Out of Bounds | Book 3 in USC series

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟗.

Once the vehicle came to a slow roll before stopping, I was already unbuckling my seat and climbing over Elizabeth. " I'll meet you guys at the front desk!" I yelled over my shoulder as I hurried into the hotel, quickly finding the bathroom with help from the doorman.

When I sat down on the toilet, my phone buzzed with a call from Kyler– a facetime call to be specific. " Shit," I cursed as I started peeing. I had no choice but to decline because I was using the bathroom, and a public bathroom no less. Instead, I shot him a message saying that I was in an important meeting and couldn't talk now.

He texted back quickly, wishing me luck on the meeting.

Flushing the toilet after I was done, I washed my hands and joined everyone in the hotel lobby. "Here is your room key," Ayanna handed me the key card and extra just in case. " We're all on the same floor."

" Oh great," I drawled, " I'm going to have to hear you guys fuck all weekend and have no consideration for your celibate friends." I would just have to hope that these hotel walls were thick enough to keep these opera singers' volumes at a minimum.

" Maybe if you didn't make our boy turn celibate, you too would be getting fucked," Xander says as the bellboy begins to load up our luggage on the cart. Xander flinched as I raised a hand to the back of his neck, slapping it harshly.

" First of all xandy-cakes," I smiled through my teeth, running my hand over his shoulder and gripped his ear tightly, bringing him down to my level since he was a whole foot taller than me.

Xander hissed, one arm raising in the air slightly as I took him off balance. " Ow, Jora, my earrr." His whining went in one ear and out of the other as I pinched it harder, hopefully teaching him that some things are just better left unsaid.

" Your 'boy' had a choice, celibacy or to be a whore, and he chose celibacy because there was no other way that I was taking him back if he thought that another apology and empty promise was going to cut it this time around. Second of all, mind your business." Letting go of his ear, I tapped his cheek before turning away and walking towards the elevators with a little extra oomph in my steps.

" Did you really think that was a wise idea?" Haze whisper-shouted to his best friend.

" Well no," Xander answered back." But everyone shits on him about his actions and I was just trying to defend him a little... I guess. Probably could've gone about it differently though."

Overhearing their not so silent conversation put a frown on my face. Everyone did shit on him about his actions from the past and recently, even myself. I was trying to work on moving forward and not throwing his past in his face, especially since he was trying so damn hard. And if we were going to give this a fair shot, a real shot– everyone else needed to hop on board with it too.

No more throwing his actions in his face.

Teasing in this group was natural, but sometimes, enough was enough.

Kyler already beat himself up enough. I already reminded him enough. Even recently when I had lied to keep this visit a surprise, I had felt super guilty about the things that I had said. The look on his face had only made it worse. It even weighed heavier on my guilty conscience when the mailman made a special delivery of flowers and not one, but two Birkin bags with another cheesy hand note written.

He had already spent entirely too much money on me that I was sure his agent and accountant were on his ass about it. Knowing Kyler, he was hard headed as fuck, he probably told them to go straight to hell. Some of the gifts were entirely too expensive, yet appreciated, and some of them were so heartfelt and sentimental to us.