by L. E. Bross
After just two rings, he answers.
"Ever?"
My tongue tangles in my mouth. How the hell did he know it was me?
"Ever? What's wrong?" It's the concern in his voice that breaks through my stupor. I can worry about that later.
"You need to tell them," I blurt out.
"What? Tell who what, Ever?"
My voice wobbles. "You have to tell the boys what's happening. So they don't think I betrayed them with Luc."
Dead silence fills the phone.
"Peter, did you hear me? They need to know what I'm doing here. They think..."
My voice finally breaks and I swallow several times to keep from bursting into tears. I can’t get the look in Riot’s eyes out of my head. I'm pretty sure in that moment he hated me, for real this time.
"I told you already, they're not to know anything about it." There's a coldness in his voice that makes my legs feel weak.
"But things are different now..."
"You were hired to do a job, and in exchange, I would find your sister. Those were the terms, Ever. The only terms."
I sink down onto the edge of the bed and grip my phone tight. I try and fail to put my feelings into words.
“I care about them,” I whisper. “And they care about me.”
Peter sighs and my heart leaps with hope. He’s human. He’s lost love. He has to understand.
“Are you close to getting what I need?” he asks quietly.
My tongue feels thick and I push the words out past it with relief.
“Yes. I’m going to Luc’s house Thursday night.”
“Then it’s almost over. Stick to the plan, Ever. William’s safe is in his office, behind the third cabinet door. The last I knew the code was Luc’s birthday.”
“Wait, you’ve known where it is all this time? You could have taken it yourself?”
“I’m not exactly welcome at Hook’s house, Ever. I needed you to get close to Luc for that very reason. Just do what I’m paying you to do.” The finality of his tone breaks through the confusion. He isn’t going to tell them. My heart sinks before rage builds in my chest. He has no right hurting his own sons this way.
“I’ll do it, I’ll tell them the truth,” I spit out. “You have no idea how much they're hurting, Peter. Knowing that you’re looking for their mother would at least give them some kind of hope instead of making them feel like both parents abandoned them. They need to know the truth. I’m sorry but I have to.”
Something slams down hard.
“If you say one word, I’ll make it so that you never find your sister,” he growls. “I’ll cover every digital footprint there is and she will disappear. Are you willing to trade her for the chance that by telling them the truth, everything will be good? You came into my house and lied to them from day one. You got them to trust you, and then you betrayed them. Those boys have been hurt a lot in their lives, so do you think that even if you confess, they’ll ever be able to trust you again?”
By the time he’s done, his voice is so low that I have to strain to hear it over my pounding heartbeat. I swallow against the sour taste in my mouth even as he drives the knife deeper into my chest.
“You knew they couldn’t know why you were here, yet you chose to get close to them. I’m sorry, Ever, but this is your fault. And we have a deal. The timepiece in exchange for your sister. If you choose to tell them, you’ll need to leave my house immediately. I’ll have no more use for you. You’ll be on your own, penniless, right where I found you. Except this time, you won’t have the hope that you’ll ever find Belle.”
Tears stream down my cheeks and the pressure in my chest grows so overwhelming that every breath is an effort in willpower.
“You’re a bastard,” I croak through my sobs. “Why are you doing this?”
“Because I will do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. Just like you chose to do when you accepted my offer. The choice is yours. Your future, your sister’s future, is in your hands now.”
The line goes silent and when I pull the phone back, I see he’s ended the call.
I throw myself face down and scream into the pillow.
I haven’t felt this helpless since the night they took Belle away from me. I can’t breathe. Can’t stop hurting. Every muscle in my body is urging me to run. To just grab the black card and the key to the shiny convertible and take off. I could probably get enough cash before Peter figured out what I was doing and I know a few places where I could sell the car without worrying about ownership.
God, it was tempting.
But I’d be running from my sister as well, because I have no doubt Peter will do what he threatened. I’m officially screwed. I sit up and wipe my face then suck in a steadying breath.
When this is all over, I’ll figure out a way to fix it.
What I feel for Ry, X and Baz is more than passing. It’s worth fighting for and I can only hope they’ll feel the same once everything is out in the open.
I grab my phone.
Can’t wait till Thursday, you busy tomorrow night? ;P
Might have lied. Dad makes a mean mac n cheese, I just claim it as mine. He won’t be home but how do you feel about pizza?
Who doesn’t love pizza? Be there at 7:30?
It’s a date.
I swallow against the lump in my throat and lay back. At least I won’t have to wait now. I still need to get to the safe and hope that the code works. I just need to get it.
Hey, when is Luc’s birthday?
Meri texts back in minutes.
October 15. Why?
He’s 18 right? Can’t be going out with a younger guy. ;P
I hate lying to her, but I need that code.
Yeah, as long as you weren’t born before then, he’s older.
And now I have the year.
So what happened in study hall? Emma said that X was giving you dirty looks, and not the kind that lead to dirty sex.
Misunderstanding. Everythings fine.
Jealous you’re going out with Luc?
Something like that.
I hear commotion downstairs and my heart leaps into my throat. The boys are home early, too. Now they’ll have to talk to me. I need to get them to trust me for just a couple more days.
Gotta go. See you tomorrow!
I toss my phone onto the bed and run down the stairs. The entry is empty but I hear voices in the kitchen. My boots squeak on the tile when I come to a stop and see all three boys standing there.
My heart hurts looking at them, at the expressions on their faces. Riot is furious, X is frustrated, but Baz, oh god, he looks completely devastated, shoulders slumped with his head hanging low. His hair is a riotous mess.
I take a step toward him, fresh tears burning my eyes, but Riot moves between us.
“Stay the fuck away from him,” he growls. His eyes are a swirling mass of angry grey storm clouds and rage. “I don't know what game you were playing with us, Ever, but know this, your life is about to get really fucking hard. At home. At school. You’re going to regret the day you ever stepped foot in this house. In fact, you might as well just leave now, because if you stay, we’re going to fucking rip you to shreds. When we’re done with you, you’ll be less than nothing and then we’ll throw you out to the curb like the manipulative piece of trash you are.”
I reel back from the venom in his voice. A gut wrenching sob bursts from my throat and I feel sick.
“Save your fucking tears, Peep.” His nickname for me, once an endearment, now spit out like he can’t stand the word on his tongue, kills me.
“I’m sorry,” I choke out. “I want to tell you…”
God, this is so fucking unfair. If I tell them the truth, I'll never see Belle again, and all of this will be for nothing. I need my sister. She’s all the family I have left. They’d understand if I could fucking tell them the truth.
“Ry, please…”
“Save it,” Riot grits out. “No more talking, no more lying. We’re do
ne. I don't even want to fucking look at you anymore.”
He storms past and X is right on his heels. He glances at me as he passes and I cringe away from the betrayal in his eyes. Baz is still standing there, his chest rising and falling, hands clenched at his side.
“Baz,” Riot barks. “Let’s go.”
He stumbles forward and shoves past me.
At the last second he turns his tortured gaze to me and the devastation in them rocks me to the core.
“I fucking trusted you.”
Then he follows behind the other two as they stride across the foyer and out the front door.
My knees give out and I sink to the cold tile floor, dropping my face into my hands.
There will be no salvaging this. Peter was right, I broke their trust and they’re never going to forgive me. My foster parents have been right all along and I didn’t really believe it until right this moment; I don't deserve to be loved.
School is awful.
In English, no one but Meri sits in the seats around me. Aine is next to Riot, her hand caressing his arm every time I look over. I guess my torture begins now. Her catty glances I could take, hell, I’ve put up with a lot worse in foster care, it’s the cold shoulder from Riot that kills me.
Maybe I expected him to glare at me or get in my face like he did when I first got here, I was kind of hoping he would because then he’d be close. Maybe if I could look into his eyes, show him that there was more going on than what he saw, he’d understand.
Maybe I could have done all of that, but he refuses to look at me. And the people around him do his dirty work. Everyone else glares at me, knocks my book off my desk, and someone even tripped me on the way out of class.
Meri walks too close as we make our way to our lockers.
“What the hell is going on?’ she whispers from the side of her mouth.
“I guess I pissed off the wrong person,” I say under my breath.
She gives me a confused look then turns to snap at some girl who shoulder slams me.
“Christ, what the fuck is wrong with people?” She presses her thumb on the keypad and yanks her locker open. I do the same, but it just blinks red. I try two more times, then give up.
I don’t need to get into it until science anyway, so maybe someone can fix it. Even if I go to the office, I already know who they’ll tell me to see. It’s fucking Panchard tech after all.
“Seriously, Ever, you have to tell me what happened last night. Why’d the LB sic the school on you?”
“They don't like the idea of me going out with Luc I guess.” It’s as close to the truth as I can tell her.
She slams her locker and faces me, her eyes wide. “Why would they care? I mean girls bounce between them all the time and nothing like this has ever happened. It’s not like they owned you or anything,” she huffs, but my skin goes prickly.
I duck my head before she sees how much her words affect me. Her hand cups my elbow and she nudges me into the stream of students. If it weren’t for her guidance I’d have probably ended up in the gym for all the attention I was paying.
I stop on the threshold of Calc and my eyes snap up. Dread pools in my stomach, but after a few seconds I relax enough to see that Baz isn’t here yet. Meri and I make our way to our seats and even after the bell rings, there’s no Baz. It’s not until class is over that I accept that he skipped class on purpose. Because of me.
“Hey, listen, I think I’m going to go home early. I’m not feeling that great and I’ve got a date with Luc tonight, so it’s probably for the best.”
Her smile is sympathetic. “Do you want me to come with you?”
I see Trey coming down the hall toward her. Toward me. I really can’t deal with him today.
“You stay. I’ll text you later, promise.”
I turn to leave but she grabs my hand.
“It’ll blow over. Just give it a few days.”
You might as well just leave now, because if you stay, we’re going to fucking rip you to shreds.
Somehow I doubt a few days or even a few weeks will make a difference, but I don’t tell her that. And the fact is, I might not even be here much longer. If I get what Peter wants tonight, if he tells me where Belle is, I’ll be gone and away from all of this.
My chest aches at the thought of leaving Meri.
I ignore the pain that swirls under my skin at the thought of leaving the boys.
“You’re probably right.”
Just as Trey steps up, I walk away.
“The hell did she do to make almost the entire school hate her?”
The glee in his tone isn’t lost on me.
“I’m not sure…” Meri’s voice is lost in the din around me. I ignore the comments and whispers, holding my head high as if I could give a rat’s ass about any of them, and exit the front doors. I’m not going to skulk out like a coward.
There’s no one in the parking lot when I leave school, and I park in the side garage and sneak in through the front door of the house, heading right up the stairs before Hanna hears me. Once alone in my room, I toss my bag down and go right outside to the balcony. It’s become my sanctuary. My safe place. I spend all afternoon out there, pretending that everything outside this room doesn’t matter.
When the boys come home, I hold my breath but none of them even glance up. Not long after, I watch them roll out their bikes and strap on their helmets. I’m not sure if Luc is skipping a race tonight for our date or if the boys are just going to blow off steam.
At least I won’t have to see them when I leave.
I’m not sure I’d be able to walk out the door to go see Luc if they were all watching me.
At six I realize I have no idea where Luc lives, so I text him for the address.
2156 Lakeshore Drive. Can’t wait to see you.
I pull out a pair of black capris from the closet and a pale pink capped-sleeve shirt and get myself ready. I’m not wearing a skirt like he asked, but I did put on the strappy black heels to add a little sexy to my outfit. I wash my face and touch up my makeup, taking care to cover my scar, and then head downstairs to grab a bottle of water before I go.
I’ve just twisted off the cap when the patio door opens and I freeze as X steps in. He’s wearing his riding gear with the top unzipped and hanging around his waist. Sweat shines on the ridges and dips I’ve yet to explore. His narrowed gaze immediately moves over me but stops on my shoes.
“The hell are you going wearing fuck-me shoes?” he grits out.
“Oh, you’re talking to me now?” I shoot back.
He advances into the kitchen, but I refuse to back down. With the shoes I’m almost at eye level with him. He doesn't stop until he’s in my space and the scent of oil and sweat tease my nose. Boys are not supposed to smell this good, damn it.
“Who’s fucking fault is that?’ he growls in my face. His eyes are shooting fire at me, but under the anger I see the hurt. “What the hell, Ever? You’re going out with Hook? You stood right fucking next to Ry and let Luc hit on you, ask you out? And you say yes after everything that happened this weekend?”
By the time he’s done, he’s yelling, but I stand there and take it.
I deserve it because everything he’s saying is true, except that I didn't know Riot was standing there.
X leans in close, and I can't stop my traitorous pulse from skipping a beat.
“I guess they taught you real good out on the streets, because you had all of us fucking fooled.”
He shoves away and leaves the kitchen in a flurry of anger. I fall back against the counter and press my hand to my thumping heart. I hate the feeling crawling around inside me. I’m not that person who uses other people. I’ve hated that type all my life.
I need to prove to them that what they think they see isn’t the truth.
I need the evidence that will allow me to confess what I’ve been doing the past two weeks so they’ll know I never betrayed them. With even more determination, I leave the house. I’m
going to get what Peter wants and fucking use it to make him tell the guys the truth. Then he can have his damned timepiece.
In fifteen minutes, I turn at a mailbox that reads 2156. The winding driveway leads me through the trees to his house. It’s a beautiful contemporary ranch house that’s all windows along the front. Clean lines and a neutral color scheme make it blend into the surroundings. It feels like it’s part of the landscape.
Not nearly as impressive as the Panchard mansion, but I’m sure nothing in Neverly is. This house screams upper middle class and the flowers that neatly line the walkway speak of pride. Luc told me that his dad was a contractor, that he specialized in high end developments.
I can see why he’s so successful if this house is an example of what he can do.
I take in the peacefulness as I walk to the door. When Luc answers my knock, I hear voices behind him.
“Sorry, Trey and Meri are here. Hope you don’t mind, when he heard pizza he sort of invited himself. But Meri’s looking forward to seeing you, so maybe after they leave we can watch a movie or something.”
His glaze flicks down to my shoes and I see the smirk lift on his lips.
Maybe I should have just worn my boots.
With a sigh, I step inside and try not to cringe when the door closes behind me and Luc drapes his arm around my shoulders.
“Look who’s here,” he says, walking us into the kitchen.
Meri grins at me around a mouthful of pizza.
“Sorry, I was starving. Come sit. Eat.”
I warily watch Trey as I move to Meri’s other side. He’s looking at me weird. The normal hostility is toned down tonight. I wonder if Meri warned him to be good.
“Those shoes are sexy as hell,” she whispers with a wink. “If you’re looking for action, I’d say it’s in the bag.”
Luc hands me a slice of pizza and a Coke, but my stomach is already twisting into knots, so I only nibble at the crust. As the guys talk about baseball, Meri fills me in on what a bitch Aine was at lunch. It doesn’t surprise me, she’s the type who plays everything to her advantage.
Meri leans in close enough so the guys don’t hear. “So the guys got up and left right in the middle of lunch. Did you see them at home? Did they talk to you?”
