“It’s unfortunate you weren’t inside. Might wanna watch your back. What goes around, comes around.” He says the words so casually that I’d prefer he shout them at me instead because his listless tone makes my skin crawl.
Neo speeds up, taking off and leaving me in a dust of snow behind him.
Suddenly, I see everything clearly. Neo blames me for every bad thing that has happened in his life. But does he put any of that blame on Jagger? Or even on Crew? Deep down, does he really hate us all?
ChapterNineteen
JAGGER
Bottled water in hand,I trek behind the couch en route to the basement to lift weights.
The front door swings open, grabbing my attention, and Crew comes in. Snow falls in plenty from his boots, and he peels off his coat, hooking it on the coat rack. One look at his face and I’m certain he knows. Lifting might have to wait because he’s gonna have a shitload of questions, no doubt.
“Everything all right?” I ask him, unscrewing the top to my water. I hold it in one hand, the bottle in the other.
“No!” he huffs. “Everything is not all right.”
I roll the cap between my fingers, not saying anything, because he needs to get out his feelings on this first.
“Ya know, maybe if you didn’t walk around this damn house shirtless all the fucking time, you wouldn’t be turning her head in the first place.”
Normally I’d take that as a compliment, but not this time.
Still not saying anything, I just stand there.
He drops his backpack on the floor right beside his snow-covered boots. “I should kick your ass right now.” He punches his fist into the palm of his hand, sneering. “Pound my fist into your face until it’s so dismantled she doesn’t even wanna look at you.”
All right. I expected that. Knew he’d be mad. I curl my fingers, motioning them toward myself. “Keep it coming. I deserve it.”
“Damn right you do. It’s one thing to kiss her. Another thing to fuck her. But to make her catch feelings for you? Did you really have to fucking go there?”
It’s a question, so this time, I have to answer. “None of it was planned, man. I swear. I tried to just step aside and let you two do your thing.”
“Do our thing?” he shouts. “We’re not justdoing our thing.Scar and I were building on a relationship that started years ago behind closed doors. We were finally out in the open and ready to be together. But you couldn’t allow that, could you?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
He steps up to me, nostrils flared. “Then explain. Tell me exactly what you want from her?”
“It’s not just about fucking, if that’s what you’re thinking.”
“No shit! If it were just fucking, I might be able to let it go. What. Do. You. Want. From. Her?
I take in a deep breath, filling my lungs, and on the exhale, I tell him the truth. “I want it all, man. I want the parts of her that she doesn’t give to you.”
Crew shakes his head and looks down, running his hands through his hair. “Of course you do.”
Before I can respond, the door flies open again. Neo trudges in more snow, but it’s his expression that catches me off guard. Looks like we’re about to have one, big blowout that’s been a long time coming. “Your girl is a royal pain in the fucking ass.” He slams the door shut and it has me wondering where Scar is.
“Oh.” Crew lifts his head, expression stoic. He points between him and me. “Are you talking to me or Jagger? I can’t tell because it seems we’re fucking sharing her now.”
His condensing tone has me shaking my head. “Come on, man. It’s not like that.”
“It’s not? Then tell me how it is. I’m with her. I’m not fucking going anywhere until she tells me to, so where does that leave you?”
And the door flies open again. I breathe a sigh of relief when I see that she’s okay. But, once again, I’m greeted with a scowl. She juts a stern finger at Neo, before even relieving herself of her bag and coat. “Your friend here is a grade-A asshole!”
I scratch the top of my head, wondering what the hell is going on. “Well, isn’t this a nice little family reunion?” Everyone looks at me as if I’m the one who’s lost his mind. “Tough crowd.”