Page 8 of Last Boy

The girl I’m supposed to hate.

But she’s not a girl anymore. She’s a fucking woman. A beautiful, sexy, enchanting woman. Who is still scrawny but has filled out in the right places enough to make me notice. I can’t tear my eyes from her even though I know I need to. Especially when her eyes find mine, snapping me back to reality. And then it hits me.

She’s dancing with Cade Huff.

Moments ago, his hands were on her body. And now, after freezing for a second, she’s following behind him, headed right toward me. As much as I like Huff, I want to fucking murder him right now for touching her. Because she’s not his to touch.

Sadly, she isn’t mine either.

“Walker?” Lana’s voice is muffled, though I know it’s just my brain making it that way.

I know I should look at her and acknowledge that I heard her. But as Poppy and Cade walk through the door, mere feet from me, I can only look at Poppy. Her green eyes do everything to avoid looking up at me, which is probably for the best because if she looked right at me, I might stop breathing.

“Sup, James?” Cade grins. “Got me a new dance partner.”

He slings his arm around Poppy’s neck, and I grind my back teeth together, swallowing hard. My entire body fills with rage, but I know I can’t act on it. How would Cade know how fucking crazy that girl makes me?

“Sweet,” I mutter, glaring down at Poppy, who looks straight ahead, avoiding eye contact with me at all costs.

“Hell yeah, it is,” Cade says slyly before bumping my shoulder with his fist. “Later, my man.”

As they walk outside, I watch them go to Huff’s truck and get into it. I feel sick, imagining him taking her home.

Fucking A. This day blows.

“Are you going to stare at my roommate all day, or can we rehearse?” Lana snaps. “Seriously, Walker, what is your deal?”

When Cade’s truck pulls out of the parking spot and drives away, I stand there, completely numb, for a few moments before finally turning back to Lana.

“Yeah. Let’s, uh…let’s go.” I inhale. “Sorry about that.”

As she walks into the studio, I follow close behind. She bends down, setting her things on the floor. Since we started rehearsing together, her every move has been intentional. She’ll lean forward, giving me a perfect shot of cleavage, or move her ass against my crotch, or rub her tits against me every chance she gets. And I feel bad because I don’t want any of it.

Lana is a gorgeous, attractive woman. And, yeah, I considered hooking up with her because she seems to want it so bad, and sometimes, I like to take my mind off the past by burying my cock in an eager chick. But now that I’ve seen Poppy, all thoughts of that are out the fucking window.

Tightening her ponytail, she gets positioned in the center of the floor. “You didn’t answer my question.” She raises an eyebrow. “What’s your deal?” She looks down. “Do you have a history with her? With…Poppy?”

“No,” is all I offer. Walking behind her, I plant my hands on her hips to begin practice. “Let’s just get this over with.”

“Fine,” she huffs out, annoyed as hell.

I won’t be worth a fuck this practice. Because now, the only thing on my mind is that dirty-blonde, green-eyed beauty with lost eyes and lips that curved down in a pouty frown.

Oh, and I’m feeling sick over Cade Huff and her being together right now.

Poppy

I stare out the window on the short ride home from dance practice with Cade. I knew I’d eventually run into Walker. I just didn’t think it would be today. Then again, nothing could have ever prepared me for that moment.

He looked at me like he had seen a ghost, and I knew right away that he had no idea I was here, attending college at Brooks.

I couldn’t bear to look his way when Cade and I walked by him. I was afraid of what would happen if I looked at him for too long. If I did, I’d probably be at his feet, begging him for forgiveness, even though I don’t think I’m the only one who has fucked up.

He’d left. He chose to break the pact that we had made. Briar had only followed his lead because he called the shots.

In my eyes, he’s just as much of a traitor as I am.

There has never been a day when I haven’t thought about Walker James. That I haven’t gone to bed, wearing his hoodie, closed my eyes, and pretended he was holding me. For so many years, he was my knight in shining armor. And then…he was gone.