Wild Nights With My Brother's Ex-Best Friend novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28

NICOLE

“What do we have to talk about?” I hear myself asking, but the truth is that right now, my head is spinning so fast that I don’t have full control over my speech and other functions.

I wasn’t expecting to see him-I’m too shocked.

Mason takes a step toward me, emanating aggression. “How about the fact that you’ve been seeing Roman Fucking Hayes?”

Words can’t quite describe the way my insides turn to mush, harden, then shatter into tiny pieces, all in the

space

of a few seconds. Out of all the things he could’ve said to me, this is the last thing in the world I thought he’d ever say.

Panic threatens to choke me alive. I can’t breathe. I can hardly think.

“Answer me!” he rages, stepping toward me. Haley gives us a look and steps forward, grabbing his arm.

“Calm down, Mason,” she tells him in a low voice.

He snaps his head in her direction. “Calm down? Are you seriously telling me that? She’s my sister and she’s going out with that…what the fuck have you been doing with him, anyway? What’s wrong with you, Nicole?”

I have to find my tongue and talk. Mason can’t be saying these things about Roman. Dammit, why can’t I get over my shock!?

I’ve never felt more like a child than I do now.

Haley and I exchange a look, and it suddenly hits me-she’s the one who told him. For the last minute, I’ve been busy wondering how my brother could have found out about this. That’s why it took me so long to react. I say this to her. “You’re the one who told him, weren’t you?”

She knew who he was the first time she saw him.

I feel…betrayed, for some reason.

“Hey!” Mason exclaims, making me turn my attention to him. “You leave her out of this! This conversation is

between the two of us.”

A fresh wave of anger hits me. “Yeah? Perfect, then. Let’s fucking talk about it, then, Mason! Yes, I’ve been seeing him!”

“Seeing?” he echoes, his features pinched together. “Elaborate. What do you mean by seeing him?”

“We’ve been seeing each other,” I repeat. “Roman and I are in love.”

Complete silence falls upon the living room, and all we can do is look at each other. Even Haley is shocked. I want to ask how she knew about him and more specifically, why she didn’t talk to me before she went to

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Mason. I thought we were friends.

Apparently, I was wrong.

Suddenly, Mason chuckles as he looks at me. It starts low and slow, then he starts to get loud and he claps. “Wow. That’s rich. That’s got to be the most fucking brilliant thing I’ve ever heard. You’re screwing with me, Hales? This isn’t true. You’re both just lying to me?”

I look at Haley, jaw clenched. “Yeah, go on. Answer his question. Tell him all about you know!”

“I’m sorry, Nicole.”

“You’re sorry?” It’s my turn to laugh. “You’re not sorry. You couldn’t wait for his return so you could go ahead and tell him everything you think you know! You’re a snake!”

“Hey, don’t call her that!” Mason yells. He looks back and forth between us. “Haley, this is real? You’re not lying to me?”

She pinches the bridge of her nose and doesn’t answer his question, but I do. “Yeah, it’s true. You don’t have to worry about it being a joke. Roman and I are together.”

“He’s fucking engaged to some rich bitch. What do you mean, you’re together?”

“He left her,” I explain. “They’re not together anymore. It’s just going to take some time for the announcement to be made.”

He taps the side of his head. “Are you listening to yourself? You’re talking right out of your ass, Nic! What…what the fuck…I don’t even know how to ask this. Did you fuck him?”

Haley gasps and says his name through her teeth in warning. “Mason!”

I don’t care. I’ll gladly answer all his questions. My judgment is clouded by anger. I’m tired of being treated like a kid. I’m an adult and he needs to get that through his head. “Well, he and I are in love. What did you expect?”

Shock’s written all over his face. He bites his knuckle before turning away from me slowly. Haley tries to reach for him, but he raises his hand to stop her. “You fucking saw them together and you’re only telling me now, after I got back?”

“I didn’t want to upset you while you were at work. Dammit, Mason. You’re blowing this out of proportion!

That’s not what-”

“Out of proportion?” he echoes before pointing at me. “This is exactly the right fucking proportion! You let that cocksucker get close to my sister!”

Haley touches her chest. “Mason, you need to calm down!”

“What the hell’s even going on!?” I interject. “So what if I’m with him? You never even told me what your argument was about! I’ve always had feelings for Roman! Always!”

Mason’s eyes are back on my face, and I note how transformed he looks. My brother is a good person-he

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doesn’t have bad intentions when dealing with people, and he certainly isn’t cruel in normal scenarios.

But when he’s angry?

“Yeah, I knew that,” he spits. “We both did. We were constantly joking about that, Nic. How you’d give him those eyes whenever he was near. And you know what? He had fucking morals back then because he always said he’d never cross the line and touch you. You were like a little sister to him the same way you were to me. Do you realize how fucked up that is? We joked about you! Always said we’d kick the ass of the guy who tried to date you and break your heart!”

I fold my arms. “Well, things have changed.”

“Changed? Yeah, they’ve fucking changed.” Mason stops a few feet away from me. “You’re so dumb, Nicole. You’re so fucking stupid. Haven’t you realized it yet that he’s using you!?”

Haley says his name again. He ignores her and continues his rant. “He’s using you! Just like he said he would! I never thought you’d fall into his trap! I thought you were better and smarter than Roman Hayes could ever be. Jesus, Nicole. What the hell were you thinking?”

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