“Shit. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for it to sound like that. It’s not—It’s just… uh… well… I don’t ever want you to say it.” I wince.
He rears back. “What?”
My shoulders slump. This is probably the worst way to have this talk.Good job, Lil.
“I mean, not for a long time at least.”God,why’s it so hot in here?“I really like you. It’s not that. I just… I love my life in Ravens Ridge.”
He nods and takes a step back to lean against the wall, his jaw clenching.
“This is all just moving a little too fast for me. I’m still young. I don’t want to settle down yet. Maybe one day, but not yet.”
He scowls, his chest rising a little faster and his fists balling at his sides. “You know, the guys warned me about you. They said you’d do this, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt because I genuinely liked you.”
The change in his voice catches me off guard.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“Don’t insult me by pretending I’m moving too fast. You just don’t want to give up your fuck buddy.”
My jaw drops, and I half-laugh. “Excuse me?”
“This is about Gabe, right?” He runs a hand over his mouth and lifts his face to the ceiling. “Of course, it is. It’s always about him.” When he returns his attention to me, he’s glaring. “You know, you two could just fucking be together and save the rest of us the trouble of dealing with your bullshit.”
I stand there, stunned for a moment before my thoughts finally come all the way back around into my head.
Blinking a few times, I smile as I say, “I’m really glad we had this talk. Now, I can leave this with no regrets.”
He scoffs. “I’m sure you are. Now you can go back to being a pathetic club bunny.”
I reel back. I’m no stranger to that insult. Usually, I let it roll off my back because I know better.
Also, most of the guys sleep around way more than I do, but no one calls them out on it. The only reason I’m looked down onis because I’m a woman. I don’t accept that. If there’s nothing wrong with what they do, then there’s nothing wrong with me doing it either.
But hearing him say it stings a little more than I wish it did.
Before I can say a word, a dark presence appears behind me. The hair on the back of my neck stands as a deep timbre booms, “What the fuck did you just call her?”
I didn’t realize Gabe was still here, listening. My heart rate skyrockets because this is about to get ugly.
Tucker scowls. “Don’t puff your goddamn chest at me. She’s all yours.”
He tries to brush past, heading back the way he came, but Gabe grabs his arm. His fingers dig into my now-ex-boyfriend’s arm and his top lip twitches.
Tucker grits his teeth.
The corner of Gabe’s mouth tips up in that smirk he does so well. “You seem to be confused about who Lily is.”
“The only thing I was confused about was our relationship. I thought she was my girlfriend, but she actually never stopped beingyour whore.”
Gabe slams him into the wall as the poison leaves his lips.
“You’re skating on very fucking thin ice.”
Shane comes out of the bathroom down the hall and stops when he sees the scene playing out before me.
Tucker bares his teeth. “And you’re a piece of shit. You couldn’t find someone else? Or you just get off on fucking around with someone else’s girl?”
“And that’s where you’re wrong.” Gabe’s grin twists into something that looks like the Chesire cat. “She was never your girl.”