SWNOVELS Forever Golden: Chapter 36
WEST
And there it is, the update we’ve all been waiting for.
Pandora’s gossip might be a pain in the ass most days, but she’s helping our plan along without even realizing.
Not gonna lie. Seeing pics of Southside hugged up with anyone would suck, but seeing her with Ricky in particular… it fucking guts me.
His comment the night of the first basketball game festers in my head like a gaping wound. The reminder that it hasn’t even been a year since he fucked her last makes me fantasize about torturing his ass to death, but then I refocus. What gets me through is knowing Southside’s not the kind of girl I have to worry about, and knowing what we’re doing is keeping Scar safe.
Lying in the dark isn’t helping my mood, but it’s late and the only other place I want to be is with her. Knowing that can’t happen right now, I accept that I’ve officially become that guy. You know, the one who can’t even imagine making a move without his girl?
Makes me want to punch my own damn self in the face, but this is what she’s done to me.
So, here I am, taking my lame ass to sleep.
At eleven o’clock.
On a fucking Friday night.
Beautiful.
I force my eyes closed, but they pop open at the sound of the elevator bell dinging. It’s entirely possible Dane and Sterling’s night is ending early, but it’s highly unlikely. Which means the odds of the steps I hear echoing against the marble tile being one of my brothers are slim to none.
There’s a stiff knock at my door before it swings open.
“You up?” Vin asks, already sounding annoyed by something.
I keep my eyes trained on the window and don’t answer.
“You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me,” he barks out, half a second before flipping the light switch. “Are you seeing this shit Pandora’s posting?”
When he grabs the back of my t-shirt and yanks me to the edge of the bed, I turn quickly, balling both my fists.
“What the hell’s wrong with you?” I roar, leveling a glare his way.
“This girl’s making a fool of you, publicly, and you’re asleep,” he grumbles. “Check your damn phone, West.”
I let out a breath and he’s likely reading my frustration toward him as frustration about the latest update.
“I wasn’t asleep, and I already saw the post,” I say flatly.
“You already saw it.” He says that mostly to himself. “Well, good thing you’re on top of things.”
I don’t miss the sarcasm.
“So, nowhere in that simple head of yours did it ever occur to you that now’s the perfect time to do some serious damage control? People are laughing at you, West. Your classmates, your teammates, everyone. All because you didn’t fucking listen to me. I warned you,” he seethes, coming closer as his whole damn face reddens. “I told you this girl was toxic, but you wouldn’t listen. Now, she’s out running around your town in the open, hanging all over some guy who isn’t you, while you get a nap in. Nice. Real fucking nice.”
Listen to this asshole. He’s so pissed at the idea of someone with the last name Golden being made a fool of, he’s damn-near frothing at the mouth. But what else I’m realizing is… he’s paying attention. Just like we knew he would be.
I stare, watching as a vein in the center of his forehead throbs, as he breaks into a sweat, and I can’t believe I’m about to go along with this shitfest. However, he’ll never buy that I’m being this passive. After all, he’s the one who knew I’d fight for Southside, which is why he told her to cut deep.
“Well, what the fuck do you want me to do at this point?” I snap. “Every time I’ve confronted her, she feeds me more B.S. about them being friends, about how they grew up together and have always been close.”
“Yeah, from the looks of those pics, they look real fucking close.”
I’m confused by his anger. Isn’t this what he wanted? For Southside to break me? Then, it sinks in. He hadn’t taken into account that said heartbreak might be a highly publicized event. One that makes the son of the almighty Vin Golden look weak. Son of a bitch probably wouldn’t have even made this deal if he’d thought it all the way through.
“You’ve gotta get out there and do something, West,” he says, leveling a stern glare my way. “How many girls have you turned down since getting involved with this bitch? A dozen or more? My suggestion is that you grab your damn phone, find one out of the bunch who’s available tonight, and fuck her somewhere just public enough for someone to catch you in the act. Show that piece of southside trash the Golden men are never to be crossed,” he fumes.
Tonight’s already pushed me to the edge of a dangerous rage, but hearing him talk about Southside like this tests my limits. Knowing this is how he sees her—as trash, a bitch—I’d love to take my frustration out on his sorry ass.
But… the plan.
“I can’t,” I groan.
“What the fuck do you mean you can’t?”
I glare at him before answering. “I have a scholarship to protect, remember? I’ve already jeopardized that once. I’d never get away with having a video like that getting passed around again.”
He blinks and it seems he’s thinking a bit more clearly now. “You’re right.”
When he begins to pace, it’s likely he’s trying to come up with another idea. Something that won’t do more harm to my image.
He peers up and sees me dialing, which halts his steps. “You’re calling someone?”
I nod. “Yep, Dane. He and Sterling are at a party. I’ll link up with them and see what happens from there.”
“Good, good. That’s a start,” he pants, finally calming down now that he thinks I’m taking action. In reality, my plan is to park my ass right back in bed the second he leaves.
“You’re doing the right thing, Son,” Vin insists. “But let this be a lesson to you. This is what happens when you let a woman get the upper hand, let them start thinking they’re in control. Sometimes they just need to be reminded that you’ve got options. Trust me, if you take my advice, she’ll see that tonight.”
Trying to stomach this dickhead’s twisted logic, I nod. “Understood.”
His stare lingers a moment, thinking he’s just talked some sense into me, then he turns to head back upstairs. The moment he’s gone, I go right back to what I was doing before he barged in—imagining the world without him in it.
Can’t fucking wait.