“You guys are too good to me.”
“Nah. You’re just not used to being treated like a real human being. Don’t worry, though.” His arms tighten around me. “We’ll warm you up to the idea. Does Milo know Ian’s still bothering you?”
“It’s fine––”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
Biting the inside of my cheek, I admit, “Not gonna lie. It’s worked out quite nicely that Jake’s been busy with his thesis and tutoring and that Milo’s been working his butt off to earn enough money to buy his boss’ shop off him. If either of them found out Ian is still trying to contact me, it wouldn’t be pretty.”
“It still isn’t pretty, Reese.”
“I know,” I whisper, the weight from his phone call catching up to me. “I just don’t get it.”
“Don’t get what?”
“Why won’t he leave me alone. Why does he even care that we’re over? Is he really that possessive of me? I’m not that special––”
“Bullshit,” River growls.
“You know what I mean. I just…I don’t get it. We didn’t even have a good relationship. He pushed me around and made me feel like shit. Oh. And I helped his brother do his accounting, but that’s about it. Why won’t he let me move on?”
“Because he doesn’t care about what you want, Reese. He looks at you like you’re an object. A thing to own. He doesn’t care about your wants or your needs. He only cares about what he wants. And right now, he still wants you.”
“Which is ridiculous––”
“I don’t want you going anywhere alone,” River decides. “I have a feeling his little Uber buddy told him where you live, and I wouldn’t be surprised if he showed up here to confront you.”
Opening my mouth to argue, I slam it closed just as quickly and bite my tongue as my fear threatens to claw its way up my throat.
He’s right.
I never thought Ian was that crazy, but he’s shown his true colors since the breakup. I’m not entirely sure what he’s capable of anymore. And that’s what’s so scary about the whole thing.
Another buzzing sounds throughout the room, but it isn’t my cell this time.
“Where’s your phone?” I ask.
He shrugs before rummaging through his clothes. When he finds it, the screen lights up before his annoyance spikes.
“What’s wrong?” I ask.
“Nothing.”
“You can tell me.”
With a sigh, he rolls his shoulders then tosses his cell behind him onto my unkempt bed. “My mom. She’s been calling.”
“Why?”
“I dunno.”
“I thought you guys weren’t talking.”
“We’re not,” he answers.
“So…are you gonna call her back?”
“And ruin my entire day? No, thank you.”
With a frown, I inch closer to him and rest my hand on his forearm. “Is it that bad?”
“She either forgets I exist or calls over and over again until I answer, and she gives me her latest sob story. She’s a wreck, Reese.”
“Speaking of wrecks and sob stories, I may have seen her face on a gossip magazine the other day.”
“The one where it says she’s a washed-up actress with too much plastic surgery?”
Grimacing, I mutter, “That’s the one.”
“Yeah. I saw it. Usually, she spirals after something like that, gets desperate for good publicity, and thinks I’m her golden ticket. Hell, she’s been begging me for years to do a PR stunt with her in hopes of gaining a few brownie points with moms and shit, but I’ve always refused. As far as everyone knows, her son disappeared twenty years ago, and I plan on keeping it that way for as long as possible.”
“Won’t she just keep calling?”
“Probably.” He snorts. “I’ve even had my number changed in the past when it gets particularly bad, but she always manages to find my new one, so I’ve learned it’s a waste of effort.”
“Are you sure––”
“Hey, Reese?” a voice interrupts from the opposite side of my closed door.
My eyes widen in fear of being caught naked with River, and I shove him away from me. The bastard barely moves an inch and shrugs his shoulders as if to say, what do you want me to do right now?
I mouth, Hide!
Rolling his eyes, he grabs his discarded jeans from the floor before ducking into the closet. Then he closes the door as quietly as he can, but it still causes a soft creak to echo throughout the otherwise silent room.
“Reese?” the voice calls again.
“Just a second!”
Fumbling for the nearest shirt I can find, I slip it over my head before realizing it’s the same one River wore yesterday.
Motherfu––
“Reese? You okay in there?”
“Yup!” I squeak, bouncing up and down on the balls of my feet like the little Energizer Bunny while having a complete mental breakdown. There’s no time to change. He’s going to know. I’m going to get caught. And I’m not one hundred percent sure which bruting roommate is on the other side of the door. I’m so freaking royally screwed that it’s not even funny.
The sweet ache between my legs pulls a pathetic, whimpery laugh out of me as I realize that I have, indeed, been royally screwed recently.
Damn it, River!
This. This is why it’ll never work between River and me. I can’t do this. I can’t hide him away in a closet. I can’t pretend everything is hunky-dory and that I didn’t stab my brother in the back last night while his best friend stabbed me with his monster cock.
My face scrunches at the imagery.
Ew.
“Can I come in?” that same voice asks through the door.
Welp, I guess that crosses off Milo as the culprit. The bastard would’ve just barged right through.
“I’m coming!” I return.
Hopping over to the door, I open it a crack, then peek my head through to find Gibson on the other side.
“Hi,” I greet him with a forced smile.
“Hey. You okay there?” An amused grin graces his lips as he looks me up and down, taking in my disheveled appearance.
“Yup. How can I help you?”
“I just wanted to make sure you got home okay.”
“Yup. All safe and sound.”
“Have you seen River? His truck isn’t out front, and he isn’t answering his cell.”
“Oh.” Shit. “He, uh, he got me an Uber, then sent me home a few minutes after you left to hang out with those…ladies. I’m not sure where he went after that.”
“I thought I heard him with a”––he clears his throat––“guest last night, but then I didn’t see his car this morning, so maybe I imagined it. Did you hear anything?”
Feeling like my face is on fire, I shrug and try to cover up my embarrassment with an awkward laugh, but he sees right through it.
“You sure you’re okay?” he prods.
“Yup. And yes, I heard it too. He was up all night humping a floozy, so, ya know, that’s a lot of fun.”