Playing for Keeps (The Game #2)(44)
Author: Emma Hart

It was me that made it so I could meet Megan.

I will never be like my mom because she never loved anyone except herself. I can never be that person, destined for a broken life of sex, drugs, and alcohol.

Because I’m completely in love with the girl right in front of me.

~

Here we are, back at the usual Friday nights I craved so much. Friday nights meant forgetting and giving in to physical feelings only. Friday and Saturday nights were the best nights, but now I just want to grab Megan and run. I want to take her away from this shit ass party.

Especially when Lila’s f**ked up plan to get her a date has made its way round the classes we all have and you have every Tom, Dick, and f**king Harry trying to get in there.

Every time one of those jackasses goes up to her, for a split second, I resent Braden and the fact he’s the reason this relationship is f**king secret. I’d love to go over to her right now, grab her away from the dick in front of her and kiss her senseless in front of everyone to make my point. I’d do anything to take her away from them and show everyone where she belongs. Who she belongs to.

Because she is mine, and not in a possessive way. It’s my arms she falls into, my lips she kisses, my heart she holds. All of that makes her mine.

Not the arrogant bastard’s she’s talking to.

I slam my bottle down, ignoring startled looks from around me, and push through the throngs of people. I deliberately nudge her back as I pass her and head to the stairs. My feet take them two at a time, flying up. I’m not watching that shit anymore. My room is silent, quiet, and I wait for her to come up.

I have no idea how long I have to wait. Too long and I’ll end up going back down there, too little and people will guess she’s come after me. People will wonder why … But I don’t know if I care anymore. I don’t know if I can care anymore.

My door opens and closes.

“There has to be a good reason you just stormed up here like a girl on her period with no access to chocolate,” Megan quips.

“I can’t do this secret shit anymore, baby.” I turn around and pin her with my eyes, briefly noticing how well her jeans hug her hips. “I can’t be down there with you surrounded by ass**les and not slip my arm around your waist and warn them off with my eyes. I can’t f**kin’ do it. Not now.”

“It’s never bothered you before.”

“It’s always bothered me! You think I’ve never cared when I’ve watched you laughing and joking with whoever it is trying to get inside your damn pants on that night?”

She steps forward. “I never said you didn’t care! I said it never bothered you – and if it did you never showed me!”

“So if I walked up to a girl and started talking to her for the sake of keeping up appearances, you wouldn’t be bothered by it, huh?” I look at her helplessly. “I can’t watch them f**king ogle you, Megs. This secret relationship has gone on for too long. We have to come clean.”

Her eyes widen a little. “We can’t … Braden–”

“Will have to f**king deal with it!” I step in front of her, cupping the side of her face, and she rests her hands against my chest. “He’ll have to deal with it. He’ll have to accept it, because I’m not pretending anymore and I’m not giving you up for shit.”

“He’ll hate us,” she whispers.

“The damage has already been done, baby. It’s him or us.”

She shakes her head, running her bottom lip between her teeth worriedly. “Braden.” I hate the way she winces when she says his name.

“Then we have to tell him,” I say softly, lowering my mouth to hers. “Now. We’ll tell him now.”

The door bursts open “Tell me what?”

Chapter Twenty-One – Megan

I jump away from Aston, my hand flying to my mouth when I see Braden standing there. His eyes flick between us, the blue in them slowly getting icier, his expression getting harder.

The tension in the room rockets. I can almost feel Aston tensing next to me, see the anger and realization flooding through Braden’s body. I’m standing frozen, unable to do anything but wait. Unable to do anything but look at the anger and betrayal firing up in my best friend’s eyes.

There are a thousand excuses rolling around my mind, but the cat really does have my tongue.

There’s nothing than can excuse this.

And it’s time to be honest.

“Ryan thought he saw you follow Aston up.” Braden focuses his eyes on me. “I thought he was crazy. I told him it was some other poor f**ker, but when a couple of the other guys agreed I said I’d come up just for a laugh. Because I didn’t actually f**king think I’d find you up here in his goddamn bedroom!”

“Bray …” I whisper.

“How long?” He looks at Aston, his jaw tight. “How long have you been f**king her?”

“Braden!”

“It’s not like that,” Aston replies equally tight.

“Really? You expect me to believe that bullshit?” Braden yells. “How long?”

“About the time you took Maddie home.”

“That was the first time?” His blue eyes pierce me.

I nod, my hand falling away from my mouth. “Just after.”

He laughs bitterly and turns to Aston. “I go away for two days and you jump into bed with her a week later?”

“With each other!” I step forward. “Each. Other, Braden!”

“Oh and that’s supposed to make it f**king better is it?”

“No!” I move in front of Aston. “No, it isn’t. Nothing can make it better and I have no excuses for this, but you have to realize I can make my own decisions. I’m old enough to deal with the fall-out. I love that you have my back, I do, but you can’t always be there to protect me! Aston didn’t force me into anything. Do you get that? I wanted to!”

His eyes focus on me, my chest heaves, and Aston touches my arm.

“Megs–”

“No,” I say, my eyes on Braden. “As much as he’d like to believe it, it’s not just you. I’m not gonna stand here and watch him give you shit because of something we both did.”

“How long have you been sleeping with each other?” Braden says sarcastically. “Because it makes the world of f**king difference.”

“We have been in a relationship since the weekend after you left,” I correct him.