Falling for my boyfriend’s Navy brother
Chapter 81: Penny
The matic inside the home is deafening, the Find that paber in your loner and beaten your cart singing De hari. 1 the cold air hitting me like a wate, blessed and beting at the same time. I infile, deep and desperate, trying to put skin’s clammy, im head’s light, and I feel like my best is tap dancing in
| lower inpsell esta the stairs, ene step
Hell as soon as I felt like I don’t belong.
elbows pesting en my knees, palet pressed to my temples. Maybe I shouldn’t haverone Or macha |
The pesty behind me is a swirling chaos of laughter and shouts and music, but here it’s quiet enough for me to think, which, ironically
want to de
“Hey, pretty gal”
The voice slums behind me, low and ton close, socked in alculed and something meaner.
I glance up. He’s tall. Or maybe I’m just slope, square ja, athletic–he looks like someone who’s been told his wee that deserves t
he wants.
“Hi,” I say quietly, trying not to encourage anything, then look away, hoping he’ll take the hist,
He doesn’t
“You bene alone
He plops down beside me, the wood creaking under the sudden weight. Way too close. His thigh brushes mine, and I immediately
He shida with me. Closer still
“I saw you inside. Thought you looked familiar,” he says. “You’re the dancer girl, right?”
1 stiffen. “1–seah, Ballet”
“That’s hot,” he says, voice dipped in sleaze. “Like real flexible and stuff?
1 bite the inside of my cheek. “Thanks, I guess.”
“You wanna come back inside with me? My car’s parked down the street,” he leans closer, breath recking of beer and something sweeter–maybe rum. Ha hand land on my knee,
“No, thank you.” I knock his hand off, try to keep my tone cahu, firm, unfriendly.
– He chuckles. “Playing hand to get?”
“I said no.”
He doesn’t laten. His hand retas, rougher this time, sliding higher on
my thigh.
My beath catches “Stop”
He laughs again–like this is funny to him. A geur.
“Cmon,” he whispers, fingers pressing into the softskin just above my knee. “Don’t be like that. You’ve got a tight little body, bet you krune hose to use it.”
I shove his hand off harder. “I said get off!“.
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Chapter 81 Penny
“Let go of mois, arking my arm.
1 open my mouth to stran, but I don’t have to
durjening.
and ferre. They got silver rings on nearly
finger, piercings Tining bork ein, and cams cargo pants he
id looks at him –
“Wora good, babe
using me, and ood. “Tech. Thanks, baby.”
The pryse boch hands, palms up, backing off. “Dunn, my bad. Dida’s
“Yeah, and now you du” the girl traps.
He stumbles off down the sidewalk, muttering something about crazy girls. I let at a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.
“Thank you.”
shrugs and drops onto the step beside ne. “Guys like that make me want to kick them in the nuts so hard they see stars.”
That makes me lauch–really laugh, for the fir
“I’m Tales,” she says, offering a fist for a bump.
“Penny.”
“Cool name. You okay?”
I nod, a Ettle dazed. “I will be. Just needed air. And apparently a bodyguard.”
You got one nie,” she smirks. “1 hang around for a while at these things. Always one creep. At least.”
We talk for a little longer–she’s in town for school, grew up in the city, likes punk music and hates math. I like her instantly.
But then I hear it. The kind of scream that’s not panic, not fear–just chaotic, drunk amusement–flooding from the basement windows.
I stand “1 should check on someone.”
Jules nods. “You know where to find me if another fat boy tries anything”
I smile, grateful, and dart back into the house, havigating through bodies and down the nanow stairs to the basement.
at 1 ser makes my stomach turn,
Rebecca. Straddling lap after lap, grinding her hips, tossing her hair like she’s auditioning for a video. Guys, Girls. Everyone cheering Hands waring
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Chapter 81: Penny
And Isles Tyler is right there, front and center, Gaining the ani, Cheering her on like it’s the font and thest, his hand on her thighs.
– “Nowy “” Tyler’s voice cuts through the minic and cool like a Hale, slurp and ton koud. Ve spota me near the Itairs and woman came ale
graning like he jest ten a championship. “Come sit with mat 1’s your party bank
The’s surrounded – Rebecca draped on one arms, some go I vaguely recognize from school slumped against his other side, the flour around them littered beet sans and empty chip bags, Lighter and smoke swirl in the air like cham bottled,
I step closet, keeping my voeren. “I want to get
He squints at me, Hosking slow, like I’m a puzle he forgot how to sobe, “Bake, what? Why?”
You’re drunk 1 un. “Vom vir been thinking way too much”
He waves a hand, neatly willing the beer. “I’s fine.”
“You’re not,” I say firmly. “Tyler, please. I want to leave.”
And that’s when it happens.
He bend at the waist with zero warning and vomits violently onto the carpet. The crowd gasps, the air reeking instantly of beer and ad
Then–laughter. Applause.
“BOOT AND RALLY!” someone bellows
OT AND BALLY! BOOT AND RALLY!”
The chant catches. “BOOT AND
Before I can process, another cup in shoved into his hand. Rebecca’s howling with laughter, smacking his back like he just did something her.
“Tyler–” | start, reaching out instinctively
And that’s when his hand clamps around my waist. Tight.
Too tight
My breath catches in my throat.
How grip burns. Like he’s forgotten what my hand feels like. Like he doesn’t realize he’s hurting me. Or maybe he does and doesn’t care.
I don’t recognize what’s staring back.
look at him–and Ti
His eyes are glass bloodshot, pupils too wide. But it’s more than that. They’re cald. Distant Cruel
Then go home if you’re not having fun,” he
Like I’m an inculivenience.
Like I’m the one noning the night.
The grip on my wrist pale i try to pull aws, and his fingers tighten for a split second before they finally release, leaving an ache behind like a brune that
Hon’t bloomed yet.
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Chapter 81: Penny
Not just my wrist.
All of it.
The way his voice changed. The look in his eyes. The way Rebecca snorts next to him like she’s entertained.
The humiliation, sudden and suffocating, wraps around me like a second skin.
I take a shaky breath and step back.
loud and not enough all at once.
I bolt upstairs. Back into the noise and the chaos and everything that’s too loud and
I try to find Mila, to grab her and get out of here. But she’s gone. I check the kitchen. The living room. Nothing I pull out my phone, heart in my throat.
One
text. Twenty–five minutes
Mila: Leaving w the cute guy see u manday ily
I can’t breathe.
I can’t walk home. Not this late, not in this outfit. Not after what just happened.
I can’t ask Tyler
‘m not staying here.
And I’m
There’s only one person I can call right now. The only one who feels even remotely safe
With shaking hands, I press his name on my screen
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