Love & Hate (Book Two: Love) by JJ Dorn Page A

tangled in a bunk bed. It takes a minute for my brain to catch up with my eyes but when they do, my breathe is sucked out of me. It’s Cutter and Laney Davis.
    “ Paige?” Cutter says staring back at me wide eyed.
    I fumble for the door behind me trying to will my feet to move as quickly as possible. I feel like someone is crushing my chest, it physically hurts so badly. I know he was screwing her. He had her skirt pulled up around her waist and she was on his lap. He was naked from what I could tell.
    I find my barring’s finally spinning around and fly down the stairs. I should probably go tell Tanner that I’m leaving but I don’t. I just find the front door and make my exit. I can’t be in that house another second.
    I make it back to my house and that’s when I realize I left my damn purse in that room. I don’t have my house keys or my phone. Shit, I am royally screwed!
    I go around the house to check the slider. I’m fairly confident I left it open like usual but of course I have shit for luck. It’s locked. I guess I could go over to the bar and see if I can find Millie, but trudging through a bar full of drunken people seems like way to much work right now. I decided instead to go sit on the front porch and wait it out.
    As I sit in my favorite porch chair I keep replaying what I saw in that room. I know that Cutter is no longer mine but it still hurt to see him with Laney. The way he held onto her reminded me of all the intimate moments that had happened between us. He made it seem so easy to be with another person, like I was just replaceable. I couldn’t do that. I may make out with Holden but I certainly haven’t slept with him. I did enjoy my time with Holden but I’m slowly realizing I compare him to Cutter, which isn’t fair. Will I ever truly move on or will I just be forced to watch as he moves on without me?
    “ Paige?” I snap out of my thoughts and look up to find Tanner coming up the sidewalk with my purse in his hand.
    “ Hey.” I say sheepishly.
    “ You okay, kid?” He asks as he takes a seat in the chair next to mine.
    “ Yeah, I’m sorry I ran out on you. I just couldn’t be there any longer.” I don’t know if Tanner knows what happened but I don’t really feel like going over it again.
    “ I know. He told me what happened.” Tanner says in a somber tone.
    “ Oh” is all I can muster up in response.
    “ For what it’s worth he feels horrible. He even tried to come over here and bring you your purse himself.”
    “ Ha!” I scoff. “Was that after he thoroughly fucked Laney Davis?” I know I am being bitter but it is a valid question.
    “ Look Paige, I know I have no right to defend him but the guy cares about you. He was so upset he punched a hole in our wall and now he is getting piss ass drunk to try to forget what happened tonight.” Seriously, you are going to defend him right now? Who are you?
    “ You know what Tanner? You are right. You have absolutely no right to defend him. Cutter Daniels is a piece of shit. He doesn’t give two shits about me and I see that clearly now.” I stand up pushing past him on the porch and grab my purse out of his hand. “Thanks for bringing my purse to me.” Tanner watches silently as I enter my house and close the door on him, leaving him stunned outside.
    I take off my makeup and get ready for bed in a fit of rage. I’m seething. I can’t believe the nerve of Tanner. He was actually trying to make me feel bad for Cutter. Why would I feel bad for him? That is ridiculous. Too bad Cutter didn’t actually bring my purse to me, because I would have given him a piece of my mind.
    I hear my phone ding in my room. I had just texted Millie telling her I wasn’t meeting her, so she was probably wanting to know why.
    I’m coming over.
    Definitely not Millie, nope it was Captain Douche Bag himself. The hell I was going to let him come over.
    Eat shit.
    Hopefully that will make him think twice about coming over here.
    We need