The Replacement Boyfriend

Chapter 12

Zayne

"You don't know how ridiculous this looks from where I'm standing," Cassidy laughed at her brother as he rolled onto his back and sat up from where he had fallen off of Tace's bed.

Cassidy looked at Tace and Tace's face burned to a bright shade of red, making her hair pale in comparison which I never thought was possible.

"What the fuck," I repeated, unable to comprehend what I had just seen. "What's going on?"

"Nothing is going on," Jax let out an exasperated sigh, rubbing his knee which had hit against the foot of the bed during his fall. "We were talking and I fell asleep. God, why does everything have to lead to something dirty?"

Annoyed, he walked out the door and the three of us watched until we heard the front door slam shut. Cassidy immediately turned to Tace.

"Spill," she ordered. "I don't want to misunderstand anything between you and my brother," she said in disgust.

"I left the room last night, if you remember," Tace reminded her and she nodded. "I fell asleep on the couch and Jax found me when he was leaving."

She paused to rub her head where she and Jax had bumped their heads together.

"I woke up and he followed me back here," she continued, slipping out of bed and I noticed that she had nothing on except a pair of shorts and a tank top. She hadn't worn anything except full length pajamas since she came to Chicago. "He asked me what was wrong so I started talking and then we fell asleep. That's all that happened."

"How did he end up in your bed?" I found myself asking but she ignored me, avoiding eye contact as if it would make me disappear. "Red."

"You didn't tell me what happened but you told Jax?!" Cassidy demanded and Tace paused.

"You were drunk," she pointed out. "And Jax was not. I'll tell you after I shower," was all she said before walking out of the room, very much like Jax had done before.

I followed behind her, feeling like a lost puppy which I hated but I needed her to talk to me. I grabbed her wrist, making her turn around.

"Red, talk to me," I begged and her eyes flickered to mine for a second before they settled on the floor instead. "I'm sorry, okay? I did wrong. Forgive me, please."

"Stop," she whispered. "I'm not angry at you. It's not your fault. You were just doing what your brother told you to."

"Then please talk to me," I told her, feeling guilty still and slightly annoyed that Jax had been in her bed. I mean, I had asked her on the first day whether she needed me to comfort her and she had shut me out. Then she goes and seeks comfort in another guy when she's upset about something else? "You'd rather confide in someone else?"

"I was angry at you last night, Zayne," she said, her eyes begging me to understand. "And he just happened to be there and he seemed to care."

"I care-"

"Can I shower?" she cut me off. "Then we'll talk about it."

I nodded and let go of her hand so she could slip into the bathroom, shutting the door and locking it.

While I waited for Tace to shower, I headed to their living room and sat down on their couch. I speed dialed Dane and prayed he'd have the sense to pick up the freaking phone. It kept ringing and by the end of it, I almost disconnected the call when he picked up, on the final ring.

"Dude, what the fuck," I muttered.

"You told her," his voice sounded strained on the other end. "You promised-"