Page 74 of Bad Behavior

I am so beyond confused. Before I can formulate a question, though, he’s onto another topic entirely.

“Jenna’s a big ol bitch too. I knew it. I was so mad at you for telling me that, but she was a super crazy bitch. I wasn’t even that surprised that she like—” He hiccuped. “Like, she tried to make out with you. She knows that you’re like, the most important person in my life, other than my sister. Fucking women, they’re all crazy.”

There are too many ideas in that single thought. I try to pick them apart, to choose one to focus on.

“I… wait, you knew that Jenna was lying?”

He blows a raspberry. “I figured it out! Well… she admitted it to me.”

“Then why were you such a giant bag of dicks for so long?” I say, mystified.

He squints up at me out of one eye. “Didn’t want you to be right. Now I’m not married, and Evie left me. An all I have is you and Emma to keep me company.”

I grow uncomfortable at the mention of Emma’s name. “Listen, Ash—”

He sits straight up, pointing a finger at me. “I should be glad to have someone like you on my team, Jay. Like—” He hiccups. “Emma has to be on my team, but you? You’re just a good dude. Like, you’re loyal, and good. And I’m like, a bastard.”

I immediately feel super ashamed of myself, of running around behind Asher’s back with a girl. Emma isn’t just any girl to me of course… but she’s not just anyone to Asher, either.

How could I let this happen? And with Emma, the only person that Asher claims to care about more than me?

I’m so fucking dead. Stupid, and dead.

Asher struggles to his feet, completely oblivious to whatever internal angst I’m feeling. “I gotta puke.”

He launches himself toward the bathroom, and I follow him, feeling all kinds of guilty. I cringe as he vomits for a while, offering towels when he needs them.

I hear the front door open, and I hurry out of the bathroom and into the front hall. I see Emma, showered and smelling like lemons, and I put a finger to my lips.

“Asher is here,” I mouth.

Her eyes go wide, and she starts backing out of the house. I put a hand on her arm, motioning for her to wait outside for a few minutes.

I return to the bathroom, where Asher seems to be done throwing up. He’s resting his head on the toilet bowl, but I figure he’s done.

“Asher? You ready to move into your bedroom, man?”

He nods, mostly asleep already. It takes a lot of effort, but I get him up. I throw an arm around his waist and get him into his bed. He doesn’t even notice when I slip off his shoes and turn off his light.

When I leave his room, I go to the front door. Opening it a crack, I look out. I see Emma there, her head down, looking through her phone. Her dark hair spills to her shoulders. She’s chewing on her bottom lip, obviously anxious.

I want to go to her, to comfort her. My instinct is to go over to her, grab her, and give her a long, slow kiss.

But what will that solve? Asher will still be her brother. She will still be out of bounds. And don’t even get me started on all the other reasons why this thing between us just won’t work.

Still, that doesn’t make me long for her any less.

I have to break it off. I knew that having sex with Emma was going to get me in trouble, and now here I am. In serious trouble. Still, I have to do what’s right.

And I will… even if it kills me a little inside.

But not tonight. One last night together won’t kill anyone, will it?

She senses my presence, and turns. I open the door.

“Hey,” she says softly. She smiles at me, and for the barest moment, I feel hope.

“I’m just going to go get my stuff. Your brother is passed out here, so I figure we should probably stay at your place.” I smile faintly, but it feels phony.

She cocks her head at the weirdness in my tone, but shrugs. “Okay.”

“Okay. I’ll be right back.”

I close the door, pausing for a second to lean against it.

I’m going to have to break things off today, and I don’t know how I’ll do it.

Steeling myself, I go to pack my stuff.

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