Page 3 of Into the Woods

I flipped him off, because of fucking course I had. The empty condom wrapper was lying in plain sight next to my bed. I always wrapped it up.

Gretchen gasped, a hand flying to her ample—and fake—tits. She looked at me like I was going to save her. “Court, do something.”

“Okay.” I got up, not giving a shit that I was naked, and grabbed her arm, propelling her to the doorway.

Linc pulled Maddie back to give me space to push her through the open frame. “Get out.” I let her go and stalked back into the room, then grabbed my boxer-briefs and yanked them on.

She sucked in a breath, likely ready to start screeching like a pterodactyl again. I snatched her purse off the dresser and pulled out her wallet.

“Hey!”

I checked the license. “Gretchen Slutter.”

Linc cracked up. “Jesus, that’s really your name?” He turned to Maddie with his hands up. “This is me not commenting on how appropriately named Miss Slutter is. I’m sure it’s a strong name, originating from the land of… Sluts? Is that a city? Country? I just need to know where all the Slutters hail from.”

Maddie scoffed and looked up at the ceiling, probably praying for patience.

I ignored the fact that my best friend was an idiot. “558 Morgate Lane.” I dropped the card and wallet back into her purse, then crossed the room and handed it to her. “Get the fuck out of our house, Gretchen Slutter, or I’ll ruin your fucking life.”

She flinched back, holding her purse to her chest like a shield.

Linc cleared his throat. “I’ll show you out.”

Gretchen shot me a wounded look but followed him without any further complaint, leaving me alone with Maddie.

“Don’t say it,” I muttered, turning away from her.

“I haven’t said it, Court,” she retorted. “I didn’t say it when you brought the first girl here. Or the fifth. Or the twenty-seventh. You’re an adult, and if you want to act like a boy who just figured out how to use his dick by fucking your way through the city, I’m not gonna stop you.”

I clenched my teeth, my jaw aching as I faced her and let her lay into me.

She lifted a finger. “You want to throw your life away because you're too chickenshit to deal with actual emotions? Fine. But when your fuckups touch Cori? That´s not okay, Court, and I’m not going to act like it is.”

“I messed up,” I murmured, scrubbing my hands over my face.

“You think?” she deadpanned.

I sighed. “I’ll make it up to Cori.”

“Goddamn right you will,” she grumbled. “That little girl has been through hell. Ryan and I want this house to be her safe haven. Her home. When she comes here, she needs to know everything is okay and she’s loved.”

“I know,” I said, feeling like utter shit. “I’ll try… I’ll do better.”

“You’d fucking better,” a deep voice snapped. Ryan glared at me, his large frame filling the doorway and practically vibrating with rage. He jabbed a finger at me. “You can start by explaining why my little sister is downstairs, upset that some woman yelled at her and used ‘swear-jar language.’”

I winced. “Ryan—”

“I’ll go check on her.” Maddie moved to squeeze past him.

Ryan settled a hand on her hip, his gaze meeting hers and doing that weird-ass thing where it was like they were talking without actually speaking.

Maddie lifted a hand to his jaw, and his expression softened. “She’ll be fine,” she assured him, and rolled to her tiptoes, kissing him quickly.

Ryan clamped his hands on her waist and pulled her against him, devouring her mouth until she swayed a little on her feet. Only then did he let her go, watching her walk away with a private smile that vanished the second he looked at me. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t. I was drunk and… Shit, Ry, I’m sorry.”

His lips twisted into a feral snarl. “The pussy parade ends here, man. You want to bury your feelings with your dick, be my guest, but get out of my damn house. I won’t have this shit touching Cori or Maddie again. My girls have been through enough.”

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