Brooke knew, or at least had an inkling that, Jake would attempt to turn the questions around on her. She expected as much as she spun around and glowered, staring down at Jake resting comfortably in her bed. He definitely wasnât giving up and Brooke knew that in order to squash things between them, sheâd have to explain herself. Or as much as the truth she could share. Because, Jake would literally freak if he knew there had been another guy in the picture. But not just that. One who was down the hall, with a hard on, that she helped alleviate. âHave you ever stopped to think or ask yourself why that is?â Ignoring the confirmation about Stu for a moment, Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes. âYouâve been mean, Jake. I donât know what the hellâs gotten into you but, you seem to think you can speak to me anyway you want and all is forgiven. Then you post shit on social media to get back at me and it hurts.â Brooke hated to admit it but, right now Jake needed to know. They were in severe danger of breaking up.Â
âIf you want to get shitfaced with Stu and flirt with other girls then fine! You can do it without me. Iâm not standing for it or your jealous tirades anymore. Seriously Jake, I mean it. If it happens again, weâre done.â While it warmed her heart to hear that he missed her, Brooke knew she had to stay strong. Obviously, she loved Jake and she hated hurting him. She felt guilty even though, she had reasons to be angry. Most of the time, she convinced herself she was just being overdramatic but maybe she wasnât? Jake was intentionally doing things to hurt her and it wasnât okay. âI really got to shower now. And I donât want you to join me. But,ââ she paused. This was her giving him one last chance to prove to her they could still be in a relationship. âJust relax here, okay? Be quiet and donât move so my dad doesnât see you. Then you can drive me to school, or Iâll drive you because youâre wasted.â Not giving him time to argue back, Brooke grabbed a towel from her vanity station and quickly slipped into the bathroom, locking the door shut behind her. She was relieved to be alone as her mind circulated with thoughts of Tyler in the shower. His tall frame, his hard muscles, the steady rise and fall of his chest as he jerked himself off beside her. He was so shameless and so hot this morning that, it turned Brooke on and she had no choice but to finish herself off, just to relieve some tension under the waterâs spray. She was upset to see traces of Tyler disappear but also knew that, with Jake waiting on the other side of the door for her, it was probably for the best. She needed to stay away from Tyler. The only problem was, that was hard to do.
After her shower ended, Brooke emerged half dressed. She knew if she revealed herself in a towel, Jake would just pull it off and distract her from her anger. She couldnât give him the chance to seduce her and so she made quick work of getting herself dressed. She didnât have time for a full face of make up, so she settled with simple mascara and peach-flavored lipgloss. Then turned around to find Jake watching her, âReady to go?â Remembering that Tyler was still down the hall, Brooke had to think quickly on her feet. âCan you do me a favor, please? Grab my gym bag from downstairs and throw it in the backseat when you start the truck? Iâll be down in a minute. I just gotta grab a few more things and tell my dad Iâm leaving.â Just for good measure, Brooke tacked on a smile and leaned over the side of the bed to plant a kiss to Jakeâs lips. âPlease, babe?â
Jake didnât think heâd been mean. If anything, he was desperately trying to win Brookeâs attention back. Maybe he wasnât doing it in the right way â but what choice did he really have? Relationships could feel like a game at times and though he wasnât really into the games, he knew how to play them. Whatâs wrong with me getting shit-faced with Stu while youâre having girlsâ night or being your fatherâs campaign puppet?  Flirting with girls? By being social on social media? It wasnât flirting. There were so many things Jake wanted to say to defend himself but he couldnât because it was clear, Brooke was on the verge of breaking up with him for the one-billionth time. âFine, fine⊠take your shower.â He whispered dismissively. At this point, he really couldnât be bothered. And he knew sex never fixes anything. It only makes manners tenser. There were only so many times they could ignore their problems by covering them up with climaxes.
âYeah, I guessâŠâ Jake groaned from her bed after she emerged from the bathroom, half-ready. He was a little out of it after popping a percocet while she was in the shower. He didnât feel like he could argue with her but he also couldnât turn his thoughts off, which race all-day long with insecurities and so the drugs and booze help. âMeet you out there.â He kissed her softly and felt their distance pull at his heartstrings.
After Jake disappeared down the stairs, Tyler emerged from the bathroom closet the moment he heard Brookeâs voice. He was able to get his erection down by finishing himself off to the thought of her in the closet with him, stroking him into her hand and then her mouth. âMiss me?â a little sweaty from the tight, unventilated area, he poked out with a dazzling smile almost as bright as his hazel eyes. After spotting the clothes in her hands, he reached out for the boxers. He let the towel fall from his waist in front of her before stepping into his underwear and pulling them up below the deep lines adorning his hips. âSo whatâs going on with the boyfriend?â Tylerâs tone was genuinely curious. He was concerned but for selfish reason. He wanted her all to himself.Â