Page 35 of Bitter When He Begs

I don’t turn around and I don’t move, but I feel him step closer. “No one else sees it,” he murmurs, lowering his voice. “They see you win games, they see you fuck around at parties, they see you walk into a room and own it like you always do. But I see it because I used to be there.”

My hands curl into fists because he’s right.

No one notices.

No one looks past the perfect fucking quarterback, the guy who has it all and knows it. No one sees what’s underneath. No one asks why I push myself harder than everyone else, why I don’t let myself stop, why I can’t fucking sit still.

No one sees the crash, but apparently, Damon does. He fucking sees me, and it makes me want to be sick.

I still can’t look at him when he places a hand on my shoulder. “Whenever you’re ready to quit and do it the right way, let me know.”

Then he turns and walks back inside, leaving me standing there with my heart hammering, my hands shaking, and stomach fucking twisting.

Someone knows.

Someone sees.

And I don’t know if I want to hit something or fucking run.

Sage

I’mhalfwaytothedoor, keys in hand, hoodie pulled up and ready to leave before Luca gets back, when the front door slams open so hard it rattles the fucking walls.

I jump, heart hammering, adrenaline spiking, fight or flight kicking in before I even process what’s happening. Luca storms inside, his presence swallowing the entire fucking house in an instant.

His jaw is locked, his shoulders tight, his hands clenched into fists at his sides as he moves past me like I’m not even there. He takes the stairs two at a time, disappearing toward his room without so much as a glance in my direction.

And fuck, I should be glad he’s ignoring me after last night. He spent the entire morning acting like I didn’t exist, and that’s good, that’s what I wanted, that’s what I needed.

But the way my stomach twists tells me I’m full of shit.

I liked the way he ripped me out of Damien’s hands, the way his fingers curled around my wrist like he was this close todragging me out of that house. I liked the possessiveness in his grip, the way he burned when he looked at me.

And maybe, I wanted him to feel it.

That’s why I was loud. That’s why I made sure every gasp, every moan, every sound I let slip from my lips while Damien fucked me was loud enough to carry through the walls. I wanted Luca to hear it, to know exactly what was happening, to know that I was with someone else, to know he doesn’t own me.

But now, he’s not even paying attention, and I don’t know if I feel victorious or fucking sick.

I shove the feeling down, shaking it off as I step outside and make my way to my car, slamming the door shut harder than necessary before gripping the steering wheel, exhaling slowly while trying to get my pulse to settle.

It’s fine.

Everything is fine.

I start the car, pull out of the driveway, and head toward the frat house. By the time I park, I’ve almost convinced myself to get over it. Then I walk inside, and Nate is waiting for me. I don’t even make it past the fucking threshold before he’s in my face, arms crossed, eyes judging.

“Well?”

“Well, what?”

Nate glares. “Don’t play dumb, asshole. Who was it?”

I frown, confused. “Who was what?”

He lets out an exaggerated groan, throwing his head back. “Sage, do not make me drag it out of you. Who did you hook up with last night?” I roll my eyes, pushing past him toward the kitchen, but the relentless fuck follows. “Was it Damien? I saw you two leave together.”

I grab a water bottle from the fridge, twisting the cap off. “Maybe.”