Not the Friend with Benefits: A BBW New Adult Serial Romance (Not the Hot Chick series Book 3) Read Online Free Page B
Drew's cheek with her thumb. "It was fun, baby," she murmured. "Let's do it again sometime."
Drew didn't move, but his face was pinched with misery. He slid a look Layla's way that said, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I know she used me.
It didn't matter.
Jessi walked to the door, opened it, and stepped into the hall. Layla followed, still floating, her legs moving of their own volition. Jessi paused at the top of the stairs and turned to her with a smirk.
"How does it feel, knowing you're getting my sloppy seconds this time?"
The fog surrounding Layla cleared instantly. Rage slammed her. She grabbed the red jacket, still in Jessi's arms. What she meant to say or do next, she didn't know. But she had no chance to do anything. Jessi yanked on the jacket and stumbled backward, arms flailing, down the stairs.
It all happened too quickly for her even to scream. For a moment Layla throbbed with fierce satisfaction as Jessi fell. Then her stomach lurched with sickening dread when the girl hit the landing.
They stared at each other, both wide-eyed with shock.
"Oh my God." Layla hurried down to her. "Don't move. I'll—"
Before she could say more, the girl screamed, "Stay away from me! Don't come fucking near me!"
Drew heard the commotion and raced down the stairs. "What the hell happened?"
Jessi swatted him as he tried to help her up. "Don't touch me! Your fucking girlfriend tried to kill me!"
Drew swung a horrified look at Layla. "What did you do?"
Layla let go a breath, shook her head in a daze. She felt deflated, completely empty. "She fell."
"Fell, my ass!" Jessi shrieked. "She pushed me, is what!"
"Jessi, come on." Drew picked up her short boot, which had come off during the fall, and held it out to her. "It was an accident."
"The hell it was!" She snatched the boot and smacked him in the face with it. He recoiled. Layla gasped. "Fucking wimp. You think she's so nice . She's got you fooled big time." She snorted and danced on one foot as she pulled on the boot. "Loser."
Silently Drew picked up her jacket and purse. Jessi grabbed them with a sneer. "She's only with you 'cause the bartender doesn't want her." Throwing back her tangled hair, she hobbled down the steps to the next landing. "Have fun being the one she settles for."
They heard the sound of the front door opening, but Jessi wouldn't leave until she fired one last shot. "She'd fuck him in a hot minute if he gave her the time of day!"
The vicious utterance echoed in the stairwell long after the main door slammed shut. Then came silence.
Layla and Drew remained where they stood, staring at each other. She broke the spell first, trudged back to her apartment. Closing the door behind her would have demanded too much energy, so she left it open.
She lowered herself to the sofa, still dazed. She couldn't believe that Drew and Jessi had hooked up in her home. In her bed . God. She'd have to wash the sheets. No. Burn them. If only she could burn the mattress, too.
Drew came in and stopped in the middle of the room. He shook his head, gazed at her as if he'd never seen her before. "I can't believe you pushed her…"
She blinked. He really thought that? "She fell." And you were glad , her little voice said. For a second, you hoped she'd break her neck.
If only she could feel that anger now. Feel anything. But she was numb, in shock.
Drew's face was scratched where Jessi had hit him. She pointed to her own cheek right below the eye. "You're bleeding."
He touched his cheek and looked surprised at the smear of red on his hand. "Uh, I'm just gonna…" He gestured to the bathroom.
"Yeah, go ahead," she told him dully.
Dummy, what's wrong with you? He screwed Jessi. Screwed you over. And you're letting him wash up in your bathroom?
Yeah. It was stupid. But the world had tilted and she needed time. Time to get back in her body. Time to connect to her feelings.
While he was in the bathroom, Layla listened to the water running in the faucet, the
Drew didn't move, but his face was pinched with misery. He slid a look Layla's way that said, I'm sorry. I didn't mean for this to happen. I know she used me.
It didn't matter.
Jessi walked to the door, opened it, and stepped into the hall. Layla followed, still floating, her legs moving of their own volition. Jessi paused at the top of the stairs and turned to her with a smirk.
"How does it feel, knowing you're getting my sloppy seconds this time?"
The fog surrounding Layla cleared instantly. Rage slammed her. She grabbed the red jacket, still in Jessi's arms. What she meant to say or do next, she didn't know. But she had no chance to do anything. Jessi yanked on the jacket and stumbled backward, arms flailing, down the stairs.
It all happened too quickly for her even to scream. For a moment Layla throbbed with fierce satisfaction as Jessi fell. Then her stomach lurched with sickening dread when the girl hit the landing.
They stared at each other, both wide-eyed with shock.
"Oh my God." Layla hurried down to her. "Don't move. I'll—"
Before she could say more, the girl screamed, "Stay away from me! Don't come fucking near me!"
Drew heard the commotion and raced down the stairs. "What the hell happened?"
Jessi swatted him as he tried to help her up. "Don't touch me! Your fucking girlfriend tried to kill me!"
Drew swung a horrified look at Layla. "What did you do?"
Layla let go a breath, shook her head in a daze. She felt deflated, completely empty. "She fell."
"Fell, my ass!" Jessi shrieked. "She pushed me, is what!"
"Jessi, come on." Drew picked up her short boot, which had come off during the fall, and held it out to her. "It was an accident."
"The hell it was!" She snatched the boot and smacked him in the face with it. He recoiled. Layla gasped. "Fucking wimp. You think she's so nice . She's got you fooled big time." She snorted and danced on one foot as she pulled on the boot. "Loser."
Silently Drew picked up her jacket and purse. Jessi grabbed them with a sneer. "She's only with you 'cause the bartender doesn't want her." Throwing back her tangled hair, she hobbled down the steps to the next landing. "Have fun being the one she settles for."
They heard the sound of the front door opening, but Jessi wouldn't leave until she fired one last shot. "She'd fuck him in a hot minute if he gave her the time of day!"
The vicious utterance echoed in the stairwell long after the main door slammed shut. Then came silence.
Layla and Drew remained where they stood, staring at each other. She broke the spell first, trudged back to her apartment. Closing the door behind her would have demanded too much energy, so she left it open.
She lowered herself to the sofa, still dazed. She couldn't believe that Drew and Jessi had hooked up in her home. In her bed . God. She'd have to wash the sheets. No. Burn them. If only she could burn the mattress, too.
Drew came in and stopped in the middle of the room. He shook his head, gazed at her as if he'd never seen her before. "I can't believe you pushed her…"
She blinked. He really thought that? "She fell." And you were glad , her little voice said. For a second, you hoped she'd break her neck.
If only she could feel that anger now. Feel anything. But she was numb, in shock.
Drew's face was scratched where Jessi had hit him. She pointed to her own cheek right below the eye. "You're bleeding."
He touched his cheek and looked surprised at the smear of red on his hand. "Uh, I'm just gonna…" He gestured to the bathroom.
"Yeah, go ahead," she told him dully.
Dummy, what's wrong with you? He screwed Jessi. Screwed you over. And you're letting him wash up in your bathroom?
Yeah. It was stupid. But the world had tilted and she needed time. Time to get back in her body. Time to connect to her feelings.
While he was in the bathroom, Layla listened to the water running in the faucet, the
Readers choose
The Dutiful Wife
Allison Wettlaufer
Paul Greci
A Knight of Silence
Lawana Blackwell
Michael Cordy
Richard Levesque
Al Ewing
Amy Rae Durreson