Kiss and Break Up (Magnolia Cove, #1)(42)

Mom’s brow arched. “He was concerned. It’s not like you to lie to get what you want.”

I sighed. “I know, but he did it so I wouldn’t see Byron. It’s so freaking stupid, I can’t even comprehend it.”

Phil snorted, and both Mom and I looked over at him.

Feeling our eyes on him, he looked up, startled. “Sorry, just ah, funny picture on Facebook.”

“Don’t tag me in it,” Mom said. “What you think is funny usually isn’t.”

I smirked at that, shoveling more food into my mouth.

Phil frowned. “Excuse me?”

Mom waved her fork at him. “Never mind. Back to Dash. Don’t leave him out in the cold too long. It’s not good for that boy.” I knew she was referring to the way his parents often forgot about his existence until it suited them.

Phil made another sound, and Mom groaned. “Go on, out with it.”

He hesitated, glancing at me. I tipped a shoulder, waiting.

“Don’t tell me you don’t see it?” he asked, his gaze darting back and forth between Mom’s and mine.

“See what?” I asked.

Phil blinked, and Mom gave him a warning look. His face was reddening, so I twirled my finger for him to spit it out.

“He likes you.”

I rolled my eyes. “He’s my best friend. He only likes me because some other guy is peeing all over something he thinks he owns.”

Mom coughed on her next sip of wine.

“You okay?” Phil moved to pat her back, and she pushed his hand away.

“Fine,” she said, fanning her face as she set her glass down. “Peggy, I really do think that maybe you should talk to him about it. I get what you’re saying, I do, but—”

I pushed my chair back. “There are no buts about it. That’s exactly what this is.” It couldn’t be anything else because everything would change. Dash wasn’t boyfriend material. We’d crash and burn and lose the friendship we’d spent a lifetime creating. “I’m going to finish my homework.”

“That hideous thing you call a dress has been dry-cleaned,” Mom called as I took my plate to the sink and rinsed it. “It’s in your closet.”

“It’s not hideous, but thank you.” I stacked my plate and utensils in the dishwasher, then grabbed a water bottle from the fridge to take to my room.

“Is Byron taking you?”

“He sure is.”

“Are you going to the football game?”

“Hell no.”





My sneakers squeaked over the polished floor as I left the sound of slamming basketballs and closed the door to the gym behind me.

I was on the tail end of my period, and though I was thankful I wasn’t going to have it tomorrow night for homecoming, I still hated doing any physical activity when I had it.

My pad fell from my hand, and I bent over to pick it up, slipping it inside the pocket of my gym shorts after making sure no one saw.

I rounded the corner, traipsing down the hallway that led to the girls’ bathrooms.

A hand latched around my wrist, pulling me down the opposite hallway. “You need to break up with him.”

His touch was kerosene, but I didn’t want to catch fire.

“I’m not talking to you.” I pulled my hand free and crossed my arms.

Dash’s smirk was infuriating. “You just did.”

“Ugh. We’re not ten anymore.”

“Don’t I fucking know it,” he said. “End it, Peggy. He’s a superficial twat.”

I dropped my arms, scowling at him. “He’s sweet. He buys me flowers.”

“Flowers? Flowers die, Freckles. I’ll give you my dick. He only needs ten minutes after each round before he’s ready to come back to life.”

“He?” A laugh slipped free. “You did not just say that.”

He raised his hands into the air.

“Dash, stop it.”

“No.” He crowded me back into the locker. “If you think I’m going to leave you alone and just let that asshole have you, you’re crazy.”

“The only asshole I see is you. You betrayed me.”

He laughed. “It was a party. Big fucking deal you didn’t get to go. It was for your own good.”

“Bullshit.” We both knew why he’d done it.

“Yeah? So you’re telling me he wouldn’t have tried to take advantage of you?”

“I’m his girlfriend, you moron. I wanted to see him.”

He made a hissing noise, face contorting. “You don’t know what you want.”

“I know I don’t want you.”

His chest rose high, then collapsed. “You’re lying, and you know it, Freckles.”

He didn’t get it. He wasn’t thinking through every worst-case scenario. He was acting on what he felt now, what he wanted now. Mere moments in the present weren’t worth sabotaging a future. “I won’t subject myself—us—to that. We’d never work. The only person you ever worry about is yourself.”

“Not true. Who helped you clean up at the party? Not that cocksucker. It was me.” He swallowed, a thick sound, and then lowered his voice to a growl. “Who got you a present that’ll actually last instead of only trying to impress you? Me. And who kept fucking kissing you, knowing you were only doing it to better kiss someone else?” He punctuated his words by stabbing his finger on his chest repeatedly. “Fucking. Me.”