“Grow up, for fuck’s sake,” I snap, glowering at my boyfriend. “Every second you spend sulking is a victory for the asshat. Don’t give him that power.”
“Ash is right, and you need to be there for her. You can’t leave her to deal with him alone.” Jase slings his arm around my shoulders and gives them a little squeeze. My brows knit together as I process his statement, confusion immediately setting in. Before I can question him, he says, “Ignore the prick. Pretend like he doesn’t exist. That’ll piss him off.”
“I’ll fucking throttle him before the night is out,” Chad says through clenched teeth. His knuckles are blanched white he’s fisting them so tightly, and the vein in his neck visibly throbs as his entire body literally radiates anger and aggression.
“Channel that anger into training,” Jase suggests. “I know that’s what I’m going to do.”
Tilting my head back, I peer up at my other lover, noticing the strain tightening his face for the first time. “What don’t I know?” I have a superbad feeling, and I’m hoping I’m wrong about it.
Jase opens his mouth to reply when a high-pitched annoyingly familiar whiny voice cuts across our conversation. “There you are, my love.” Jase drops his arm from around my shoulders and discreetly steps to one side as Julia comes toward us wearing a super-short, tight-fitting summer dress, teetering on ridiculously high heels. Expensive black sunglasses dwarf her heavily made-up face, hiding the look in her eyes. She’s clutching an oversized designer bag in one hand and carrying her cute designer dog tucked under her other arm.
She’s the walking definition of a dumb, pretty, filthy-rich, self-obsessed socialite. Except I’m no longer buying the act she’s peddling. No one could be that brainless or clueless.
Julia tosses her long dark hair over her shoulders as she draws up alongside us. Snuggling into Jase’s side, she smiles at us like she hasn’t a care in the world.
Trapping the snarl building at the back of my throat, I subtly dig my nails into the side of my jeans as Chad slings a supportive arm around my waist. Julia pets her dog and clings to Jase as she pins me with a megawatt smile through her surgically enhanced lips.
I long to smash my fist in her smug face, drag her away from Jase, and berate her for daring to touch what’s mine.
But I don’t.
Because I can’t.
And it’s killing me inside.
This is what I’ve been dealing with the entire time I’ve been with Jase, so why has it suddenly become excruciatingly unbearable?
Jase creates a little distance between them as he looks down at his girlfriend. “I need to speak with Ash and Chad in private. I’ll talk to you later.”
She pouts for a few seconds before the fake smile is back on her face. “Okay, baby.” She rubs his arm and licks her lips. “But don’t be long. I thought we’d christen the master suite first.” She leans into him and giggles, her head turned in my direction, waiting for my reaction.
All the blood drains from my face with her words, but I hold it together, refusing to let her see how she’s just cut me down to size. I know for a fact Jase hasn’t had any sexual involvement with Julia. He has no interest in her like that. Their parents are forcing them to be together, and their relationship is as fake as they come. They pretend in public and in front of their parents, but it’s a totally different matter behind closed doors. Julia knows Chad and I are aware of the true status of their relationship, but that doesn’t stop her pawing at Jase any time she is in our company.
Which is why I now suspect she knows I’m fucking him.
“Julia.” Jase’s harsh tone barks a warning.
“What?” She feigns innocence. “Didn’t you tell your friends you’re moving in with me?”
Pain glides across my chest, making breathing difficult.
“Why do you think I wanted to speak to them?” he says through gritted teeth, leveling her with a “butt out” expression.
“Oh, I thought you wanted to tell them about our engagement.”
Chad tightens his arm around me in warning as her revelation hits me as hard as a physical punch to the face.
“Fuck off, Julia!” Jase snaps, scrubbing his hands down his face. “Get inside the house, and I’ll deal with you later.” Grabbing her arm, he hauls her toward the house directly beside ours.
Oh, joy.
“Did you know about this?” I ask Chad in a choked tone as we watch Jase escort Julia up the steps.
“I knew the moving-in shit was a possibility though his dad only dropped it on him last night. I had no clue about the engagement.” Chad wraps his arms around me as he tucks me into his side. “What’s with that? They’re not even nineteen yet and only starting college.”
Jase bounds down the steps and runs toward us.
“I can explain,” he says as he comes up to us. “But not here. Let’s go inside.”
