“This is Micah and Bash,” Dawson continued, pointing to an attractive couple of guys with their arms wrapped around each other. “And that’s Cal, Rhys, Fin…”
He went around the circle continuing to introduce everyone, but I barely heard him over the dark thoughts stirring in my head. They were becoming harder to block out. Destructive impulses were pushing to the surface, mutinous voices screaming how truly worthless I was to him. I blinked hard to clear them away and my eyes met Aly’s. Her smile turned softer and more…knowing. As though she knew how close I was to tearing apart at the seams.
I didn’t want her goddamn pity. I didn’t want anything from her except Dawson’s love returned to me. But I couldn’t deny itwas nice to be seen for a change. Even if it wasn’t by the person I wanted.
“You gents care to play a round? D-man and I are up, but every one of these assholes has bowed out,” Blondie slurred with a teasing grin obviously brought to us by his sponsor, Fireball.
“They only cut out because you somehow defy the laws of nature and get better the drunker you are, fucker,” Dawson snickered at him.
“Hey! You’re about to benefit from my mad skills, so I’d show some respect, asshole” he scoffed. “So you two in?”
Corvin looked at me expectantly. “What do you think? You and me against Hayes and Nate?”
Ah, that’s the dickwad’s name. Good to know. Can’t make a decent voodoo doll without it.
A quick glance at a tense-as-fuck Dawson made my agreement all too easy. “Why not? I’m a pro at sinking balls into small, tight places,” I replied, gaze locked on Dawson’s. He froze, fire flaming in his cheeks as Nate choked on his beer with laughter.
“Seems I chose the right partner,” Corvin chortled, his smirk as suggestive as my words. My gaze slid back to Dawson’s and the fire in his face spread to his eyes, flames of anger licking at his irises. Excitement lit inside me at the jealousy I saw there.
That’s it, babe, don’t hide from me. If you’re jealous, that means you care. If you care, that means I haven’t completely lost you…
The game started out friendly with his crew of friends cheering both teams on. Their banter and warmth made an ache sprout in my chest, a yearning to know what it would have been like had I stayed and become a part of this new family Dawson seemed to have found.
By the second round of the game, I was fast approaching the point of no return. Dawson hadn’t been lying about Nate andhis infuriating abilities as he sank yet another shot flawlessly. I cursed loudly, downing my ninth cup of beer while Corvin groaned beside me. They’d been filled a bit more than was traditional, but as my temper simmered more and more with every smile, laugh, or friendly touch Nate and Dawson shared, I welcomed inebriation as sweet relief.
“I swear, y’all suckers are getting hustled. Nate gets lost getting to a point, but somehow he’s sinking all the balls when his blood is probably 80 proof by now,” Bash joked, eliciting laughs from the others.
“Fuck you very much, Dupont.” Nate flipped him off with that same goofy smile of his.
“Why do you think I chose to be on his team instead of against him?” Dawson tossed out, concentrating on his shot.
“Please, like Nate would let his Dawby-Bear be on anyone else’s team but his?” The guy clinging to Bash, maybe Micah, teased. Annoyance lanced through me at yet another reminder of how close Nate and Dawson were.Just how fucking close are they?
“Gross. Say that name again and you’re going in the pool, and Bash won’t be able to save you,” Dawson threatened him, but the guy only cackled and shot him a wink.
“And Dawson’s got another nickname for the collection,” I muttered, not meaning to say it aloud. I felt eyes on me, but kept my focus on the game.
“So Theo, how do you know Dawson?” Nate asked me as I stepped back to let Corvin take his next shot.
“We knew each other as kids when he lived next door,” Dawson answered before I could speak. The shard of betrayal he’d left in my heart when he’d denied our relationship to Aly earlier wedged even deeper. He shifted his nervous eyes to mine and anger bubbled up and loosened my lips.Could also be the lukewarm beer I’m drowning in, but fuck it.
“Yep. We go way back,” I interjected enthusiastically. “You know how it goes. Childhood besties, attached at the hip, real Goonies-level shit. Our families were really close too.”
Dawson’s shoulders sagged and some of the tension left his frame at my answer. Until my mouth Usain Bolt-ed without my brain, fueled by my indignation.
“He also sucked my dick a few times, but what’s a BJ between friends, right?” I added cheekily. That wasn’t even two percent of what we’d done with each other, so I thought only letting that one thing slip was great restraint on my part. Dawson clearly didn’t agree.
All the color drained from his face as silence descended on us. The atmosphere was stifling despite being outside, everyone nervously shuffling around us.
Ice quickly replaced the fire that had sparked in his eyes as he stared me down. “Well…we all experiment from time to time, don’t we?”
“Must have been a hell of an experiment for you to keep coming back for more,” I taunted as I sensed my control slipping further away. I saw the faintest tinge of sadness shadow his features, but it disappeared just as quickly as it came.
“I’m a slower learner, I guess. But thank fuck I’m past that phase and on to better things.” He looped his arm around Aly’s waist and hauled her to his side as though proving his point.
My heart sank to the pits of my stomach while fury rose up hot and sharp in its place. The heat of it melted through the pain that threatened to consume me and I clung to it desperately. Grabbing one of the full cups off the table, I tossed it back in one go and dropped it carelessly with a clatter.
“You know, this cheap shit isn’t quite doing it for me. I’m gonna head inside and find a cold drink.”Or a room-temperature Xanny to calm the fuck down. I’m not picky.“You coming?” I raised an eyebrow at Corvin in question.
