Page 9 of Prince of Pain
Jett whooped loudly, darting over to her and laying a big kiss on her lips. “Thanks, Becky!”
“You act like I keep you locked up in the basement,” she grumbled, shoving him off her. “Trust me, you’re welcome to burn energy with Ryder whenever you want. I won’t stop you.”
The frustration I’d felt when I’d first woken up vanished as they bickered playfully, making me laugh at Jett’s dramatics.
He would always be my best friend, and nothing would sever our connection.
He’d visited me weekly when I’d been in rehab, and he’d spent a lot of time with me when I’d first come home, knowing I’d want to be kept busy for a while to avoid falling back into old habits.
I couldn’t lie, it had been fucking hard with so many temptations around.
A soft hand took my wrist, and I snapped out of my thoughts as I looked beside me to find Luna, a worried frown on her face. She didn’t say anything, but I took her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze, letting her know I was fine.
Riley eyeballed me, but she didn’t speak. She was still mad about how I’d treated Luna, not that I could blame her, but she also knew I wasn’t a threat to her relationship. We’d talked a lot since I’d gotten home, and I honestly did just see Luna as family.
I didn’t let Luna’s hand go until she pulled away, and I tried hard to ignore the fact that Jett was now eyeing me as if I were about to explode.
He read me easily, so he always knew when I was struggling.
“Can we go and do something today?” I asked him as I plastered a smile on my face, not surprised when he nodded straight away.
“Of course. If you want to get laid though, I'll have to wait in the car."
Beckett smirked. "Make sure you crack the window."
“He’s not a dog,” Luna grumbled, but Riley snorted.
“Might as well be. He keeps showing up like a stray.”
This was going nowhere and it was making me twitchy. My patience was shot to shit since getting clean, and I got bored way too easily which wasn’t good.
It meant my mind wandered and I itched for a high I refused to give myself.
“Can we go?” I snapped at Jett, making everyone stop to glance at me in question. Jett clapped me on the shoulder, acting like I hadn’t bitten his head off.
“Sure thing.” He turned to Beckett, giving her a quick kiss. “I love you, I’ll see you tomorrow.”
“I love you too,” she replied, but her eyes were on me. I didn’t say goodbye to anyone as I headed towards the internal garage door, not waiting for Jett as he started saying goodbye to Maddox. I was glad they were becoming such good friends, but I wasn’t in the mood.
Now that I was agitated, everything was annoying me.
I headed into the garage and climbed into my bright red Hellcat and slammed the door, frustration burning inside me until I smacked my fist against the steering wheel, my skin crawling with the need for a fix.
Some days, I was fine, but most days, it was almost too much to bear.
I’d come close to saying fuck it multiple times since getting out of rehab, but I was trying so hard to push those thoughts away.
I hit the steering wheel again just as the passenger door opened and Jett climbed in, not speaking until we were shut inside. “Sorry. I didn’t realize you were having a bad day. What can I do?”
I loved how he didn’t blame me and just wanted to help.
“Every day’s a bad fucking day,” I said tightly, starting the engine and putting the car in reverse as I pressed the button for the automatic garage door. “You could kill me and make it stop.”
“Nah, I’d be too bored without you,” he replied lightly, never getting upset with me when I lashed out.
“The fuck do you need me for? You and Maddox are besties now. I guess rubbing balls with him is working out for you guys,” I muttered, backing out and into the bright morning light. I squinted against the brightness, shifting into gear before putting my foot down and driving towards the road.
Jett sighed, looking out the window. “No matter how close Maddox and I become, you’ll always be my best friend, Ry. I love you even when you don’t want me to.”