Page 37 of Stay With Me

Luckily, Noah beats me to it and smacks him across the head.

Quickly grabbing Lydia’s arm, I yank her back before there really is agirl fightin the middle of the bar. It’s not to protect Lydia but to keep Magnolia out of trouble.

“Don’t talk to her like that,” I warn Lydia.

Her jaw drops as she motions toward Magnolia. “She just pulled my hair! Didn’t you hear what she said about me?”

“I don’t give a shit. You don’t call anyone a slut, especiallyher, around me.” I set my jaw, narrowing my eyes so she understands my warning won’t be repeated.

Before another word is muttered, Travis walks up behind Magnolia, and my vision goes black.

This motherfucker.

“There a problem, Hollis?” The arrogance in his tone makes me want to deck that smug smirk off his face.

“There will be if you don’t mind your own damn business.” My eyes zoom into how close he’s standing to Magnolia.

“Lookin’ to add a second round of community service to yourrésumé?” His arm drapes around her shoulders in a familiar way, and it makes my hands itch to smack his hands off her.

“Fuck off, Travis. This doesn’t involve you…for once,” I spit out.

“Sure it does. Your little girlfriend there is getting in my Maggie’s face. So you either stop her…or I will.”

“Shut up, Travis,” Magnolia scolds him with an elbow to his gut.

Good girl.

“Baby doll, I’m just protectin’ you.”

“Well, I don’t need it,” she hisses, walking around him and shoveling through people to get away.

I give Travis a cocky smirk just to piss him off that he’s not getting Magnolia’s attention tonight either.

Chapter Eight

Magnolia

Fuck me sideways, what have I done?

The beige walls with the posters of naked women are all too familiar and make me dry heave, the memories of last night playing in a loop. Of all the men in the world, why did I have to end up at Travis’s place?

I was in recovery!Two years of no Travis. Two years of not going back to him.

Two years down the drain.

Over…just like that.

Alcohol-infused IV straight into my arm and my dumbass ends up back here.

God, I’m pathetic.

The moment I saw Lydia Marrow—besides wanting to vomit on her shoes—I wanted to flick her long claws off Tripp’s arm. If the rumors are true, she tried to trap her ex-boyfriend into having a baby, and as soon as he found out, he dumped her. Whether she did or not, I don’t trust her. Especially with Tripp.

And it made me get absolutely wasted.

Noah and I danced nonstop and continued drinking. I took shot after shot, hoping to wash the image of Lydia fucking Tripp out of my head. I did my best not to pay attention to them, whichwas easy enough since my brothers hung out in the back to play pool and darts. When Noah and Fisher were ready to go, I was still partying with a couple of our other friends, so I told them I’d Uber home since I only live a few blocks away. There’s no way I planned to drive, but somehow between scheduling my ride and the exit, Travis convinced me to go home with him.

“Maggie…” He groans, tightening his hold on my stomach. “Ride me before I lose my mornin’ wood.” He grinds his cock into my ass, and I gag.