Page 49 of I Want to Know What Love Is

“Mind your fucking business, Bane. That was a dick move.”

“Are you shitting me? That’s—”

“None of your fucking business.” I slide my eyes to the two girls, reminding him we have an audience. He stares me down, but keeps his mouth shut for a beat. Then he talks and my shoulders tense and my fists clench.

“You fucking hypocrite. You’re nothing but a fucking phony asshole. You have everyone thinking you’re so perfect, so wonderful, but you’re nothing but a lying son of a bitch. Don’t ever tell me what to do again.” He stops, his anger seething, his barbs, every one of them hitting their mark, impaling me, stinging like the devil’s pitchfork.

I’m frozen with guilt and there’s not a god damn thing I can say to him that would make a difference. He’ll think the worst and even if it’s not true, even if I haven’t had the pleasure of anything more than a quick kiss, I wish I had more, so I may as well be guilty as charged.

We stand facing each other, the two girls’ eyes wide, their mouths gaping open and silent. We’re like stone, all motionless. It feels like we’ll be stuck here forever in our speechless stand-off until Randy breaks free.

“All bets are off now, Jonesy. I own your ass.” He shoves me and I snap out of my limbo.

“You don’t own anything and you don’t know anything. And do not lay your hands on me. Ever again.” My voice is calm and cold. The girls back away. I see Shelby and Jasper coming from behind Bane down the narrow hallway. Heather is behind them.

“Hey, what’s going on. Settle down, Bane,” Shelby says. They push past the girls who disappear and who knows what they think. Or what they’re going to say. Small miracle they didn’t have their phones out taking videos. Bane’s fists are clenched and raised at his waist. I hope he takes a swing because it would feel so good to punch him back.

“Your friend, our so-called team leader is messing around with Coach Lake." There’s a beat of shocked silence where everyone sucks in a breath at once, not because they’re surprised about me and Amanda—except Heather has to be shocked—but because they’re surprised that Bane is making the accusation. My mind spins, caught between the desire for violence and the need to de-escalate the situation. The usually mouthy Shelby and easy-going Jasper are thrown off enough to allow another tick of silence to go by. But not Heather.

“Are you crazy? I don’t know where you’d get suck a notion.” She shoves past Bane and moves to my side as she speaks. “Of course there’s nothing between Dylan and coach Lake because I’m seeing him and I would know. I keep him plenty busy if you must know.” She blushes furiously and turns away, burying her face in my chest and I truly want to kiss her in that moment, but as my arms go around her, the flash of affection fades to a brotherly kiss on the top of her head before it heats up past the initial spark. Shelby frowns, not bothering to hide his displeasure with Heather’s loyalties. But he doesn’t say a word. Neither does Jasper.

“Now if you’ll excuse us,” I say. I lead Heather past Bane and Shelby and Jasper follow. When I head to the front door, my friends keep up and we don’t stop until we’re outside and halfway down the driveway.

“What the—what was that all about?” Shelby is talking to Heather, not me.

“I have no idea except that it was obvious Dylan was in trouble and he needed … an alibi.”

Shelby laughs first, closely followed by Jasper and then me.

“I think I need to leave,” I say. Shelby and Jasper grunt their agreement. Heather follows us to the end of the driveway, forcing me into the awkward position of having to kiss her good-night, but it’s a chaste kiss and Jasper’s the only one who hoots, oblivious of the dark undercurrents coming from Shelby.

The conversation walking back to BMOC House consists of Shelby calling me out, asking what set Bane off, where he got the idea about something between me and Coach Lake and I admit to the texting and the photo she sent.

Jasper whistles and shakes his head at how messed up this is. He doesn’t know how messed up it is that I’m cheating on sweet Heather and she’s the one who stepped in to save me. He doesn’t know about the details of my deal with Heather’s Uncle and I need to keep it that way. The only non-confidential part of the agreement is the PSA for the animal rescue league and that’s how it has to stay.

“Yeah, it was truly generous of Heather to stand up for you.” There’s real anger in Shelby’s words. “You definitely don’t deserve her loyalty, you s.o.b.”

“She did it as a friend, not a girlfriend. There’s nothing between us. I swear.”

“Does she know that?” Jasper asks. Shelby pins me with his eyes, waiting for my answer. I swipe my hands through my hair.

“Yes.” The word comes out in a croak. “I’ve told her we’re no more than friends.”

Shelby laughs, but not in relief. It’s a mocking chuckle. Because he knows how girls are, especially young girls. Even when they say they’re cool with not being the girlfriend, they lie.

And I’m not so sure what Heather thinks anymore. But I know what my best friend Shelby thinks.

He thinks I’m a fucking son of a bitch bastard.

And I can’t tell him about the agreement because it’s confidential.

But fuck that.

Chapter Twenty

Amanda

If I were blind and deaf, I’d still know the moment Dylan walks in my office. His energy, sensual and exciting surrounds me, somehow like a soft blanket. It charges my heart, speeds up my pulse and heats me from my panties outward. My body knows who he is, responds as if he’s Adonis reincarnated, my perfect mate and father for the children I’m never going to have.