“You spoken to her yet?”

“Nope, not a single word.”

***

Turns out Logan's house is around the corner from Julie's friend, so he’s going to stop by to pick up his gear. He has plans to meet Jake at the cages soon.

“Hey Julie?” Logan says, eyeing her through the rear view mirror of his Mercedes convertible, top down. “Knock Knock?”

Julie giggles. “Who’s there?”

“Wooden”

“Wooden who?”

“Wooden you like to know”

Julie cracks up. It’s one of those jokes that’s so dumb it’s hilarious. Like, ‘why did the kid fall off the swing? Because he had no arms!’

We’re all laughing like idiots when we pull into Logan's driveway, a familiar truck is already there.

I look to Logan wide eyed.

His hands go up in surrender. “I didn’t say a word. Swear it.”

We look to the truck and see Jake step out.

His fists balled at his side.

Jaw tense.

Eyes filled with rage.

He’s pissed.

Beyond pissed.

“You girls stay here, okay?” Logan says, before hopping out of the car.

***

*Jake*

I’m sitting in my truck about to text Kayla to meet me at the cages, I miss the shit out of her.

I hear a car pull up and people laughing, I turn to look and see Logan, Kayla and Julie.

What in the actual fuck.

I hop out of the truck, and it takes everything I have to not run up to this asshole and punch him. I could give a shit about my hand. It’s the last fucking thing I care about.

Logan’s walking closer to me, hands up in surrender. “What ever the fuck you’re thinking right now, Quit. It’s not what you think, not even fucking close.”

“Then fucking start talking, asshole.” I shove him hard on the chest and he falls back a few steps.

I hear Julie squeal in the car, but I don’t give a shit.

“Explain to me why the fuck you’re playing family with my girl and my sister?”

“I can’t,” he says, shaking his head and looking down.

“What the fuck do you mean you can’t?” I’m in his face now, bending down so he’ll look me in the eye when he tells me he’s been screwing the girl I’m in love with.

In love with. Shit.

“I can’t dude, it’s not for me to say.”

“What the fuck does that even mean?”

I push him again, harder this time.

“Quit fucking pushing me asshole! I’m two seconds from pushing the fuck back.”

Rage consumes me. I’m so fucking pissed I don’t even know what to think. How the fuck can they do this to me? And around Julie?

“Julie, wait!” I hear Kayla yell, and see Julie running out of the car and onto the street. She doesn’t look before she runs and a car breaks last minute, almost hitting her straight on. She screams as Kayla runs over to her and picks her up in her arms.

“Get in the fucking truck, NOW!” I yell at them.

Julie sobs harder. Kayla carries her over to the truck.

“Quit yelling at her, she’s scared.” Kayla yells back.

“I don’t give a shit, just get her in the goddamn truck!” I scream at them.

“NO!” Julie squeals. “I don’t want to go anywhere with you, you’re an asshole.”

She’s never spoken to me like this before, but I’ve never acted this way in front of her. In fact, I’ve never acted this way at all.

I breath in and out a few times, eyes closed, trying to calm down. When I open them, I see Kayla crying, holding Julie in her arms, whispering soothing words in her ear.

“I’m sorry, Ju-ju. Just please get in the truck.”

“We get it, we’re going,” Kayla says.

She looks to Logan for a second and tries to convey a message through her eyes.

What the fuck ever.

I’m done with this shit.

Chapter 26

*Jake*

Julie cries the whole way home, it’s the only sound in the truck the entire ride.

When we get home, Kayla has to carry Julie into the house and up to her room.

I go to my room and slam the door shut. It slams so hard, frames in the hallway fall and hit the floor.

I hear Mom at the bottom of the stairs, “What the hell…?”

Minutes pass before my bedroom door opens, something flies in the air and hits me square in the head. I pick it up. It’s Kayla’s phone.

I look up at her. “You better call your best friend and apologize for being an asshole, then you better go see Julie and start making it up to her big time because that little girl is a mess, and you’re the asshole that did that to her.”

She’s fuming. I’ve never seen her this angry, not even when she caught James and Megan. Fuck.

She turns to leave, but I jump up off my bed and run to her, grabbing her arm, forcing her to turn around.

“WHAT?!” she growls out.

“What the fuck is going on?!”

“What the fuck do you think is going on, Jake?”

“You tell me, you were the one playing happy little family with my sister. Having a good old laugh together? What were you doing? Talking about how stupid I was… Stupid Jake, has no idea what you guys are up to!”

“That’s what you think? That we we’re fucking behind your back?”

“That’s what it fucking looks like to me!”