Page 49 of Tease
Brittney doesn’t respond right away, just continues to blankly stare at me, trying to figure out if I’m lying. Finally, she looks away. “Okay, Jared, if you say so.”
Whew.
“Alright, babe, I gotta run. I’ll text you when we make it back home.” She looks from Skyler to me. “I have a feeling that tonight, us ladies will be needingseveraldrinks.”
Skyler grabs her hand. “Wait, are you not staying at my house tonight?” His face is attempting to hold back the anger in his question. I’ve seen that look before.
Kissing his cheek, she shakes her head before pulling away. “Not tonight, babe. I told Kailey it’s a true girls’ night.”
I knew it; her girls’ night is with Kailey. Once Brittney leaves, I’ll definitely be grilling Skyler for all the information he’s willing to give me.
His grip doesn’t release her hand right away, and I could almost swear I saw her wince. “Oh. Alright, yeah. Okay. Call me if you need a ride or anything, got it?”
“Deal. I’ll keep you updated. Don’t worry so much. Kailey and I’ve always been smart.” She smiles every time Kailey’s name leaves her mouth.Yeah, I feel that too. But I want more than her name rolling off of my tongue… I squeeze my fists at my side, trying to reel my mind back from memory flashbacks of Dimples.
“Jared.”
Hearing my name pulls my attention back to the real world, and I face Brittney.
“I’m glad to see you and that you’re doing well. I’m sorry for how everything went down. But I’ll always choose Kailey andfight for her. You get that, right? Please don’t make any chaos for her.”
Oh, how right she undoubtedly is. Chaos isexactlywhat I intend to bring to the table.
I slide both of my hands into the pocket of my hoodie and attempt to keep my features calm. “Yeah, I do. Shit, that’s why I’ve always liked you as her friend. Loyal to the end.” Skyler makes a grunt in the background. Oh, he’s one ofthoseboyfriends… Jealous of the best friend. Yikes. I guess he hasn’t figured out yet how hard it’ll be to compete against Kailey and Brittney’s bond.Good luck with that, bro.
“Alright, get out of here so we can get some training in.” Skyler shoos Brittney away, and she blows him a kiss while walking backwards before turning around and heading toward the exit. Skyler checks out her ass until she leaves the gym, then turns toward me.
“So you’re the guy who broke KC, huh?” What. The. Fuck? My jaw goes tight; muscles throughout my body start to tense up, begging to release the anger that’s rising in me.
We both take a wide stance, stretching next to each other, before we enter the ring.
Bending over, leaning to my right foot then left, I casually respond without looking at him. “I’m not sure what you mean by that?”
“Oh, come on! I’ve known her for as long as I’ve known Brittney. KC has never really settled down with anyone. She fucks around and moves on. A woman only does that when she’s been heartbroken.”
I shouldn’t be happy to hear this, but holy shit, I can’t help it. Holding back my happiness, I look at him, and he’s already staring, waiting for a response. “Shebroke up withme.” Shrugging my shoulders, I bounce back and forth on my feet, punching into the air.
Skyler does the same movements next to me. “That's why Brittney won’t fully move in with me.” He shakes his head. “Can’t leave herbestie.” Annoyance drips from his tongue. Hmm, I wonder if I can use this jealousy to my benefit? Even though I don’t fully trust this guy, it wouldn’t hurt to have him in my corner.
Stopping my body mid-routine, I place my hands on my hips. “What if I could help you with that problem?”
“Oh, please enlighten me.” Skyler rolls his eyes.
“Well, think you can help me win her back?”
“Wait, you want her back? Why the fuck didn’t you say that sooner?! Let’s get this shit in motion, then I can have Brittney all to myself.”
Okay, that was a little too easy. Time to drop to his level and speak his language. “Yeah, after seeing her again the other night, I figured, why not try again? The sex was good, and she’s easy on the eyes.”
“What’s up, my guys?!” Beau walks up, stopping in between us, sweat dripping off of his face while he pats it down with a white hand towel.
“Nothing. This guy was just saying he needed some help in the lady department.” Skyler lifts his body up and into the ring. Bouncing around the ring, he motions for me to join him. “Let’s go, time to spar.” He stares toward the exit. “I’ve got pent-up energy that needs to be released.”
Beau grabs my shoulder before I head into the ring with Skyler. “What’s he talking about, Jared?”
Looking him directly in his eyes, I say, “I told you already—Kailey.”
He shakes his head, and his hand grips my shoulder. “And I already told you,no.Do you have a death wish? And you really can’t trust Skyler. Fuck.” His eyes trail to where said man is shadowboxing, ready to fight.
