Besides, Abbott Carney doesn’t kiss half as good as my Colton does.

There’s a cocky gleam in his eye as he places my hand on his cock. “So this Abbott Carney tool aside, I’ll be all your firsts?”

“Ye—no,” I say as the memory flashes through my head.

It’s funny how your mind can put horrible experiences you’d prefer to forget on the back burner.

Cole raises an eyebrow. “I’m gonna need some clarification on that.”

I squeeze his length through his sweatpants, hoping to shift the focus elsewhere. The last thing I want to bring up is him.

Especially right now.

“It’s not important.” I start to maneuver down the bed. “What’s important is how much I don’t want to try this right now.”

Cole makes a face. “I’ve bullshitted my way out of enough answers to know when someone is doing it to me.” He tips my chin. “I’ll never judge you. Besides, after the stuff I’ve done in the past, I have no right to be upset by anything you’ve done in yours.”

Normally, I’d agree. However, there’s always an exception to the rule.

And unfortunately for me…I’ve found it.

Or rather…jerked it. Twice.

Fuck my life.

I bolt upright on the bed. “Please don’t be mad. I probably should have told you sooner, but there was never really a good time to mention it. And to be honest, it’s not something I really think about, so it slipped my mind. Hooking up with him was a mis—”

“Who?”

“Trust me, it’s better for us both if I don’t say. Bringing it up will only upset you. Like I tried to tell you before, it was a huge mistake.”

Actually, compared to Cole and half the guys in the locker room that day, it was a pretty small mistake, but there’s no need to mention that.

Cole looks like he’s going to be sick. “It was Oakley, wasn’t it?” He stands up. “Swear to God, I’m gonna fucking—”

“Holy shit. No. I never hooked up with Oakley.” I pause. “Apart from when he kissed me at Christian’s.”

The way his jaw tics tells me that definitely did not help the situation.

He pales. “Jace?”

“No.” I smack his shoulder. “What the hell is the matter with you? I would never do that to Dylan.”

Placing his hands on his hips, he shrugs. “Those are the only two guys I can think of who would make me upset.” He makes a face. “Shit. It wasn’t Bianca, was—”

“Oh, my God,” I exclaim, exasperated. “I’ve never hooked up with your best friend or either of your siblings, you weirdo.”

“Then who?” He waves his hands. “Who is this mystery man you don’t want to tell me a—”

“Tommy,” I admit. “It was Tommy.”

Chapter 60

Cole

That motherfucking good for nothing snake.

I already had every reason to hate him and after hearing what he did to Sawyer—how he used her to get off and then tried to act like he was some noble prince after he was done with her…

It’s safe to say I’ve just added one more reason to the list.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “But it—”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.”

She shouldn’t be apologizing. If anyone should be apologizing, it’s him. It’s a good thing the fucker left town, otherwise he’d no longer be breathing.

Suffice it to say the moment between us is ruined and my hard-on is officially gone.

“I’m starving.” I head for my bedroom door. “I’m gonna order us a pizza. Be right back.”

“Cole.”

I turn. “Yeah?”

“You can talk about him…in fact, I think it might help if you did.”

“Why the fuck would I ever want to talk about Tom—”

“I meant Liam.”

Just like that, the thawing ice around my heart begins to freeze.

I glare at her. “If this is gonna work between us, I have three rules.”

She raises an eyebrow. “What?”

“Don’t ever lie to me again. Don’t ever mess around with another guy. And don’t bring up Liam…ever.”

The lethal tone of my voice makes it clear there is no goddamn room for argument.

“I’m gonna go.”

I look down at her plate. She barely took a bite of her pizza.

After the Tommy bomb she dropped earlier, things have been a little tense between us.

Reaching down, she grabs her purse off the floor. “I have to work all day tomorrow. I’d say stop by, but…yeah.”

I’m not allowed. Which is bullshit if you ask me.

Any place that prevents me from seeing Sawyer is a place that deserves to be burned to the ground.

“Tell Stone I said hi.” A gut-wrenching thought bred from pure jealousy strikes me. “Unless you’re hooking up with him too.”

I regret the words the moment they leave my mouth, but it’s too late.

Sawyer is already looking at me like I’m a royal asshole.

I am.

She draws in a deep breath, like she’s trying to remain as composed as she can. “I can’t…I literally have no words, Colton.”

I should apologize.

She didn’t do anything wrong.

It was me.

It’s always me.

Chapter 61

Cole

I hate the way I left things with her.

But, since she’s not answering any of my texts, she only brought what’s happening upon herself.

Flipping my hoodie up, I take a deep breath and climb the side of her house. I’m grateful for all the years of grueling football practice that kept my body in tiptop shape, because this shit isn’t nearly as easy as it looks in the movies.

Fortunately, her window is open again, which makes my job a hell of a lot easier.

I make a mental note to yell at her to close it after I leave though because any maniac could crawl through it in the middle of the night.

Case in point—the one attempting to right now.

Hanging onto the ledge with one hand, I raise the window higher with the other.

Being as quiet as I can, I climb inside.

The lights are out—given it’s past midnight and all—but to my dismay she’s not here.

Da fuck? Her van is in the driveway.

Pulling out my phone, I shoot her a text.

Cole: Where are you?

The phone on the nightstand lights up.

I guess that would explain why she ignored my last two texts.

I’m about to go sit on her bed and wait, but I hear the faint click of a latch. “‘Night, Daddy. Love you.”

Shit. Her dad is still up.

Thinking quick, I slip behind the open door of her closet and crouch down.

There’s no doubt in my mind if she sees a shadowy figure standing in her room, she’ll scream her head off and he’ll rush inside.

I’m not about to give her overprotective redneck daddy the luxury of shooting me tonight.