Page 64 of Into the Woods

Knowing I shouldn’t but unable to help myself, I clicked on the first one.

Nicki was a tiny redhead who seemed to have an affinity for black lingerie.

Sarah had pierced nipples.

And BethAnn? She just wanted to let Court know that she and her cousin were “DTF again” whenever he was free.

Nausea roiled in my gut. I stared at the phone until the screen went dark, mentally willing away what I had seen.

But there was no denying it. And if the texts weren’t enough, I could hear Cori asking Maddie about the woman she’d seen naked in Court’s bed.

I didn’t know how long I sat there, my coffee growing cold as my insides went numb.

I was such an idiot.

Court flashed me a smile and said a few sweet things, and I crumbled. Every. Single. Time.

I won’t survive it, baby.

Tears of humiliation burned my eyes.

“Did Ash text, baby?” Court’s voice was like a bolt of lightning zipping down my spine. He came up behind me, his hands settling possessively on my shoulders as he bent to kiss the top of my head.

How many other women had he kissed like that? Called baby?

“No,” I finally managed, my throat tight as I shook off his hold and stood. I pasted a cold smile on my face and handed him the phone. “But you got a few other messages.”

Frowning, he took the phone and unlocked it. His thumb moved over the screen, and I saw the second he realized I knew. His face went pale under his tan skin. “Becca.”

“Save it,” I snapped, storming around the couch.

“Fuck. Becca, wait. You don’t understand.”

I whirled around. “You know what, Court? I might not be the smartest person in the world, but even I know what sexting looks like.”

His eyes were wild. “They sent me those pictures.”

“Oh,” I laughed coolly, “so it’s their fault? You’re just a helpless victim? Because you certainly gave enough of a shit about them to save their contact info.”

His jaw clenched. “Let me explain.”

“No,” I snapped. “I’m done letting you explain. I’m done letting you tell me how I’m so important to you, but all you do is lie to me. And I’m… I’m done being the idiot who keeps letting you do it.”

Spinning away, I raced into the bedroom and slammed the door before locking him out of the room and my heart, once and for all.

CHAPTER 19

BEX

Every time Court knocked on the door, threatened to break it down, or called my name, I caved a little more. My brain started rationalizing all the ways that maybe I had misread the signals that multiple women sending him nude images gave off.

I considered calling Maddie and waking her up to talk, but that seemed like a shitty way to wake up my bestie. It was after eight, so Cami was in the studio rehearsing by now. I didn’t want to bother her.

After taking the time to come up with lame-ass excuses that my mom and grandparents would let slide to excuse my absence for the next few days, I headed into the bathroom, where I put another locked door between myself and Court before climbing into the shower.

There wasn’t much that a hot shower couldn’t fix, or at least make a little better.

Thirty minutes later, I felt a little more human as I towel-dried my hair and pulled on fresh clothes. I balled up Court’s shirt and hurled it under the sink. I left the bathroom feeling slightly better than when I’d gone in, but relief hit me hard and fast when I heard voices other than Court’s on the other side of the door.

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