“No one should trust a shark,” I snap.
He laughs. “Deke will fall in love with Demi, you know. If he hasn’t already.”
“He’s supposed to love me.” I feel like if I say it enough, it will happen.
His lips curl up slightly, and he rubs his chin while looking me up and down. “No one can love a slut, Becky.”
I slap him across the face.
He slaps me back and growls. “Don’t confuse me with Deke.”
I want to laugh it off, but tears fill my eyes at the sting that lingers. “Austin hits harder than you.”
He chuckles. “Any girl Cole falls in love with would have to be strong.” He leans in close to my face. “A lesser woman would be dead by now. He would have torn her apart. She was made for it.”
“Whatever.” I roll my eyes, holding my hand over my throbbing cheek. “Fuck her.” I’ve now put her in the same category as my sister. They’ll both get what they deserve.
“Would you be saying that if she knew everything you’ve done?”
My heart begins to pound in my chest. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“No need to play dumb, Becky. It looks ugly on you,” he whispers. “You know …” His hand comes up, and he runs his knuckles over my sensitive cheek. “Kellan and I were the closest. He told me everything.”
My breathing picks up. Fucking Kellan, I knew he’d fuck me over. That’s what these guys do. Their loyalty is only to one another, and even that weakened over the years as they grew older. “They’ll never believe you.” I decide on.
“Oh, they will. Especially when I show them proof.” My breath gets caught in my lungs. “What do you think Austin will do to you when she finds out what you’ve done?” I don’t answer. “What do you think Cole will do to you?” I stiffen. “Or Deke? He loves her like a fucking sister.”
I slap him again. “Fuck you.”
He slaps me, and this time, it has me stumbling back. He grabs me and throws me against a wall. My heart races, and I cry out from his force.
“What do you wanna do, babe?” His voice drops to a whisper, and he leans his body into mine, pinning me to the wall. “How about I just take care of you right here? Right now? I can tell the boys what you’ve done and then show them your body lying in a shallow grave. I’ll be their hero.”
I try to shove him away, but it doesn’t work. His lips find my earlobe, and he sucks on it. Bile begins to rise. “Shane, please …”
His free hand grips my right thigh and lifts it, wrapping it around his hip. “Do you remember? Me and you?”
“I try to forget.” I sniff.
“I was the first one to touch, lick, and fuck that pussy. Before you went and passed it around like a joint at a party.” His hand slides up my thigh to cup my ass, and he grinds his hips into mine.
I whimper, hating the fact that I gave my virginity to Shane. I was fifteen, and he was gorgeous with a car. He had just turned sixteen, and Cole threw him a party at his father’s house. I had snuck out to go. After countless drinks, I ran into him in the backyard. He wanted to go to the beach and get some fresh air. Even though I knew it was bullshit, I left with him. I had spread my legs for him in the back seat of his car that night at the beach. Then he took me home, and he never looked at me again. I knew it was gonna be that way. That’s how all the sharks were. Months later, Deke kissed me by the football field. A short time after that, I got with David. Somehow, my numbers just kept climbing. I hate how much criticism I get for doing what they do without a second thought. A guy can fuck four girls in one night, but a girl can’t fuck two guys in the same month without being tainted.
Such bullshit!
“I always kept that fun fact a secret from Deke, knowing he’d be pissed at me, but I don’t think he’d give a fuck now.”
I close my eyes, hating how much that thought hurts. How he betrayed me more than I ever could him. I could sleep with every fucking GWS, and it wouldn’t even come close to the fact he fucked my sister. “Shane …”
He pulls away from me with a smirk on his face as though he just won some fucking bet. Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if he did. They dare each other to do all kinds of shit, and nothing is off-limits. Not even women. “Don’t worry, Becky. I just fucked you then ’cause I knew it’d be easy. I sure as hell don’t want you now.”
My chest tightens. That’s all I ever am—a fuck! No one ever wants to love me. “Fuck you, Shane …” I shove him away.
He just smiles at me. “Did you know you were a dare?”
“What?”
“Eli dared Deke …”
“No.” I shake my head. “You’re lying.” I had asked Deke this very question four months ago when he stood in my bedroom at my father’s house.
“Was I a bet that night at the party? Did Cole bet you to take me home?” We were finally able to be with one another. Cole was claiming Austin for all to see. It was our time. After all the secret hookups and quiet whispers, we were able to be together. But was it true?
“You can’t be serious. That night was not our first night together, or have you forgotten?” He growls.
I jab my finger into his chest, and he takes a step back. “So? And I’m dead serious. Did you record us that night too?” I went home with him and stayed in his pool house.
“Fuck, no!” he snaps. “I would never do that to us.”
“How am I supposed to know that?” I shout. I bow my head and sigh. I’ve lied to him for so long, maybe I missed his lies. “The bottom line, Deke, is I don’t trust you. And I can’t be with someone I don’t trust. I’ve done it before, and I won’t do it again.”
“You can trust me. I would never cheat on you. Or film you. Fuck, I love you.”
“You’re lying,” I repeat. “He was not dared to take me home the night of the party.”
“Party?” He laughs. “No, I’m talking about the day he kissed you at Collins High by the football field.”
“What?” I gasp.
“I won’t lie. Somewhere along the way, Deke managed to fall in love with you, but you’ve fucked him over too many times. See, Becky, you always were nothing more than a game to us.” He tilts his head to the side. “A game that has come to an end.” Then he turns and walks over to the small kitchen.
Without another word, I walk out of the clubhouse, fall into my father’s car, and start it up. “The Best You Had” by Nina Nesbitt plays through the speakers. Removing my cell from my pocket, I pull up Deke’s number, and fresh tears begin to fall. I need to make it right with him. He’s the only one who can save me at this point.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
DEKE
I SIT BY the pool in the cool night air, and I’m on my third cigarette while Cole does his laps. Now that it’s November, he’s turned the heater on in the pool.
My phone dings, and I pick it up off the table next to me to see it’s a text from Becky. It’s like all the others she’s sent me. She’s relentless.