Page 72 of Dear Future Husband: You're My End Game

She couldn’t have seen the whole thing; she couldn’t have seen Juliette kissing him. Trey stole a glance at Williams and by the look of the worry lines in his face— they saw everything.

Damnit. Damnit. Damnit.

Too fast, he couldn’t catch up with the shitshow unraveling before his eyes, it was too fast.

Trey made to approach her, to slow her down, he just needed one second. One second to explain, to ease her worries, to erase those doubts, he just needed a moment, he needed it all to slow down.

He only managed a few steps toward her before Maybelle turned her back on him, walking briskly away on wobbly legs.

Trey kicked up his speed and within moments was blocking her path, “May, please just pause one second, let me explain—” The look on her face absolutely and completely destroyed him. She looked up at him through tear-filled eyes, face flushed.

He did this.

God, this night was shattering, splitting, falling apart right through his fingertips and he was helpless in salvaging it. Trey needed to comfort her, be there for her, he lifted a hand to caress her face, but she jerked away.

“I am getting a ride home with Bear, I’ll see you at the apartment.” She choked out through a near sob.No no no, she needed to stay, they needed to talk, he needed to take care of her.

Trey took a step toward his Maybelle, and she immediately backed up, “Trey, please.” She implored, a small whimper escaped through her harsh tone, and he wanted to just die right there.

He stapled himself to the ground, immovable, even against every fiber in his being begging him to hold her, console her, never leave her side.

Trey saw Bear approaching in his peripheral, he faced his brother and nodded for him to join them.

“Can you get her home for me, man?”

To ask made him ill but if this is what she wanted, needed, he’d do it. Bear nodded without hesitation or questions and slung a big, burly arm over the small shoulders ofhisMaybelle, leading her off and away fromhim.

A hand landed on Trey’s shoulder, and he turned to look at his brother Williams, “You got a little something right there.” Williams said as he raised a hand to his own lips, placinghis forefinger there and then to his cheek and wiped his thumb across his jawline.

Trey followed his lead and swiped the back of his hand across his lips to find cherry red lipstick staining his hand, “Oh fu— did Maybelle see?”

Williams didn’t need to answer him, Trey knew the answer but it still gutted him when Williams nodded before giving one last sorry pat on the back.

Williams ended up also ditching Trey for a ride with Bear leaving Trey alone in his jeep. He sat quietly staring at the steering wheel dumbfounded, completely baffled by the last half hour of a hailstorm he was just thrown through.

Right now, all he knew was he needed to get to her, he needed to talk to her, plead his case, for hell’s sake, if she needed, he would beg on his knees for her to listen, to understand.

Trey put his car in drive and sped his way home.

When he entered the apartment, there was a quiet hollow feeling. The boys were all in their post-game lounge wear, Larson and Williams at the kitchen counter, Bear laying out on his bean bag. All of them were somber, obviously waiting for him to get home. They peered at him through sorry eyes like they were prepped for an intervention to discuss his recent behavior.

Trey stalked in and dropped his bags on the kitchen floor.

“Where is she?”

He made to turn down the hall toward his room, but Williams was up from his stool and there with a hand on Trey’s shoulder. Williams’s half smile was full of understanding as his grip flexed on Trey’s shoulder, “She needs some time alone, bro. Give her a minute, sit down and tell us what happened.”

Trey knew Williams was right, but it still took every ounce of self-restraint to follow him to the couch.

Bear sat up, rested his elbows on his knees while Trey and Williams sat on the minuscule sofa with Larson listening from his place at the kitchen counter.

“Tell us what happened.” Bear urged.

Trey put his face in his hands letting out a deep sigh, “If any of you laugh, I’ll kill you.”

The three men shared glances as Trey cleared his throat to continue, “I honestly don’t know what the hell happened tonight except for the fact a cheerleader practically assaulted me. Damn woman was like a muzzle I couldn’t get to release my face and then, while my mind is going a mile a minute trying to deal with the fact everyone is watching, I somehow get roped into being Juliette’s date to the football banquet.”

To his surprise, not even Larson cracked a joke at his expense. His brothers listened and the look in their eyes was all authentic sympathy.

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