Veer (Clayton Falls #2)(21)
Author: Alyssa Rose Ivy

“Other plans?” I fished for information.

Ben put his hands in his pockets. “Who knows? She’s got Molly all bent out of shape. You know how Molly is, blaming herself for everything.”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe she met someone.” Tom smirked. “She could be holed up with him right now. Hasn’t she been spending a lot of time with your brother, Ben?”

I tensed. There was no way Becca was with Jake.

Ben leaned over to grab a chip. “You don’t think Molly’s already grilled him? He swears they’re just friends.”

Tom moved on to his next suspect. “She went out with Ronny last week, but he’s out of town for the weekend.”

I said nothing. There was no reason to bring it up. I’d told her we should keep it between us, and I’d meant it. Word would have spread like wildfire.

“There you are, you fucking prick!” The screen door banged shut as Jake stomped toward us. I saw it coming from a mile away, but it still surprised me so much I was almost too slow to block his punch. Almost. I caught his fist with my hand.

“What the hell, man?” Ben grabbed his brother before he could stupidly try again.

“You’re going to pay. How could you have treated her like that? Do you even realize how amazing she is? I can’t believe she was stupid enough to pick you, but she did—and you treated her like a cheap fuck?”

“What the hell?” Tom looked back and forth between us.

I ignored Tom and turned my attention to Jake. “She told you?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot you swore her to silence. What, afraid of hurting your reputation as a saint? Bullshit. Yes, she told me. Someone had to figure out what was going on with her.”

“What are you talking about, Jake? Did Becca and Gavin sleep together?” Molly came over. This was just getting worse.

“Yes. And this winner decided to tell her it was a mistake and that they should forget it ever happened.” Jake stood with his arms crossed and a scowl on his face.

Molly marched up to me, shoving my chest. “You slept with Becca?”

“Yes. It wasn’t a big deal. We got drunk, and it happened.”

“You got drunk, and it happened? It wasn’t a big deal? Because that’s how every girl wants her first time to be. I can’t even look at you.” She stormed off with Kelly right behind her.

“Her first time?” I slunk down into a chair. “She was a virgin?” I put my head in my hands. Wouldn’t I have known that?

“Such a waste. Such a fucking waste, but for some reason, she picked you.” Jake still hovered.

“Are you sure she was a virgin?” Shit, I’d screwed up.

“Whoa, man. You really dug yourself a hole.” Tom shook his head.

“Is she okay? Am I the reason everyone’s worried about her?”

Jake put his head in his hands for a moment before giving me a deadly stare. “What the hell, I’ve already made her info public. Yes. She’s convinced she did something wrong. She actually asked me if a girl could be bad in bed. How could you have let a girl feel that way?”

“She asked you that? She was amazing—she’s amazing.”

“Then why’d you tell her it was a mistake?” Jake finally backed off a little.

“I figured she felt that way.”

“And even if she did, what would possess you to tell her that?” Ben asked.

“What was I supposed to say, ‘thanks for the fuck’?”

“Unbelievable.” Tom shook his head again. “Unbelievable.”

“What?”

“You have great sex—” Tom started to say.

“Nope, amazing sex. He said amazing,” Jake butted in.

“Okay, amazing sex, with a gorgeous girl, and you didn’t know what to say to her the next morning? Are you really that much of a loser?” Tom wrung his hands in disbelief.

“What’s done is done. Now, how do I fix it?”

“Fix it?” Jake asked incredulously. “You mean how do you apologize?”

“How do I get another chance?”

Tom laughed. “Man, you’re dreaming.”

“What? We had something. I just didn’t realize it at the time. I need to talk to her about it.”

“I’m still not buying your excuse,” Jake added.

“What do you mean?”

“If you like her, why did you tell her to forget about it? Not knowing what to say doesn’t cover it.”

“I told you. I figured that’s what she wanted to hear.” I wasn’t about to admit to the guys that I was protecting myself. I was so sick of being the loser who the girls left behind.

“It’s about Dawn, just admit it,” Tom challenged.

“Who the hell is Dawn?” Jake asked.

“Shut up, Tom.”

“No, I’m right. This is about the fact that you are still hung up on your girlfriend dumping you. It’s been three years. I think that’s enough time to grow a pair.”

“Don’t go there, Tom.”

Jake glared at me. “All right. I don’t give a damn who Dawn is, but you’d better fix things with Becca. She belongs in this town, and I’m not letting you run her off.”

“I know I have to fix it, but she’s only here for the summer. Don’t make this what it isn’t.”

“Bullshit. You think she wouldn’t come back if there was a reason? She has nine months of school left and then nothing planned. She has no family in Boston and no job. Her best friend lives here—why wouldn’t she come back?”

Ben chuckled. “I think hell may have frozen over. Jake is actually trying to help someone other than himself.”

Jake turned to his brother. “I’m trying to help Becca. She’s cool, and I want her around.”

“Yeah, exactly. You want a girl around and it’s not because you want to sleep with her. Impressive.”

Jake punched Ben’s arm. “Shut up.”

“Okay, can you stop long enough to help me figure this out?” Discussing my screw up or how cool Becca was wasn’t going to help me win her back.

“You’ve got to try to talk to her.”

“I know. I’m going to go now.”

“I’d wait a little.” Kelly joined us. “Molly just went over to talk to her.”

“I hope that goes well…” Ben looked worried.

Kelly broke off the flip top from her Coke. “Yeah, she’s pretty hurt.”