Total pages in book: 96
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 95019 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 475(@200wpm)___ 380(@250wpm)___ 317(@300wpm)
“Are you all gonna rotate who wants some from me?” Miles asks.
“Dude,” Dax interjects, “I’m really sorry about that.”
“Like fuck you are, you Sigma Alpha shit.”
I never could have imagined someone would be going like this for Dax, of all people. I mean, really, Marty…this is definitely more something he would get.
I get in Miles’s face. “Get our frat out of your damn mouth,” I say through my teeth.
“Okay, okay,” a voice comes from nearby, and Troy and Atlas push between us.
Atlas drapes his arm around Miles. “Let’s have a quick chat, ’kay?” As he leads Miles off, I notice Ty and Lance are only a few feet away. They must’ve come over during the commotion.
“Everything’s good,” Troy assures us, and I realize how wound up I am, my chest in knots, my breathing shallow.
“Why the fuck is he even here?” I ask as my rage doesn’t settle, that ball of fire feeling like it radiates up to my face.
“He only wants to help, same as you guys. He made a mistake, but he’s actually a decent guy once you get to know him.”
“We all know he’s here because he was court-ordered to be. Does he get a prize for that?”
“This doesn’t count toward his community service. Atlas has offered to sign off, but he said no. Okay?”
This news totally throws me, goes against my impression of him as being nothing but some Omega Psi asshole. Not that he’s Omega Psi since the stunt he pulled.
“He has a temper, but he’s a good kid,” Troy says. “You’re gonna have to trust me on that.”
I can’t imagine why Troy would align himself with this asshole. Although, as much of a dick as Miles made of himself, Troy wouldn’t stick up for someone who was a total piece of shit.
“I’ll definitely have to take your word on that one.”
Dax glances toward Atlas and Miles, who are having a chat on the other side of the house.
“I know he started that,” Troy says, “but if we can get him to cool down, you’d be okay with him staying?”
I should keep my mouth shut since the other guys have more reason to be mad at him than me.
“In his defense,” Dax says, “it did seem like he really believed I did that on purpose.”
Why is Dax defending this prick? From what I could tell, he’s not wrong, but it doesn’t change that he was the one starting all that crap.
I have to interject. “There was no reason for him to step toward Marty like he was about to throw punches.”
“It wasn’t that bad,” Marty says, but I can see that his hands are a little shaky from the incident. Miles clearly activated his anxiety.
“He balled his fist up and stepped toward you.”
“He was upset,” Marty insists.
“It’ll be fine,” Lance says, and Ty’s right behind him. “Agreed.”
“Why is everyone suddenly defending this guy?”
Marty approaches and rests his hand on my shoulder, which instantly helps set me at ease. “No one got hurt, Ry. It was a misunderstanding.”
I take a few breaths.
He’s right.
I know it’s because he was threatening Marty that I got worked up.
But even knowing I might have overreacted, it doesn’t make me like that asshole. He set fire to Sigma Alpha. I don’t care if it was an accident.
“Why don’t we all take a minute to breathe and then get back to work?” Troy says. “How’s that sound?”
Marty, Dax, and I take the opportunity, heading into the yard. Dax hits the porta potty, and Marty and I settle by the partly constructed home.
“You good?” Marty asks. He must sense how agitated I still am.
I size him up, like some part of me is checking to make sure he hasn’t been harmed, which is fucking ridiculous since Miles didn’t lay a finger on him.
“That dick was awfully close to getting a black eye if he tried to do something,” I snap.
“I really didn’t feel threatened. I’ve had worse exchanges with Atlas.” He says that playfully, but I’m too on edge to ease up about this.
“Well, if he’d fucked around, he would have found out.”
His lips curl into a smile. “It’s adorable when you get really protective like that.”
I glare at him, which turns that smile into a grin. The knots in my chest loosen.
“Whatever,” I grunt.
He glances around quickly before moving closer and whispering, “Come on. Admit it. You were getting in the middle because you didn’t want anything threatening your piece of ass.”
I can tell he’s joking, but maybe because of the mood Miles put me in, it bothers me. “You know you’re more than that to me, right?” I’m surprised by the words myself—like when I thought of him as my man earlier—and the way he flinches, he’s surprised too.
“Yeah, I was making a joke.”
Warmth rushes to my face. “I know. I shouldn’t have said that.” Why the fuck am I being so weird?