attracting me. In fact, it only made me realise how empty my life had become that I resorted to screwing chicks like this.
Placing my hands on her hips, I forced her to take a step back. “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
“One kiss?” She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out. Was she really that desperate? She closed the gap between us and crushed her lips to mine. It felt like I was being kissed by a sea lion.
I broke free of her grip and pushed her away. “I told you, I’m not interested.”
I swivelled on the stool to face the bar and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Disgusting.
How had I ignored all of the negatives before? They were desperate, easy chicks who probably got around as much as me. They weren’t attracted to me for who I was; they were attracted to the fame and money. The biggest thing I couldn’t understand how I ignored was that none of them were Raine.
Dustin shuffled his cards. The constant repetitive movement in the corner of my eye distracted me enough to prevent me from heading over to Zeke and punching him in the face.
“What’s up with that?” I jerked my chin at the deck.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Better than getting off with anything that moves.”
“All right, time to head home. I forgot what an ass you are when you drink.”
Dustin snorted, placing his deck back in the box. “It’s not the drink and you’re the ass. I’m the good brother, the one who stays. I don’t fuck hundreds of women because I can’t deal with my feelings, and I don’t forget about those who are important. She didn’t forget. Even when it broke her heart to see it, she supported you.”
I snapped my mouth shut at Dustin’s words. Grinding my teeth together, I wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him from the stool.
“Hey, Zeke! We’re off, man,” I called over the music. He acknowledged me with a nod. “And you know fuck all about my feelings,” I hissed at Dustin.
“I know more than both of you, and you wouldn’t care if I hadn’t hit a nerve. Do us all a favour and stop with the women.”
“Did you see me with anyone tonight? I haven’t been with anyone since I got back.”
“Wow, a whole few days,” Dustin said in mock despair. “What about the blonde?”
“Zeke sent her over and I pushed her away. You heard me tell her I wasn’t interested.”
“Didn’t stop you from sticking your tongue down her throat first.”
“Hell, Elora’s really done a number on you.”
“You don’t know shit.”
I smirked. “What? You don’t like it when it comes back at you?”
“I get to have a say when you’re hurting my best friend. You involved me when you decided to hook up with her three years ago. If you didn’t want my opinion, then you should have picked someone else. I’ll shut up for now, though.”
Dustin strode off to the car ahead of me, his body tense. What he’d said was true, yet it was my coping mechanism. I didn’t want any of those one-night stands, but in a small, twisted way, I wanted Raine to see and for her to hurt as much as she hurt me.
* * *
The drive back to Dustin’s flat was silent. The atmosphere was hostile, and as soon as he parked I leapt out of the car. I had convinced myself to sort things out with Raine along the journey, and I needed to do it immediately before I had a chance to talk myself out of it. As soon as I thought about what the conversation entailed and how many wounds she would slice open, I’d lose all confidence.
“Where are you going?” Dustin called from behind me, jogging to fall into line beside me.
“To talk to Raine. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Call her tomorrow, she—”
We were outside their door when a high-pitched scream cut off Dustin’s words. All of the blood drained from his face. Fumbling with his keys, he hurried with the lock.
The scream came again, followed by some indecipherable shouting.
“Dustin, what’s going on?” My heart thundered in my chest and
Placing my hands on her hips, I forced her to take a step back. “Sorry, I’m not interested.”
“One kiss?” She pouted, her bottom lip jutting out. Was she really that desperate? She closed the gap between us and crushed her lips to mine. It felt like I was being kissed by a sea lion.
I broke free of her grip and pushed her away. “I told you, I’m not interested.”
I swivelled on the stool to face the bar and wiped my mouth with the back of my hand. Disgusting.
How had I ignored all of the negatives before? They were desperate, easy chicks who probably got around as much as me. They weren’t attracted to me for who I was; they were attracted to the fame and money. The biggest thing I couldn’t understand how I ignored was that none of them were Raine.
Dustin shuffled his cards. The constant repetitive movement in the corner of my eye distracted me enough to prevent me from heading over to Zeke and punching him in the face.
“What’s up with that?” I jerked my chin at the deck.
He shrugged nonchalantly. “Better than getting off with anything that moves.”
“All right, time to head home. I forgot what an ass you are when you drink.”
Dustin snorted, placing his deck back in the box. “It’s not the drink and you’re the ass. I’m the good brother, the one who stays. I don’t fuck hundreds of women because I can’t deal with my feelings, and I don’t forget about those who are important. She didn’t forget. Even when it broke her heart to see it, she supported you.”
I snapped my mouth shut at Dustin’s words. Grinding my teeth together, I wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled him from the stool.
“Hey, Zeke! We’re off, man,” I called over the music. He acknowledged me with a nod. “And you know fuck all about my feelings,” I hissed at Dustin.
“I know more than both of you, and you wouldn’t care if I hadn’t hit a nerve. Do us all a favour and stop with the women.”
“Did you see me with anyone tonight? I haven’t been with anyone since I got back.”
“Wow, a whole few days,” Dustin said in mock despair. “What about the blonde?”
“Zeke sent her over and I pushed her away. You heard me tell her I wasn’t interested.”
“Didn’t stop you from sticking your tongue down her throat first.”
“Hell, Elora’s really done a number on you.”
“You don’t know shit.”
I smirked. “What? You don’t like it when it comes back at you?”
“I get to have a say when you’re hurting my best friend. You involved me when you decided to hook up with her three years ago. If you didn’t want my opinion, then you should have picked someone else. I’ll shut up for now, though.”
Dustin strode off to the car ahead of me, his body tense. What he’d said was true, yet it was my coping mechanism. I didn’t want any of those one-night stands, but in a small, twisted way, I wanted Raine to see and for her to hurt as much as she hurt me.
* * *
The drive back to Dustin’s flat was silent. The atmosphere was hostile, and as soon as he parked I leapt out of the car. I had convinced myself to sort things out with Raine along the journey, and I needed to do it immediately before I had a chance to talk myself out of it. As soon as I thought about what the conversation entailed and how many wounds she would slice open, I’d lose all confidence.
“Where are you going?” Dustin called from behind me, jogging to fall into line beside me.
“To talk to Raine. That’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”
“Call her tomorrow, she—”
We were outside their door when a high-pitched scream cut off Dustin’s words. All of the blood drained from his face. Fumbling with his keys, he hurried with the lock.
The scream came again, followed by some indecipherable shouting.
“Dustin, what’s going on?” My heart thundered in my chest and
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