“I’m the asshole, James? What did June do to you? Why do you always have to talk about her like that? I already told you. She isn’t like the others.”
I let out a small sigh of relief when I heard William defend me, but James didn’t seem to know where the line was.
“Oh, so it’s different because she’s still a virgin? Is that what you’re talking about, Will? What a shame.”
William didn’t answer. A moment of silence fell.
“Besides, do you think she’s as innocent as she’d like you to believe?” continued James.
Oh no, now he’s going to tell him.
“Why shouldn’t I?” spat Will. “Besides, why do you care? Experienced or not, I like her—”
“Bullshit.”
“Jealous, Jamie?” Jackson mocked.
“Bullshit,” James repeated sternly.
“If it’s bullshit then why did Austin threaten to kill you? Huh? Why’d you get hit again today?”
Will’s question was unwavering, blunt, and right to the point.
“I hit him first,” admitted James.
“Why? To protect her?”
The momentary silence that followed moved at a glacial pace.
“You protect what’s mine, and what’s yours, right?”
“Yeah, but the rule of sharing doesn’t apply to June.”
“But they’re your words, Will. We’re more than friends, we’re brothers, and brothers share everything.”
My blood ran cold at James’s words.
“Girls are part of all this, right, Jackson?”
“That’s how it’s always been,” I heard the blond snort.
“Or maybe you’re putting her before me? Before us?” continued James, in an increasingly pressing manner.
“Don’t be a dick, James.”
“And you’re being selfish, Will.”
There was a moment of silence, followed by William’s worried voice. “You’re joking, right?”
James and Jackson burst out laughing. Their sadistic laughter sent a chill down my spine.
“Of course we are. Are you really that scared that I want to bang her?”
I thought about Will and James. They were so unpredictable that I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up in fear.
“Jokes aside, you gotta listen to me about something. She’ll fuck us all over, Will. And she’ll do it as soon as she finds out the truth. We can’t trust her.”
“James is right.” Jackson supported him.
