Page 85 of Brutal Reign
My heart soars when I pass between a row of bunks and catch sight of Seb, but when I see who he’s with, it stutters in my chest, crumbling to dust. Because he’s at Chandler’s bunk, standing over her, their faces mere inches apart…
I stop in my tracks as I do a double-take, sure I must be hallucinating.He wouldn’t still be hooking up with Chandler now that we’re mated, would he?My stomach twists, bile crawling up my throat at the thought of the two of them together, the icy claws of betrayal wrapping around my throat until I can’t breathe. My lungs cease to function as I stand there frozen, unable to look away.
Seb’s jaw is clenched tight as he stares Chandler down, crowding her in against her bunk. “Give them to me,” he growls, holding out a hand.
She tosses her hair back flirtatiously, batting her lashes up at him. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“River’s fucking contact lenses,” Seb grits out, and my heart takes a flying leap.
“What makes you think I took them?” Chandler scoffs, reaching out to trail her fingertips up his bicep.
He bats her hand away, his frown deepening. “Don’t play dumb with me.”
“Why are you sticking up for her, anyways?” she huffs. “I thought you hated her?”
“Yeah? Well I fuckin’ lied,” Seb snarls, glaring down at her menacingly. “Now hand them over, I’m not fucking around here.”
Chandler’s posture deflates. She looks away, glancing down the row of bunks, and when her eyes meet mine, her entire demeanor shifts on a dime. Turning back to Seb, she reaches outto place a palm against his chest. “Seb, let’s just talk about this,” she purrs, smiling coyly as she slides her hand up to rest on his shoulder.
Rage boils like acid in my veins at the sight of her touching what’smine.
Seb whacks her hand away like her touch burns him, shoving back with an angry scowl. “Did I say you could fucking touch me?”
She snorts a laugh. “C’mon, it’s never stopped me before. Me and you…”
“The fuck are you talking about?” Seb snaps, expression contorting in disgust. “There is nome and you.Never has been, never will be. I’d cut off my own dick before I ever let you touch it. How many ways do I have to tell you I’m not fucking interested before you’ll get it through your head?”
Chandler flinches back like his words have physically assaulted her, her lower lip wobbling and tears welling up in her eyes.
“Oh go ahead, fuckin’ cry about it,” Seb grumbles, waving a hand dismissively. “Just give me her contacts before you have your meltdown.”
A tear slips down her cheek as she shoulder-barges past him to go for the cubby at the end of her bunk, stooping down to grab something. She sniffles as she straightens, turning at the waist and shoving it at his chest, mumbling a few choice expletives under her breath as he yanks them from her hands.
Yep, it’s my contact case and boxes of extra lenses.That fuckingbitch.
Seb doesn’t spare Chandler another glance, whipping around to leave her to her hysterics and starting in my direction. His steps falter when he lifts his gaze and our eyes lock, but he continues toward me, his brows pinching together and an expression coming over his face that I can’t quite read.
“Here,” he says gruffly as he approaches, thrusting the boxes and case toward me. “These are yours.”
I take them from his hands, suddenly at a loss for words. I know I said I didn’t want anyone fighting my battles for me, but the way he just took charge has my belly doing all kinds of weird flips. I can hardly think straight. I was so sure that he’d fucked Chandler, but if he hasn’t…does that change things?
Should it change things?
“Thanks,” I whisper feebly, peering up at him through my eyelashes.
Seb’s eyes darken and he gives me a single nod, stepping past me to return to his own bunk. I suck in a breath when his arm brushes as he passes, frozen in uncertainty and still horribly tongue-tied. His strong back muscles bunch and flex beneath his t-shirt with every step of retreat, my pulse picking up speed and my mouth going dry as I watch him walk away.
It was so much easier to hate him.
29
I’ve never had trouble with women. I was blessed with great genes, so it takes little more than a grin to have them eating out of the palm of my hand, willing to do just about anything to hold my attention. If I run my mouth or piss one off, then there’s always another waiting in the wings to take her place. It’s all just surface-level bullshit; something to scratch the itch because until recently, I couldn’t have what I truly wanted. I never cared enough to put forth a real effort with anyone who wasn’ther.
Except now that I’ve got a chance to actuallybewith River, all I’ve been doing is fucking it up. Just when I think I’m starting to win her over, I inadvertently do or say something that puts us right back at square one. Given my track record, it feels like it’s only a matter of time before the bottom drops out and I do thatonething; that one big fuck-up I’ll never be able to come back from.
It’s so much easier for Ace. He’s good with people; good with words. Even now, as the rest of the recruits hustle out of the barracks to get to the practice field before training begins, he and River are huddled together on his bottom bunk, sharing his earbuds while listening to a song playing from his phone. Shelooks so comfortable with him, so at ease. She’s never like that with me.
They’re going to be late for practice if they don’t get moving, but neither seems to care. It’s like they’re in their own little world and I’m an outsider looking in, lingering by the exit of the barracks and waiting for them to emerge from it. Right as the last of our fellow recruits slips past me to head for the field, Ace grabs River by the chin, guiding her lips to his. She opens for him, mouths fusing as they share a filthy hot kiss.