“You know the sayings about moms are always fighting words. I didn’t expect you to go all slap happy on me.” He chuckles and I want to slap him all over again.
I open my locker and ketchup sprays across my chest. He yanks me back and groans.
“I suppose this is your doing?” I yank my arm from his, not bothering to wipe off the ketchup.
“My stunts aren’t this trivial.”
Ashton walks up then and clears his throat.
“Are you still coming over to my house this afternoon?” Ashton asks. He and Raf fold their arms across their chests. They’d be drawing guns if this were an old Western.
“I was in the middle of a conversation with Gabi,” Raf says, stepping closer to me.
“Well, we have plans,” Ashton says, also stepping closer to me.
I’m trying to remember what I said to Ashton about his house. Everything is swimming together and I just need to go to bed. I’m in a tug-of-war and it won’t end well for me. I won’t be the winner.
“I’m just gonna go home today.” I point at my shirt. “I need to change anyway.”
A flash of something crosses Raf’s eyes—he almost looks guilty for a second—but it’s gone in the next second when Ashton puts his arm around my shoulder and hugs me close to him.
“My little klutz.” He kisses my cheek and Raf’s jaw ticks.
Raf backs away from me and turns around to walk away. I watch him go and when he turns around and points at me, my heart pounds with something hopeful.
“You wanna play?” He stalks closer to me and leans in my face, his lips a breath away from mine. “He’s all yours. But don’t say I didn’t warn you…let’s see what you’re really made of.”
The inspection he gives me when he backs up sends a chill through me. My mouth parts and I want to call after him, tell him not to go, to explain what he means, but my body is sluggish and in slow motion from the lack of sleep.
Ashton taps on the locker and snorts. “He’s loving this.” He tugs on my chin and turns me to face him, batting his sweet eyes. “Come over to my place?”
“You don’t have to give me the puppy dog eyes to get me to do what you want.” I groan.
He grins and stands up straight, his confidence back in full force. “Wasn’t sure if you’d need convincing.”
“Nope.” My breath catches and my eyes well with tears. I remember my shirt with the ketchup smeared all over it and let Ashton lead me down the hall and to my car.
“Tomorrow I’ll come over. I need to clean up.” I get in my car and look up at him. He’s still grinning even though I’ve turned him down and I’m glad one of us is in such a good mood.
“I thought you and Raf were friends? Why do you put up with him?”
He leans down and tweaks my nose. “We are.” He bites the inside of his cheek. “This isn’t him. I’m not sure what’s going on with him right now, but you do bring out the worst in him.”
I lift my eyebrows. “Then why do you keep pushing this?” I motion between the two of us.
“Couple reasons.” He grins. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”
I wait, but he doesn’t give me anything else. “Tomorrow.”
I go home and take a shower, feeling more like myself when I get out. I relive the conversation with Raf a few dozen times and wonder what to expect from him next. I need to have another conversation with Ashton too.
I don’t trust either one of them right now.
That thought is ringing in my ears even as I hear the doorbell. My mom won’t be home for a while and I contemplate ignoring the door, but then the pounding starts.
I see Raf’s car outside my bedroom window.
I run down the stairs and fling the door open, my heart racing. He stalks in, the fury still jumping off of him. He goes up the stairs and I hear him walk in my room before I realize he expects me to follow.
I’m annoyed but also curious, so I cave and head upstairs.
When I reach my room, he’s pacing.
“So, you didn’t go to his house.” He stops and leans against my dresser, crossing his arms.
“I don’t understand why you’re being like this.”
He walks up to me and runs his fingers down my cheek. “Have you slept with him yet?”
My heart trips over itself and I get on my tiptoes to get in his face. “What if I have?”
He turns around, walks to the window and slams his hand against the wall. My phone vibrates and Raf glances at it. When he sees who’s calling, he slams his hand again and walks out of the room. I follow after him.
“Wait. Where are you going? What do you expect of me, Raf?”
He turns and stares at me before he leaves and for a moment, all of his walls are down. Torment and despair and something like hatred. I shudder, rubbing a hand down my arm. He opens his mouth and I lean in, hoping whatever he says will reveal the truth.
Instead, he turns and walks out the door and I stand there watching him walk across the grass to his house.
Nothing neighborly about this relationship.
My interaction with Raf haunts me. Did he assume I was saying I’d slept with Ashton just because I didn’t answer his question?
I think about drinking this away, I absolutely do. But I don’t. I pace in front of the cabinet and even get a small knife to break the lock, but eventually put it away and go back to my room. I need to talk to Laura, but she still hasn’t called me back. I could use a friend, or a distraction.
Something other than my sick fascination with Raf.
He thinks he owns me? A couple of orgasms and he
