Probably all of it.
Even more probable? By tomorrow afternoon, this entire town will be aflame with gossip about how I’m fucking my stepbrother.
I’m going to care about this tomorrow. I’ll be furious with Austin. He loves me, but he practically ruined a good portion of my life because he couldn’t keep one of my most important secrets to himself.
I’ve hurt that man. More than I had any right to. I will hurt him again the next time I see him because I’m finally going to make it clear to him that we’re never going to happen. Ever.
But that doesn’t erase what he’s done.
Right now, though, I don’t care about any of that. I can’t. Getting to Brayden, making sure he’s okay, is all that matters.
“Yo!” Ashley calls out.
Marilyn and Jenna’s heads snap in our direction. They jog in our direction, both of them staring at me worriedly.
I don’t even know what the fuck to say.
“Dude,” Jenna says. “I want to crack a joke about how fucking lucky you are, but your expression tells me it’s not the right time.”
I roll my eyes at her.
“We need to get her to the precinct,” Ashley tells her, letting go of my hand. And that’s all it takes for the four of us to start pushing our way through the crowd. We make it to Jenna’s car and she presses the button to unlock the doors.
I open one of the back doors.
“You’re fucking disgusting.”
All four of us freeze.
There’s no need to turn around and see who that is. I know. An old, familiar anger burns through my veins.
“Do us a favor,” Marilyn sneers, looking like she’s ready to storm around the car and start throwing punches. “Leave her the fuck alone before we make you.”
“Oh? Is the little girl incapable of defending herself?”
That’s it.
I spin around, my free hand fisting. Jennifer’s malicious, narrowed eyes focus on my other hand, the one holding Brayden’s phone and keys, and they narrow even further.
She knows this is his phone.
She knows it because this bitch has the bad habit of paying way too much attention to my fucking man.
“Do you want me to break your face?” I ask her slowly, calmly.
“You mean like Austin had to do to poor Brayden because of your slutty ass?”
Her arms are crossed. Her posture is entirely defensive. This cunt is preparing herself for my attack and she’s afraid of it, yet she has the nerve to still goad me.
“When are you going to stop being the pathetic bitch who sucks every dick you can find while waiting, praying, hoping that Brayden one day looks beyond how cheap you are and falls in love with you?”
Everyone around me gasps.
Jennifer’s mouth falls open, her face paling.
I meant every word. At this point, nothing in the world could make me take them back. So I stand here, eyes on hers, waiting for whatever comes my way after that statement.
The last thing I want is to be delayed from going to Brayden.
But so help me God, if this bitch doesn’t realize in this moment that it’s in her best interest to back the fuck off away from what’s mine, I think I’m going to kill her.
The next round of cop cars that arrive will have to bring an ambulance in tow.
Jennifer snaps her mouth closed, practically shaking with her fury. “You have so much fucking nerve, little girl. Who the hell do you think you are? You’re fucking your stepbrother, and you think you have the right to believe you’re better than me?”
I knew this was coming, but my stomach bottoms out regardless.
She knows now. Without a doubt, she knows.
If the whole town didn’t know before, I give it a matter of hours before it’s all over the grapevine.
“She could be fucking the pope and every crack-dealing pimp within a two state radius, and guess what, whore?” Ashley sneers. “She’d still be fucking better than you!”
Despite everything going on, that comment makes me want to laugh.
I love my girls.
Jennifer glares at Ashley, but it doesn’t take her long to redirect her venom back at me. “What are you going to do when everyone finds out about you and Brayden, huh?”
My first impulse is to tell her, “It doesn’t matter, bitch, because I’ll still be the one fucking that cock.” I want to spite her. Lay a claim on what’s mine.
Something holds me back. Jennifer is studying me just as hard as I’m studying her. As if . . .
She’s unsure.
This bitch is probing. Looking for proof. She’s not as certain of what’s happening between me and Brayden as she’s pretending to be.
It makes me sick to my stomach, but I have to deny it. Lie. What’s happening to Brayden is bad enough. The last thing we need to handle right now is the social implosion this would cause us if Jennifer decided to spread her suspicions.
God, I hate this chick. Now more than ever.
“You should try learning your lesson and moving on, Jenn. Maybe then you wouldn’t be jealous of every girl he spends time with instead of you.” I turn to get into the car.