Riley inhaled deeply and blew out a soft, warm breath between her parted lips. Her limbs were relaxed, finally calming down after her horrible nightmare. I held onto the sleeping girl tightly, promising to give her the whole universe if that was what I needed to do to make things right between us—not that she heard a single word I uttered. Riley hadn't moved or made another sound since she asked me to help her get through the night.

I was not as fortunate in my quest for sleep as the beauty lying beside me. My brain was wide awake, refusing to let me close my eyes even though I was thoroughly exhausted. The synapses kept misfiring when I started drifting off, creating a falling sensation that made me afraid I wouldn't wake up again. The insomnia gremlin was holding my leash, dragging me behind it through the mud.

Fan—fucking—tastic.

Blood was pumping through my body like a pressure washer, blasting the drug residue from my veins. The room was hot—too fucking hot—but not warm enough to stop the goosebumps covering my bare chest. Even my nipples were pinched and pulsing.

Why were my nipples hard?

Goddamn it, detoxing was doing odd things to me. Everything from the top of my head to the tips of my toes was hypersensitive and fracturing. I was crashing harder than I did the last time I attempted to get clean.

How long had it even been since Riley pulled me out of the house? Maybe ten or twelve hours? Possibly more? Time was rolling in and out like the tide crashing against the beach during a storm. It always passed too fast when the two of us were together. I wished I could pause the stopwatch to slow it down for even just a day to savor it.

If my math and memory were even close to correct, it had been at least nine hours since Riley had fallen back under after crying out in her sleep for our baby. It was hard to believe how upset she had been now that she was sleeping peacefully in my arms. Thinking about the baby had put me on edge. Knowing she was thinking about losing the baby shoved me off of it.

Pills, booze, or a bump of something harder would hide those feelings away again long enough for me to get a handle on my emotions. But I couldn't give in and let her down. Those promises I made while she slept in my arms meant absolutely nothing if I couldn't keep my word about using again. I had to show her I could do this for her. That I could be the man she wanted me to be. The one she thought I was all along.

"Mmmm..." Riley stirred, moaning and rubbing her ass up against the gigantic piss boner that I not-so-innocently buried between her cheeks as she slept. I was putting off taking care of it for as long as possible since it was the only thing that kept me in bed instead of out chasing my next high. If I unplugged from Riley for even one second, I wouldn't have the willpower to stop my addiction.

I needed the distraction and she was a good one.

I kicked off the sweltering blankets and lifted Riley's shirt up over her chest to expose her mouthwatering tits. Pinching and tugging at one of the taut little nubs, I wished she would turn over to face me so I could sink my teeth into them. She always enjoyed a rougher hand—or in this case mouth— brutalizing them until they were bright red and swollen. I used to have these little silver music sheet clamps that screwed down to hold the pages so they wouldn't blow away. I could already see her wearing them, begging for me to tighten them just a little more.

I was fucking leaking just from the thought.

My boxers vanished in a heartbeat. I pulled down the too-thick pajama pants and cotton panties off Riley's hips, giving me just enough room to gain access and slot my dick in the perfect position.

Riley was completely bare for me from her mid-thigh up to her collarbone. Watching so vulnerable as she slept was the hottest thing I had ever seen in my life.

I pressed my palm flat against the spot between her legs and squeezed. With one hand, I pulled her closer using her pussy lips as my handle and rocked into her as I held her against me. Unconsciously rolling her delicious hips in a circle, Riley teased the head of my cock, which was planted firmly between her cheeks. She was moving, but clearly still lost in that place between dream and sleep.

"Dirty girl. You want me to fuck your tight little ass, don't you?" I groaned and closed my eyes as my balls drew up, ready to explode.

Highly suggestible and pliable for me, she kept pushing back onto me further until the tip of my dick slipped just inside the clenched hole, her muscles strangling my ring and cutting off my circulation.

That was unexpected surprise.

Riley moaned my name between breaths. She liked it. My naughty little blond was fucking filthy in the best way possible. I would be balls deep inside her ass before she even realized what was going on.

"Come on her asshole. I lick you off of her while you come inside mine." A breathy whisper hit my ear as a hand slid over my hip towards my length to grip me.

Fuck.

I cringed as I jerked away, shooting enough cum to fill a kiddie pool halfway across the room. Brynn's hideous laugh echoed through the room as I turned to my back. I took a moment to catch my breath from the unsatisfying release. I would have thought I was hallucinating again if I weren't so lucid.

I turned my head to Riley, wondering why the hell she hadn't jumped out of bed and beat the shit out of her fake best friend for what she just said. Riley was just as jealous as I was. She just handled it a fraction better than I did—only a fraction.

"Don't worry. She's still sleeping." Brynn snorted at me, examining Riley's body like she was memorizing it. Her eyes honed in on Riley's perfectly pink pussy, which was drenched and waiting to be filled.

My brain rebooted after shutting down from the post-play malfunction and my limbs began to regain feeling.

"Get fucked." I grumbled and started resituating Riley's clothes to cover her. The way Brynn gawked at Riley was fucking weird—so much so that I wasn't more worried about getting Riley's body out of sight than hiding my own.

"What do you think I'm trying to do, Ezra? Besides, you know Riley would never let you back there anyway. She's too much of a prude. If you want backdoor action, you picked the wrong girl. That big ass is exit only." Brynn bent over me and pinched Riley's butt causing her to roll away from me to her stomach.

"You're such a fucking bitch." I growled, pushing her back from Riley before she woke her up.

"Bet you could bend me over right now and fuck me on top of her and she wouldn't even wake up. She sleeps like the dead when she's stressed out. Won't wake up for anything. Her last ex and I did it a few times before they broke up. He played with her while he railed me. Want to give it a try?" Brynn snorted.

"Get the fuck out." I hissed, climbing out of bed to search for my boxers.

"Want me to clean that huge cock off before I go? I don't mind. Aiden said my mouth is way better than hers." Brynn stood before my naked body, reaching for my limp dick and blocking my path to get to my boxers.

I tossed her out of my way and she laughed, sashaying out of the room, wanting me to follow. Brynn thought she was winning, but I was going to shut that shit down. This was ending. I was at my breaking point with Riley's so-called best friend. She was a fucking serpent, constricting around my girl's neck. Brynn was about to be cut off if she didn't let go.

Locating my boxers, I quickly pulled them on and stalked Brynn out the door.

When I got out to the kitchen, Brynn was already working on a pot of coffee. I stepped up behind her, making myself as large and menacing as I could so she had no doubt left in the words I was about to say. I leaned down over her back and hissed next to her ear just in case Riley woke up.

"This bullshit stops now—no more. I am in love with Riley. Nothing you do or say is going to change that. Stop flirting, stop propositioning me. In fact, stop fucking talking to me at all." I slammed my hand down on the counter next to Brynn. The crazy slut didn't even flinch at the loud crack.

"And if I don't? What will you do then?" Her head turned and she tilted her chin to bring her mouth close to mine. Her eyelashes fluttered like she was enjoying herself.

What the absolute fuck was wrong with Brynn? She was certifiably insane. It made me start questioning if Riley was really safe inside these four walls with her so-called best friend. Leaving Riley alone with Brynn was out of the question.

"I'll tell Riley." I threatened.

"No you won't. You won't say shit to her and we both know it. You know Riley won't believe you and will blame you for everything. Riley is my best friend. She knows I would never do anything like that to her." Brynn winked, pointing out the major flaw in my threat. As far as Riley knew, Brynn had always had her back.

"She'll believe me." My words sputtered out unconvincingly. Brynn wasn't wrong. With everything I had screwed up, Riley would have doubts. I sure as fuck didn't want to hurt her even more than she already was. Riley couldn't handle it. She had lost so much already.

I had to figure out how to handle the Brynn situation without Riley ever finding out. There had to be a way this could end without causing Riley any more suffering. Maybe if I slowly started exposing Brynn for the two-faced bitch she was, Riley would be able to accept the truth one day.

But that day was a long way off. Riley needed time to heal first before she took another blow.

Brynn filled two mugs from the coffee pot and spun around to lean against the counter. She was way too unaffected by my anger which was choking even me at this point.

"Right." Brynn rolled her eyes. "Well, I'll just keep doing what I do. I'll throw a bunch of dicks at her until she finally bites. She'll fall on top of one soon and forget all about you. Don't you fret, sexy. I'll be there on my knees for you when it happens and you'll forget all about her too. I can give you what you really need. I can be your 'dirty girl'. I want you. You and I are the same. We would be good together. Don't fight it, Ezra."

Brynn ran her finger down my chest and stomach. I grabbed it and squeezed, ripping it off of me. The path she followed would need a harsh disinfectant for it ever to come clean again. I could draw a circle around the infection she left behind.

"I don't want to fuck you. Never have. We are never going to happen. You can't seriously think waving random cocks in Riley's face will get her to leave me. You are a fucking idiot."

"No, I'm totally serious. I brought piles of dudes over here trying to get her to loosen up enough to forget you."

"First of all, piles of dudes?" Rage billowed over me. How many guys have tried to touch my girl because of Brynn? How many assholes have tainted my beautiful girl and made her theirs? Did she like it when they touched her? Did she want them more than me.

"Calm down that psycho stalker jealousy crap. I had to try something." Brynn waved me off like it wasn't a big deal and decided her coffee mug was more interesting than our conversation.

"So you think trying to get her to fuck random dudes was the solution? She shouldn't be with anyone else. She should be with me." My fists were in a tight ball as my voice rose. I was seconds away from snapping and knocking her the fuck out.

Brynn's eyes flickered behind me and she grinned. Crazy fucking bitch. She paused dramatically, like her next words were some monologue filled with heartfelt sentiment.

"You weren't here, Ezra. You didn't stick around. When shit got hard, you couldn't get out fast enough." Brynn sipped her steaming cup of coffee and placed it on the counter.

She leaned over to my ear, continuing on in a hushed voice like she was divulging a secret.

"At least that's how Riley sees it. You can't ever take that back and she will never forgive you for it. So, why even try so hard for something you can never have? It will never work out between you two. She is not the perfect little princess you have created in your messed-up head. You should be thanking me for what I am doing for you. I'm saving you. All I have ever wanted to do is help you, Ezra."

"I know I hurt her, you don't have to keep reminding me. Just do me a favor and stop trying to help me. I don't need your help again."

Brynn shook her head and lifted her eyebrows in disbelief.

"If you never told me about Aiden and Riley that night, none of this would have ever happened. I hate everything about you." I whispered my silent rage.

"You needed to know. You can't blame me for what happened." Brynn cocked her head to the side, daring me to keep this going. The whack job should know me well enough by now to know I wasn't going to back down from her—or anyone else.

I stepped forward to finish it.

"Good morning," Riley called out from the hall and I froze as Brynn's mouth morphed into a wicked smile.