“Alex.” His breath caressed my skin as he whispered my name. “What’s happening? I know something’s wrong. What is it?”
“Is that Jesse Hunt?” A female voice sounded from our right.
He went stiff and didn’t move for a second.
My hand skimmed up his side, to his arm. I was about to ask what was wrong, but he turned and clipped out, “Sabrina.”
A high-pitched laugh rang out as she drew closer. She was gorgeous: tall, willowy, with long bleached hair that curled around her waist. And she had striking cheekbones underneath green eyes that looked like something I would’ve seen in a supernatural movie. Glitter was dusted over her cheeks. It matched her make-up and the glitter in her hair as well. She swept a rail-thin hand in a graceful move over her chest before it fell to her side. She could’ve been a model. Dressed in a very thin white fabric that hung on her body, but also emphasized the lack of bra or underwear, I knew for certain she wasn’t from my kind of lifestyle.
“So you remember me?” she murmured in a husky voice as she drew even closer. Her eyes narrowed at our closeness, but she pinched her lips together in a faint pout. “And who is your friend?”
Jesse’s hand tucked me behind me as he stood in front, as if to act as a barrier. Then he asked, strained, “Are you here with my father?”
“Goodness, no.” Another high-pitched giggle peeled through the air. “Why would you assume something like that?”
“Because the last time I saw you, my dad’s c**k was six inches deep in you.”
Her laugh dropped to a husky tone again. “Oh. That.”
“Yes, that.”
“Who’s your friend, Jesse?”
“Why?” His hand kept me firmly behind him. He moved again as she looked around him. “So you can report back to my father who my dick has been six inches inside?”
“Has it?”
My eyes went wide at the sharp skepticism from her.
Then he delivered smoothly, “None of your business.”
“Hmmm. Something tells me your father will be very curious. He’s coming to your game tomorrow.”
Jesse straightened again, any part of me that hadn’t stiffened at the sight of her now snapped to attention at that threat. “Really?”
“And he’s having dinner with your coach right now, along with some high school’s friend’s dead parents.? No, that doesn’t make sense.”
He bit out a savage curse under his breath. “Get away from me. Now.”
“Jesse—”
“Now!” he barked before he took her shoulders and pushed her away. “I mean it. And tell my father I have no wish for his attendance at my game.”
“You don’t mean that—”
“I do! Leave.”
She hesitated again, but when he turned back to me, she didn’t linger long. As she left, a ragged breath left me. ‘Some high school friend’s dead parents…’ The old numb feeling came back as I realized who that meant. His coach and his father were having dinner with my parents. It was all about Jesse, all about Ethan, all about the two of them and their friendship. No one else mattered.
He cursed again before he cupped my face in his hands. “Alex, talk to me.”
And then I’d had enough. My parents had left me. The numbness was filled with a different emotion, one that I didn’t want to acknowledge. I didn’t want to feel. I didn’t know if I could contain it.
“Hey, guys,” Cord spoke up, apologetic.
Jesse cursed again, but looked up. “Yeah?”
He gestured behind him. “Uh, your girl showed up. Things aren’t going so well.”
“My girl?” Jesse was clueless.
Cord’s eyes slid to me. “Her girl.”
Her girl? Oh—Marissa. Shit. I shoved past both of them. I was in time to see both of my friends in a corner. Angie raised her arm and swung at Marissa, who ducked to deliver one of her own. I cursed again and hurried towards them, but Jesse’s arm went around me. He held me back. I tried to break free, but he wrapped his other one around me too. Then he yelled in my ear, “Look.”
Eric was holding Marissa in the air. She was kicking and yelling over his shoulder while Justin held Angie in the same manner as Jesse did with me. Angie’s face was twisted with rage. She tried to leap for Marissa again, but Justin ducked his head, swung her around, and barreled towards us. He grunted as he swept past us, “How do we get out of here? These girls are nuts.”
Angie was still glaring and gritting her teeth as she looked at me. The ends of her hair were wet from sweat and she blew out a puff of air so the thin hair over her forehead lifted up. I reached over to move her hair aside so she could cool down. She gave me a sloppy grin and grumbled, “I’m done with that girl. She can be your friend, but she’s no longer my best friend. She’s shady as hell. I’m done with her, Alex. I’m sorry, but I am.”
A pang of regret hit me in the chest. “I’ll talk to her.”
“It won’t do any good. She’s lost it. She’s crazy. I swear. Good luck to Eric. She came here reeking like sex and look at him now.”
We both looked over. He had her pinned against a corner in the box with his hands on her hips. His head was bent low, whispering something to her, as she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away from Cord. A look passed between the two and a shiver went over me. Cord had been lying to me. I knew it then. I felt it in my gut. She’d been with him during the day, or he had known where she was. He had played clueless with us, but when her eyes darkened in lust and his answered back, a snarl came over me. If she hadn’t cheated on Eric already, she was going to. It was only a matter of time before she was in Cord’s bed again. And then it was my turn to be disgusted by a friend.