100 Amazon reviews of Always Been Mine!! Thank you all SO much! (Well 101 now) As promised here is the full bonus scene! Just so you get the full experience, here is the prior scene again from Forever Mine leading up to the bonus. FYI since the prior scene is actually in Forever Mine, it's in Sarah's POV.
“I’ve scored, ass.” Romero turned to Sarah. "Speaking of me scoring, where’s Valerie?”
Sarah went stiff. She glanced at Alex; his face was unreadable. “Home.”
“You should’ve brought her,” Romero said.
When Sarah looked at Alex again, he was staring at Romero, but didn’t say a word.
Eric laughed. “Scored? She shot you down on Friday, and she was drunk.
She takes one look at your mug sober, she’s gonna freak that she even
let you kiss her.”
Alex's eyebrows shot up. “You kissed her?”
“She liked it,” Romero said, more to Eric than Alex.
“So, you went out with her?” Alex asked.
Romero turned to look at Alex. “Nah, we hung out after the game. All of us did at the beach.”
“But you kissed her?”
Sarah squirmed, wanting to disappear. Alex had that same tone he’d had
on the phone with Valerie. The same unmistakable tone Angel would get
when he was getting heated.
Romero made a face. “Yeah, so what? I can’t help it if the chicks dig me.”
Alex rolled his eyes, and looked at Eric. “And she shot him down?”
“Yeah.” Eric laughed.
Sarah nodded vigorously, and then stopped when she saw Romero was
looking at her. The look on his face was almost comical. “She told you
that?”
“Well, no... I mean… I can’t tell you what she said. It’s girl talk.” She stood up quickly. “I’m starving.”
“You got shot down.” Alex smiled.
Sarah could see it was a forced smile. Angel stood up with Sarah and
followed her to the buffet table. When they got back, Romero and Eric
were arguing again about the Chargers and Alex was gone. Something told
Sarah Valerie would be getting that call she’d been waiting for.
***
Alex stalked through the restaurant feeling his muscles tense up with every step he took. Valerie
kissed Romero? Or was it the other way around? He couldn’t even
remember now. The irritation was already clouding his memory. It took
everything in him not to reach across the table and wring Romero’s
fucking neck after hearing his "chicks-dig-me" remark.
He knew Valerie didn’t owe him any explanations— he wasn’t entitled to any answers but he wanted some, damn it. They’d just slept together that week and it had been incredible. Sure he hadn’t called her since but he’d been busy. He was going to eventually.
Alex didn’t know what pissed him off more, that she’d kissed another guy so soon after being with him or that it was Romero. Pushing the back door to the restaurant open
he walked out and pulled his phone out of his pocket. He should really
wait until he was a little calmer. At least until the visual of Romero’s
lips on Valerie’s wasn’t still blazing in his brain. But he had to talk
to her now.
He waited for her to answer, the anger building with every ring.
“Hello?”
“You kissed Romero?”
Silence.
“Just tell me this," Pacing, Alex
tried desperately not to let on just how much he hated the thought of Valerie with anyone else. “Why? And why with one of my fucking friends? You
could’ve at least warned me that this is what you do. Who’s next, Eric?”
“Go to hell, Alex! This is why you’re calling me now? Because you certainly didn’t care to do so once you got what you wanted.”
“No. You go to hell, Z!”
He clicked the phone ending the call before he spat out all the other things he wanted to say.
Running his fingers through his hair
he fought the urge to fling his phone against the wall. This was crazy.
What did he care anyway? She was just some chick he’d had some fun
with. She was no different than all the others.
All the others? He thought about that for a moment and just like that he was back to being infuriated. No. This was bullshit! In the past few weeks since he’d been hooking up with Valerie there had been no others. Fuck her!
Knowing he was too worked up to go back into the restaurant
he went for a drive instead. He couldn’t be gone too long. Angel would
be mad if he had to hang around longer to cover for him. The only thing
that calmed him was that it was said more than once, with Sarah backing
it up—Valerie had shot Romero down.
By the time he got back
he was much calmer. It surprised him a little that Valerie hadn’t
called him back but then she did sound pretty pissed off herself. Not
only that, he’d insulted her.
Beginning to feel like shit about what he’d said to her, especially
knowing now that she was upset about him not calling her back after
sleeping with her he
decided maybe he should call her back. Gadamnit, why didn’t he go with
his first instinct and hold off calling until he was calmer?
He dialed her again and waited. It rang so many times, for a moment he thought she might not answer. If she didn’t he wasn’t leaving a message. He sucked at that. But then she did.
“Hello?”
“I’m sorry.” Again with the damn silence. “I was pissed.” He hated to admit it but
after what he’d said to her he owed her that much. “More than pissed.
I’d never felt anything like that but I shouldn’t have said what I
said.”
“I was hurt, Alex. I only considered doing anything with him for a moment but then decided I couldn’t."
And the heat was on again. Just the fact that she’d considered being with Romero burned him up. “With Romero? Really?”
“Only because you hadn’t called and I was certain I wouldn’t be
hearing from you again. And if we’re being honest here if you hadn’t
heard about this today would you have called me?”
She had a point. He continued to pace. “Maybe.”
Valerie laughed. “Oh, please.”
“I might’ve.” Even he couldn’t keep a straight face but suddenly he felt the need to see her again. He stopped in his tracks. “You busy tonight?”
“Nope.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven?”
Her lingering silence was really beginning to irritate him now.
“Okay.”
Alex exhaled and for
the first time since he heard about the damn kiss he smiled big, then
just like that he was serious again. He was getting one thing straight
here. “Oh, and listen. I know you’re not my girlfriend but I don’t give a shit. I’m telling that little fucker to stay the hell away from you. Just so you know.”
She laughed again. “Say to him whatever you want. Just don’t hurt him. I was a willing participant.”
Alex groaned fisting his hand. “I don’t wanna hear about that, Z.”
After hanging up with her he headed to the restaurant to let Romero know if he valued his life he best keep his fucking hands and lips off Valerie.
