting stump. “Still doesn’t make much sense to me.”

“Because she friend zoned him,” Rhett decides to chime in.

“She did not!” I am outraged.

“Oh, so you did get in her pants, then?” Wells asks.

“No!” I all but shout.

“Then she friend zoned you.”

“I friend zoned her,” I inform them both.

“Definitely a case of her feeling too important for him to fuck around with,” Rhett tells Wells, acting like I’m not standing right here.

“True,” he agrees. “Probably didn’t want to ‘ruin the friendship.’”

“I will use this ax to cut off those air-quote fingers, Wells.”

He snorts.

“For real, Hayes. What went on there?”

“Leave him alone.” Rhett swings the ax into his cutting stump, leaving it standing out at a forty-five-degree angle while he grabs another bottle. “He’s probably embarrassed. Poor thing.”

“Ooh!” Wells laughs. “You think he tried to sleep with her but couldn’t get it up?”

I’m so done with this conversation that I can feel a twitch develop in my left eye.

“She slept with Kyle Flanders.”

“Kyle Flanders?” They both grimace at the same time.

“I fucked up.” I drag my hands over my sweaty face. “She tried to tell me there was something between us. She tried. I pushed her away. Right into Kyle Flanders’ arms.”

“I don’t remember hearing about that one…” Wells mumbles into the mouth of his beer.

“You wouldn’t. Pretty sure she threatened his balls if he ever told anyone.”

“And when she found out you were a prick?” Rhett guesses.

I sigh and sit down, already mentally worn-out from this conversation.

“Figures.” He shrugs. “Push her away and then get pissed when she does what you tell her to do.”

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