I huffed, frustration radiating from my body.
“It’s no fun when the tables are turned, is it?” he asked.
Shit. Was this how he felt last year? I thought I was doing the right thing. His mom had just died. He didn’t really want to kiss me. But all it really did was put a huge wedge in the relationship we had.
“Thayer,” Kason whisper-yelled in the hallway.
“Fuck,” Thayer said, flying out of my bed.
I quickly fixed my sheets and lay on my side.
There was a soft tap on my door.
Thayer dropped into the chair in the corner of the room just as the door cracked open. I closed my eyes just as Kason poked his head into the room.
“What are you doing in here?” he asked Thayer, a slight bite to his tone.
“Shhhh. She’s sleeping,” Thayer said. I heard footsteps and realized he’d stood and was moving toward Kason. “She was having a bad dream. I came in here in case she woke up and was scared.”
Thayer
Kason and I stepped into the hallway, and I closed the door behind us. I tried to breathe normally while also doing my best to conceal my rock-hard dick straining against my pants.
“Bad dream?” Kason pressed.
“She’s been having them, Kase. Everything’s still raw for her, no matter how brave a face she puts on.”
“Why didn’t she tell me?”
“I’m sure she doesn’t want to worry you.”
“Did she tell you?”
“I heard her whimpering and went in to be sure she was okay. She may act like she’s a badass, but she’s still hurting.”
Kason dragged his hands through his hair. “I’ll stay in here with her tonight. Go get some sleep.”
“I don’t mind,” I said, dying to get back into her room. Even if I’d been the one putting on the brakes, it didn’t mean I didn’t want her more than I’d ever wanted anything else in my life. She’d been letting me hold her. I’d clearly turned her on—even if she was drunk. There was no way I wanted to sleep alone after that. “You’ve got Shay,” I insisted.
“Shay won’t mind.”
I glanced back at Giselle’s door, wanting more than anything to get back into that bed with her. Then, I looked to Kason—my best friend who would kill me if he knew—and relented. “See you in the morning.”
Kason slipped inside Giselle’s room, and I went back to mine. I lay down on the bed, frustrated. Giselle’s words were gonna mess with my head. I couldn’t let them. Not again. She was drunk. And, there was no way the two of us would ever work out. She had a boyfriend, and I had a best friend who’d kick the ever-living shit out of me if I touched his sister. I couldn’t lose Kason over something like this. I’d already lost my mom. Giselle just wasn’t an option—no matter how much I may have wanted her to be.
13
GISELLE
My eyes shot open, and sunlight cast a soft glow over my room. I glanced at the chair in the corner of the room, but Kason was nowhere to be seen. Thank God. I didn’t want to answer questions about Thayer being in my room. Or, why I hadn’t told him about my nightmares.
Voices floated upstairs from the main floor. I didn’t plan to leave my room until I knew the guys were long gone. Facing my brother was one thing, but facing Thayer after what I’d said was definitely something I wanted to forget. I’d been drunk and stupid.
And, how could I forget? Rejected.
Minutes later, a door downstairs closed, and tires crunched over the snow-packed driveway. I exhaled and climbed out of bed, peeking out the window just in time to see the SUV pulling down the road.
When I ventured downstairs, the security guard sat at his surveillance computers.