Series: Fever Falls Series by Riley Hart
Total pages in book: 89
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85157 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 426(@200wpm)___ 341(@250wpm)___ 284(@300wpm)
“Why would you feel guilty? You didn’t force him to put his dick in your ass. You certainly didn’t force him to like it so much…or to fall madly in love with you, or to go to the bar with us. He was there because he loves you and wanted to be with you…and maybe because you’re hot and he knew all the guys there would see it.” Linc winked, and I rolled my eyes at him.
“I miss him.” I shrugged. “And I feel responsible because he was with me. I should have…I don’t know, protected him more.”
“You aren’t responsible for everyone you love in the world. I know you like to pretend you are. Hell, I know I like to pretend you’re responsible for me sometimes…but you’re not. You’re not a superhero.”
“Take that back.” I smiled, even though I didn’t really feel it. Or maybe I did. My friendship with Lincoln always helped, even when he drove me up the damn wall.
“Okay, so you’re kind of a superhero, but Ashton is also a grown-ass man who isn’t acting like it right now. I get that he’s hurt, but does he not think you’re hurt too? And he can’t fucking let you know where he is? I’m going to kick his ass next time I see him…or you know, have Rush do it for me. Ashton’s bigger than me, and those muscles…fuck, those muscles.”
Closing my eyes, I dropped my head back, as though that somehow gave me answers. I was hurt, worried, and pissed…because I was there. Whatever way the chips fell, I was there, and I would deal with it, while Ash had run away and hidden…and obviously didn’t care enough about me to even let me know he was okay.
A frowned tugged at my lips when I saw the group of men in front of the college. The temperature in my body spiked, shot to dangerous levels as I jogged toward them. When I saw a familiar head of perfectly behaved dark-brown hair standing in the center of them, my whole fucking world blew apart. I didn’t realize I’d sped up, run faster, and suddenly I was there, shoving one of the reporters away from Kenny. “Leave him the fuck alone!” I shouted, with cameras in my face.
“We’re not doing anything wrong; just asking a few questions. Isn’t that right, Kenny?” one of the men said. Kenny was speaking so fast, I couldn’t understand him, his words all tangled together. “He was telling us about your boyfriend, Ashton Carmichael. How long have the two of you been hiding your relationship? Did you allow all the sexual escapades over the years to keep up the facade?”
“Leave us the fuck alone,” I said again as I wrapped my arm around Kenny, trying to walk away.
I hadn’t made it but a few feet when I heard, “What about the suggestion that this is all some kind of ploy? Out-of-control football player tormented by being gay? Went to his hometown, coached a special-needs team, donated a football field? You have to admit, it’s genius. He cleaned up his act, making himself look like he was a victim of toxic masculinity in football, while he’s donating to good causes, settling down with his stable boyfriend and coaching a special-needs team with him? Ashton is a whole lot harder for a team to turn away now, without the league blowing up for being homophobic.”
White-hot rage sliced through me.
No. No, no, no, no.
Ash wouldn’t do that.
“Fuck off. You don’t know him if you think that.” It was a stupid thing to say, but I couldn’t help myself. I wasn’t going to let them twist who Ash was that way. I sure as shit wasn’t going to let Kenny feel like Ash had been using him.
“His agent has been talking to the Tigers about him for weeks. Did you know that?” the man asked.
My foot caught on the edge of the sidewalk, and I nearly tripped. My grip on Kenny tightened.
“B-B-B-Beau?” Kenny looked at me, and I shook my head.
“Don’t say anything. Don’t believe them.” We were walking again, but they continued to follow.
“Are you going to stay loyal to him now that you know he could have been using you both for his image?” the reporter, who wore a shirt which read Glitz & Glam, said again, and I couldn’t say what came over me. Anger short-circuited my brain. My head throbbed. I was pissed at the reporters, the situation…Ash.
Could Ash have been using me?
“He didn’t tell you, did he? You didn’t know about Texas?”
Before I could stop myself, I’d balled my right hand into a fist and swung. It connected with warm flesh, and he stumbled backward.
Cameras went off, not just from the fucking pricks who’d cornered Kenny, but students from campus. Phones were aimed at me, recording.