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Back Losers: Part I Save as PDF
Chapters (58)
  1. Table of Contents
  2. Content Note
  3. A Note From The Author
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. Acknowledgements
  57. Also By Harley Laroux
  58. About The Author

“I get it,” I said. “It’s hard when there’s so much history between all of us. But people can change. You have, I have…all of us have changed since high school.”

“Not Jess,” he said determinedly. “She’s the fucking same.”

I laughed, although I tried to make it gentle. “You know that’s not true. It’s different this time. She’s different. I think she’s trying.”

“Trying what?” He looked at me, and I could see the desperation on his face. The confusion. “What the hell does she really want?”

“Ask her,” I said simply. “Talk to her, Lucas. If you need to hear something from her to help you feel better about this whole thing, then ask for it.”

“Don’t need shit,” he said, but he didn’t sound very confident. “I don’t…fuck…” He stared at the ground; mouth pressed into a thin hard line. “What I need to know…all I fucking need to know…is if she’d choose us over them. Over those assholes she thinks are her friends.”

I understood the feeling, the anxiety of impending betrayal. I tried not to dwell on thoughts like that, but there were things Lucas dealt with that I didn’t — mentally and emotionally. I couldn’t expect him to have the same easygoing approach I did; he had to find his own way.

“I think she’ll prove herself,” I said. “If you give her the chance.”

“And how exactly would I do that?” he said. “Put Alex on one side of the yard while I stand on the other and see which one she runs to first?”

I chuckled. “At least you still have your fantastic sense of humor. I don’t know, man, I’m sure you’ll think of something. Hell, you and Jason have been plotting that whole scheme to get back at Alex’s merry band of assholes, why not invite Jess to come along? See what she’ll do.”

He was silent as he thought about it for a moment. “That might be a good idea…we could bring her along on the revenge mission and really put her to the test. See who she’s loyal to.”

I clapped his shoulder. “There ya’ go. Very healthy method of communication, totally normal.” He glowered at my teasing, but hell, I was the one who’d suggested it. Nothing about our lives was totally normal — we were weird fucks through and through.

And although Lucas had his doubts, I knew Jess wouldn’t let us down. Call it a hunch, intuition, whatever. But this time…

This time was different.

42

42

Jason