Page 130 of Under the Influence

No matter how hard I try, I can’t push the uncertainty from my mind. I don’t like her pretending with Carson, I don’t like that she feels the need to.

Carson

I did miss you. I’m glad you’re doing better.

Avery moves around next to me, her eyes opening slowly. “Good morning.”

She kisses my chest, tracing one of the tattoos up the side of my neck, “Your mom just let you get these?”

I shiver as she barely touches them, “Yeah.”

“I like them.”

I knit my brows, not really expecting that. “You do?”

“Yeah, Mad, I do.” She continues kissing, her full lips soft against my skin, “You know why?”

I feel my heart flutter, “Why?”

“Because they’re on you,” she whispers.

A strange feeling creeps into my gut as her phone goes off again, pulling her attention. She slides off of me a little, reaching to the floor for it.

“Can we maybe act normal today at school? Just until Carson and I publicly break up. I just don’t want to send the wrong image, you know?”

I stare at her, getting defensive, “So you can fuck me here in the dark where no one can see, but you can’t act like I exist at school?”

“It’s not like that. I want to be with you, Madden.”

I laugh sarcastically, “Just not when Carson is around, right? Or your cheer team? Or anyone who might catch you hanging out with someone like me.”

She sits back on her heels, defeated, “Madden. Stop. I have to break up with Carson in public first. That’s it. I can’t be seen doing all the things I want to do with you when I’m supposed to be dating him.”

She crosses her arms over her chest, over my baseball shirt. She looks sexy as hell when she’s angry.

I pull her into me again, her eyes locking on mine. “Promise me that it won’t be like this for long. I can’t do this forever. I don’t even like seeing you with him, and I wish he’d lose your number.”

She pushes my black hair off my forehead, “I like you when you’re jealous.”

I smile, “When it comes to you, I’m going to be very jealous.”

She melts into me again, and I push all the uncertainty away.

At least for now. Turning my focus to the next thing that needs my attention.

CHAPTER

THIRTY-EIGHT

CARSON

“You and Avery looked awfully cozy today,” Nash interjects. “Thought y’all were coolin’ it for a while.”

“Shhh,” I growl. “We haven’t told anyone that.”

“She has that freshly fucked glow, so if you aren’t boning her, someone else definitely is. She looks fucking hot.”

I shove my fist into his arm before he can even blink, “Don’t talk about her like that. We may not be together, but she’s still my friend.”