Chapter 28

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Max

Listen to This Summer

by Maroon 5

I watched the video in growing horror and rage. On screen, I continued fucking the blonde—Brianna or something like that?—while the camera kept filming, mercifully turning off when the pillow connected.

Sweat dotted my forehead. My head still hurt from the shots, and I’d been in a deep, happy sleep until Landon called. I went to bed confident I’d finally move in with my girlfriend and start my new chapter.

Now, I woke up to a nightmare where she’d dumped me and had proof I cheated. I wasn’t getting out of this mess easy, if I was able to get out at all.

Fuck.

Climbing out of bed, I turned on the light and marched into Coop’s room. Thank God, Elle hadn’t stayed over. The last thing I needed was a supportive girlfriend losing her mind and yelling hysterically at me before I could get my story together. Coop was snoring under the tangled blankets. I shook him roughly and called his name a few times until he shot up.

“What the hell, man? What’s wrong?”

“Dude, I need you. Landon sent me the link to the video from Long Beach. She’s freaking out and broke up with me.”

“What?” Coop rubbed his head and russet strands stuck up in random patterns. “Wait—how’d she get the video? We just left her!”

“I know. She called me hysterical. Told me she knew the truth and said it was over. I denied the whole thing, figuring some asshole got in her ear, but this was the actual recording. Coop, who the hell would do this? Who sent it to her?”

“Did she say who did it?”

I shook my head, still in shock. “No idea, I didn’t get that far in order to ask her. How is this happening? After all this time, I thought that video was over. You said it was deleted!”

“It was! We all got rid of it like you told us. It was probably one of those guys from the party who tracked down Landon.”

“Doesn’t make sense. I’ve never seen those guys again, and how would they get her number? Someone’s lying and I’m going to find out who.” My whole body was shaking. I couldn’t help it. I pushed the button and watched the video again, seeing it through Landon’s eyes. I didn’t think it was possible, but the second time things got worse. I caught more details—my bare ass moving frantically as I fucked her, my head thrown back obviously getting ready to come, the woman’s bouncing breasts and groans. Crap, did she say my name out loud?

Oh, I was so fucked and not in a good way.

Coop got out of bed. “Let me see it.” I gave him the phone. His face told me everything I needed as he watched. I was trapped. Saying it wasn’t me, or that I was too drunk to enjoy it wouldn’t work. I’ve been in close situations before with women, but I never cared like I do with Landon.

I should have never done it. Landon wasn’t worth the sacrifice or hit of adrenaline I usually craved when I was around women and alcohol. I got sloppy and now I was going to pay.

Coop shook his head. “I don’t know, man. This is bad.”

“I know! I have to try and talk to her. I don’t think I have any play left. No way could I say it was edited.”

“No, you can’t pile another lie on this one. I think you have only one option left.”

I met his gaze and felt the dread creep over my body. “The truth,” I said. “I’m gonna have to beg and do whatever’s necessary for her to forgive me.”

Coop winced. “Yep. And then? You have a long ass road to redemption. I’m talking constant trust issues, crying, blaming, the works. Is she worth it? I know you love her, man, but she may not come back. You can move on and find someone else? Start fresh?”

Coop made sense. I wasn’t one to allow a woman to control me or lead me with a leash around my neck. And if I committed to this path, Landon would have a power like no other. For her to eventually take me back, I’d need to prove myself and be a good boy for a long, long time.

I squeezed my eyes shut and groaned. I hated the feeling of desperation so I tapped into the other emotion right on its heels.

Rage.

“You should’ve stopped me,” I muttered. “I was wasted and instead of being a decent friend, you not only let me screw her, you laughed and watched them film the shit.”

Coop let out a snort. “Aww, hell, no, you’re not pinning this one on me. I mentioned going home and staying out of trouble. You were the one who insisted we had more play left in us.”

“I wouldn’t have let that happen to you, dude! How would you feel if you lost Elle?”

“I’d want to kill someone.”

“Exactly. What about Noah or Adam? Did they leak it to someone? Noah can get sloppy with his phone—maybe he didn’t delete it. And Adam has been distant lately. What if he got pissed and wanted to teach me a lesson?”

Coop shook his head. “Nah, they wouldn’t do that to us, Max. No way.”

Maybe. But my insides were churning with fear and I wanted to rip someone apart; to blame them for wrecking my life.

Yeah, I did it. I cheated. I’d gotten too drunk, and she’d made the first move, and I wanted to get off. It was simple physical mechanics. There was no feelings involved—my heart had always belonged to Landon. And I’d made a vow to stop prowling around. I’d finally accepted the fact Landon was too special to risk her finding out, but she’d never believe it now.

“I’m getting them on the phone now,” I said, connecting my friends via Facetime.

“What’s going on?” Noah rumbled to the screen. I saw the shape next to him. No way did I want Daisy to see anything yet.

“Dude, I need you. Gotta talk in private.” I said.

Noah didn’t question me, just rolled off the bed and went to the bathroom.

“Everyone okay?” Adam asked calmly. He was sitting on the couch and I didn’t see Gabby or anyone else with him.

“No. This stays between us.”

“It’s only me,” Adam said.

Noah nodded. “Me, too. What’s up?”

“Someone sent Landon the video. I got off the phone with her and she forwarded me the link.”

Noah whistled. “Fuck, that’s bad. Who sent it?”

“I don’t know! Coop and I are trying to figure it out. Were either of you in touch with any of those assholes from Long Beach? Did you text them or were they coming to the city and reached out? Anything like that?”

“Not me,” Noah said.

Adam remained quiet, which made me suspicious. “What about you, Adam?”

“No contact.”

I frowned at the screen. He looked super calm and thoughtful as he heard about my life blowing up. My voice sharpened. “Then how the hell did she get it? I know you’ve been pissed at me, Adam. Did you do it to teach me a lesson? Tell me now.”

His gaze narrowed on the screen, and I studied his face, looking for his tells to show he was lying. “No, Max. I wouldn’t do that. Believe me or not, I’m not about to send some porno video to your girlfriend because we had a tiff.”

I hated the mockery in his voice but believed him. My shoulders relaxed. I couldn’t handle that type of betrayal from my inner group. “Okay.”

“Same with me,” Noah cut in. “It wasn’t us.”

“What about Daisy or Elle?” I asked. “They heard the rumors. Any way they got a hold of it?”

“Definitely not Daisy,” Noah said. “She would’ve told me and it’s not her style.”

“Elle’s the same. She would’ve kicked my ass first—not go to Landon in a sneaky way.”

I nodded, trying to put the pieces together. “Gabby?”

Adam spoke up. “She doesn’t know anything about a video unless Landon told her. Plus, she wasn’t in our group when we went to Long Beach.”

Adam was right. I crossed her off my list. Somehow, it had to be the ones who filmed it. I needed to find out who so I could beat the shit out of them, but right now, my priority was to crawl to Landon on hands and knees and ask forgiveness.

“What did Landon do?” Noah asked.

“What do you think? Went hysterical and broke up with me. I’m supposed to move in with her today and now that’s not gonna happen.”

“I’m sorry, man,” Noah said with a sigh. “What can we do?”

“Nothing right now. Just defend me to Daisy and Gabby before Landon gets to them. Tell them I cried afterward and that I didn’t remember. Tell them anything you have to so I gain some sympathy. Okay?”

Both of them paused. “Sure,” Noah finally said.

Adam blew out a breath. “I’ll do my best with Gabby but this may be something we can’t contain. Sorry, dude.”

“Me, too. I’ll talk to you later.”

We ended the call and I stared at Coop. A worried frown creased his brow. Probably more about Elle than me, but we were such a tight group, when one couple had issues, it affected all of us. Who knows what the bigger fallout would be.

I had one major goal to accomplish.

Do anything to convince Landon I was sorry and worthy of a second chance.

“Gonna give her time to cool off?” Coop asked.

I went with my gut. Usually, I’d give her space to settle and blow off the initial steam of emotion. But Landon needed to know I wasn’t about to slink away. She needed to believe I would walk through fire and anything she could throw at me to gain her forgiveness.

“No. I’m going over there now.”

“Good luck,” Coop said. “Elle hasn’t called yet so she probably doesn’t know.”

I had a shrinking time span before the world knew what a dick I was and everyone hated me. I needed to get to her first and sow the seeds.

I got dressed and headed to Landon’s.