Page 28 of Exes That Puck (The Honey Badger Puckers #4)

My insides churn as I walk across the parking lot. Josh Sampers sent her a text that said: Are we still on for this weekend? I was thinking dinner and a movie.

What the fuck am I supposed to make of that? And her first response was, “You’re going through my phone?” Like that’s the real issue here instead of some guy texting her about their date while I’ll be out of the fucking state at an away game.

I’ve been trying so hard to change for her. Weeks of being on my best behavior, going to therapy, asking permission before touching her, and refusing to fight with her. And for what? So she can line up dates with other guys behind my back?

Maybe I should quit pretending to be someone I’m not. All this nice guy bullshit was just an act to get her back anyway and look where it got me. She’s already moving on while I’m sitting here playing by rules that apparently don’t apply to her.

I climb into my truck and tear out of the parking lot before I do something stupid like go back upstairs and fight with her. Though at this point, maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad idea.

When I get home, Ava and Brianne are sprawled on the couch surrounded by Ava’s shit. Hell, it’s a wreck in here. Westley sits at the kitchen table, scrolling his phone with an empty plate of food.

“I thought you were staying at Kara’s?” Ava says when she sees me.

Westley looks up. “You alright, bro?”

I shake my head just as the front door opens behind me. Scott walks in carrying duffel bags like he’s moving in.

“I’m here!” he announces.

I stare at him, then look to Westley for an explanation.

“What’s going on?” Ava asks, watching Scott haul his stuff inside.

“Got kicked out of my place. Need somewhere to crash,” Scott says, dropping his bags by the couch.

I scratch my head. “Uh—”

“Girls got the couch,” Westley says, pointing down the hall. “You can crash in my room.”

“Actually, I found somewhere else to stay,” Ava cuts in. “I’m going to move in with Elly, so the couch is all yours, buddy.”

Scott grins. “Sweet. Now I won’t have this guy poking my back in the middle of the night.”

Westley shakes his head as the girls laugh.

“You’re moving out?” I ask Ava.

She nods, already gathering her things.

I watch Scott settle in like he owns the place while Westley ignores all of us.

“Brianne,” I say. She looks over her shoulder at me. “Can I talk to you?”

Ava starts to stand, but I shake my head. “Not you. Just her.”

Ava rolls her eyes as Brianne follows me to my room. I close the door and turn the lock.

“What are you doing?” she asks.

I step closer, reaching to brush hair from her face. “Miss me?”

She stares up at me, something unreadable in her expression. I remember all the times we used to hook up. She’s the kind of girl that hook ups with no strings attached.

“Kiss me,” I whisper.

“Why?” she says breathless. I don’t know if that tone is shock or excitement.

I pull her closer. “Because—”

She presses her fingers to my lips. “Definitely not.”

When she tries to move around me, I catch her waist. “Bri.”

She looks up with a small smile. “Zeke, I’d love to hook up, but I’m not going to be your rebound. I don’t want to be anyone’s second choice.”

She peels my arm off her body as I stare out the window. The rejection stings, but part of me respects her for it.

Voices carry from outside, then someone starts pounding on my door. Not knocking—pounding.

“Ava,” I snap, annoyed, as Brianne opens the door.

Except it’s not Ava. It’s Kara.

I don’t know what to think because I wasn’t expecting this.

She takes in the scene—me and Brianne in my locked bedroom—and her face twists with rage before she storms off.

“Kara,” I shout, following her.

Ava and Scott watch from the couch while Westley looks up from his phone.

“Kara!”

She spins around. “No! You didn’t even ask me about the text message. You just stormed off! And then I catch you locked in a room with that!” She points at Brianne who is now standing in the hallway, watching us.

“That?” Ava mocks from the couch.

Brianne says something, but I can’t hear it over Kara shouting. I’ve completely tuned her out. I don’t want to hear anything she’s saying. Then Kara looks past me and yells, “You got something to say? Huh?”

I realize she’s not talking to me anymore as she rushes toward Brianne. I catch her before she can reach her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

“Whoa!” Ava jumps up to protect her friend.

“This is what it’s like living in this house? Hells yeah! Best first day,” Scott laughs. “Damn, Westley.”

Kara’s still trying to get at Brianne, kicking her feet while I basically carry her away. I have to admit, knowing she’d throw down for me takes some of the edge off my anger.

I drag her outside and shut the door behind us, setting her down on the porch.

She shoves me hard. “Are you fucking serious, Zeke?”

I scoff, finally calm. Kara has taken on the madness for both of us. I feel chill as I say, “We didn’t do anything. Relax.”

She laughs bitterly, getting in my face. “Relax? Relax! Don’t lie to me, you piece of shit.”

Here we go.

She spits, “The first thing you thought about doing was fucking some other bitch! You haven’t fucking changed at all!”

I step closer, looking down at her. “Like you’re so innocent. Josh Sampers?”

“What were you about to do in there with Brianne ?” She draws out the name mockingly, and I can’t help but laugh.

“This isn’t funny!”

I chuckle again. “Oh, it is, because why would you care what I’m doing if you’re about to see Josh while I’m at an away game? I won’t even be in the state, Kare.” Her eyes narrow. “And you know what? You and I are broken up!”

“We’re not that broken up because we’re still fucking!” she shouts for the entire neighborhood to hear.

“Yeah, well, maybe that needs to end.”

She flinches, taking a step back. “Why? Because I’m a cockblock?”

I drag my hands down my face. “You shouldn’t care, Kara. We are not together. You broke up with me.” I say it like she’s stupid because I’m starting to think she might be.

She uses her whole body to say, “But if we’re broken up and you’re changing for me and you’re still putting your dick in me, I think I have every right to get mad about you wanting to fuck your ex!”

“She’s barely an ex! And she turned me down!” The words explode out before I can stop them.

“Oh, so if she hadn’t, you would’ve been fucking her right now?”

“You’re the one that has a secret date lined up with Josh.”

“It’s not a date!” she cuts me off.

“Dinner and a movie isn’t a date? What planet are you living on?”

She throws her hands up. “I was going to cancel!”

“Were you? Before or after you got caught?”

“Before! I was going to tell you—”

I laugh. “Cut the bullshit. He’s your ex, and I know how much you love to fuck your exes.”

She takes another step back, shock filling every curve of her face. “Fuck you!” She steps closer now. “This isn’t about him. I thought we were good! I thought we were going in a good direction, Z!”

“No, we’re not,” I say, staring at her. I feel my teeth grinding. “We’re the same toxic mess we always have been. I was just pretending to be someone I’m not.”

Her face crumbles. “So none of it was real? The therapy, the changes, asking permission—”

“It was real. But look where it got us.”

“Because you’re just assuming the worst! You never listen to me!”

“Because there’s nothing to listen to! You made plans with another guy. End of story.”

“Fine.” Her voice goes quiet, deadly. “You want to misunderstand and go fuck someone else? Go right ahead, Zeke. End of story.”

“It’s not a misunderstanding—”

“Yes, it is! But you’re too stubborn to admit you’re wrong.” She backs toward the street. “Enjoy your easy fuck, Zeke. I hope she rides your dick like I do.”

That image of her riding my dick stops me in my tracks, and now I can’t think straight. Is she giving up on me right now? I watch her walk away and seeing her storm off pisses me off.

“Kara—”

She turns around and flips me off.

I run down the path and say, “Go on your little date with Josh. Fuck him, and then come tell me that it’s really over.”

She stops, her fists fiddling with her fingers. “What?” she whips around.

“Yeah.” I stop a few feet away from her.

“You want me to fuck Josh?” she scoffs, shaking her head. “You’re just saying that so you can go fuck Brianne or whoever the hell you’ve had your eyes on!”

I shake my head. “No, I’m not fucking Brianne or anyone else until you do this. I’ll wait to find a rebound after we do this little experiment.” I step closer, challenging her. “I’ll be at an away game this weekend, so go on this little date with Josh…”

She scoffs, rolling her eyes.

“And if you enjoy it, then this really ends.”

She’s looking up at me with her cute mad face. “If I hate it?”

I whisper, “Then I’ll let you ride my dick.”

She pushes me, but I don’t budge. So, naturally she steps back. “All you care about is fucking, Z. I’m so fucking over this! You haven’t changed at all!”

I laugh. “Can you blame me? I fucking love you, Kare.”

Her face winces as she shakes her head quickly. “Don’t fucking do that.” Her fingers are spread wide as she backs away. “I can’t keep doing this with you.”

I shrug. “Then don’t. Go and fuck Josh and tell me if that’s what you want.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “I’ll be back on Sunday.”

She’s staring at me as she walks away without another word. My heart is pounding in my chest when she turns around and walks away.

If this is successful, I know I just fucked up the best thing that ever happened to me. No more riding my dick, no more late nights talking about nothing, no more passionate fights, and no more Kara Day. I watch her ass swaying as she walks away and think, if only I had listened to her.