by Jade, Ashley
“And you’re seventeen,” he sneers.
I have no idea what my age has to do with anything.
I spin around to face him. “What’s your point?”
“You could have called the police and had me arrested. Or called your brothers and had them take care of me.” He takes a step closer. “But you didn’t…you gave me head instead.” I hate the cocky smirk on his face. “Which means you wanted to suck my dick, Bianca Covington.”
Jesus. The audacity.
“No, I did—”
I don’t get a chance to finish my sentence because he pushes me into the water.
Chapter 17
“Morgan,” I all but squeak as she starts unbuttoning my shirt.
It’s clear the old me had no problem using her, but this Bianca?
She’s not really feeling this.
She also doesn’t want to hurt her feelings.
“You’re amazing,” I tell her, gently pushing her away. “But I…everything is just so…” I gesture between us. “I can’t do this.”
Her face falls. “Oh.”
“It’s not you,” I quickly say. “It’s me. Ever since the accident, I haven’t really been myself.”
Ain’t that the truth.
“Right,” Morgan says. “I didn’t mean to…I was just so excited to see you.” She picks up my crutches and hands them to me. “How are you?”
That is a loaded question.
“I, uh…I’m having a tough time,” I tell her honestly.
“Yeah, I can imagine.” She exhales sharply. “I can’t believe Hayley’s dead.”
Guilt prickles my chest because she’s been the last person on my mind.
Even though we were friends.
Heck, more than friends, if the rumors are true.
“Yeah,” I say softly. “I know.”
Morgan’s features twist, like she’s contemplating something. “Bianca?”
“Yeah?”
She wrings her hands. “I just don’t understand why you were with Hayley that night when I told you what she was doing—”
“There you are,” Sawyer says. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
I turn my attention back to Morgan because I have to know. “What do you mean? What was Hayley doing?”
“Bianca,” Sawyer snaps, her gaze ping-ponging between us. “Cole and Jace are blowing up my phone wondering where you are. I need to get you back home before they go postal.”
No surprise there.
I look at Morgan. “I have to go, but can I give you a call later so we can talk more about this?”
Given she knows what happened the night of the accident, I have a bunch of questions for her.
Morgan nods. “Yeah…sure.”
After programming her number into my new phone, I hobble out the door. “Ready when you are.”
We’re halfway out of the restaurant when Sawyer mutters a curse. “I forgot my purse. I’ll be right back.”
I’m about to offer to go with her, but I spot Stone wiping down the counters.
Suffice it to say, I know exactly what happened at the marina now.
As if sensing my stare, he looks up.
Warm eyes move over me like lava, sending a rush of heat through me.
The old Bianca might not have been into Stone…but the new Bianca very much is.
Too bad having feelings for him betrays the people I care about most.
* * *
“So, I told Morgan if she wanted a spot on the team, she had to go down on me. What I didn’t know was that Stone was lurking and recording the whole thing. I had no choice but to give him a blowjob in order to confiscate his phone and destroy the recording.” I hold up my hands. “Well, not me. The old Bianca.”
The one who ruins everything.
Dr. Wilson—or Walter as I usually call him, blinks. “I see.”
He promptly jots something down in his notepad.
I blow out a breath. “Anyway, Morgan said something about not understanding why I was with Hayley the night of the crash. I wanted to get clarification, but Sawyer walked in and said my brothers were looking for me.” Sighing, I add, “I was supposed to call Morgan later and find out what happened, but she never picked up.”
And she’s been ignoring me ever since.
A thick, heavy feeling pushes through my chest. “I’m starting to think it might not be such a bad thing, though.”
Walter looks up from his notebook. “Why is that?”
I tell him the truth. “Because the old Bianca caused nothing but problems. Maybe it’s best I try and move on with my life…well, the one I have now.”
Maybe the accident was the universe’s way of giving me a second chance.
Chapter 18
A loud thwack zaps me out of my thoughts.
I glance down at the book I dropped. Awesome.
I try to bend and maneuver as much as I can to grab it, but I only end up kicking it across the hallway instead.
“Good job, klutz,” I mutter to myself.
I hate these stupid crutches.
I look around to see if someone can help me, but there’s not a friendly face in sight.
Turning back to my locker, I grab a textbook for a different class.
“I think this belongs to you.”
Stone’s voice melts over my skin like butter in the midday sun.
Refusing to make eye contact, I drop my gaze to the floor as I take my book from him. “Thanks.”
“So, it’s like that now, huh?”
It has to be.
Anger fills his voice. “You’re not even gonna look at me?”
“You know we can’t be friends.” Pressing my forehead against my locker, I close my eyes. “Don’t make it any harder than it already is.”
He leans in just close enough that I can smell his orange-scented soap and the cinnamon from his gum. “You’re a fucking coward.”
The insult sends my insides coiling.
“Tell me what Tommy did was wrong.” Anger flushes over my cheeks and I find myself glaring. “Look me in the eyes and tell me he’s a heartless piece of shit.”
That he’s responsible for what happened to Liam.
And if there were any justice in the world, it would be Tommy in that grave instead of my brother.
Stone stays silent.
I hobble past him. “Looks like I’m not the only coward.”
* * *
“Who does that car belong to?” I ask Jace as he pulls into the driveway.
The pink Mercedes convertible has been taking up space in our driveway since I’ve been here, and I’ve never seen anyone drive it.
His expression is inscrutable when he answers. “Yours.”
“Mine?” I question.
“Yup.”
That doesn’t make any sense. “I don’t drive.”
As far as I know, I’ve never driven.
Your mother dying in a car accident will do that to you.
Jace eyes the car in question. “Dad got it for your eighteenth birthday.”
I’m not really sure why he did that, but it’s a shame for such a nice, expensive car to sit there and rot.
“Well, if you ever want to take it for a spin, feel free.” Stepping out of his vehicle, I close his car door. “It’s not like I’ll be driving it anytime soon.”
Or ever, for that matter.
* * *
Past…
“J-j-just s-s-sit in the c-c-car for one m-m-minute,” Liam insists as he drags me to our father’s car.
Folding my arms across my chest, I stomp my foot. “No.”
I’ll never step foot inside a car again.
Cars kill people.
I narrow my eyes. “Why won’t you quit bugging me about this?”
He pouts. “Because I’m t-t-tired of w-w-walking to and from s-s-school every day. I’m t-t-tired of never g-g-going anywhere f-f-fun.” He kicks a rock across the driveway. “It’s been nine m-m-months.”
Nine months,
eight days, and four hours.
“You can go places without me,” I remind him.
Heck, Jace and Cole do it all the time.
He looks at me like I’m insane. “That’s no f-f-fun.”
“Neither is being trapped inside something that will kill me.”
He grabs me by my shoulders. “I’m your b-b-big b-b-brother.”
I have no idea where he’s going with this. “Duh. What’s your point?”
“I’d never l-l-let anything b-b-bad happen t-t-to you.” I fight the urge to remind him that we were both in the crash that killed Mom as he spins me around. “C-c-close your eyes.”
Nope. He can’t fool me. “I’m not falling for that, Liam.”
He huffs. “J-j-just t-t-trust me.”
“I swear to God if you push me in that car, I’m punching you in the face.”
“I w-w-won’t.” He loops his pinky with mine. “Pinky s-s-swear.”
Dang. Nothing trumped a pinky swear. It was the holy grail of promises.
But still, I didn’t want any part of going in that car. “Liam—”
“C-c-close your eyes. P-p-please.”
“Fine,” I relent. “I’ll do it. But if you—”
My sentence falls by the wayside as he places something around my neck.
“What are you doing?”
“O-o-open your eyes.”
I finger the thin black lanyard, inspecting the silver pendant dangling from it.
Embedded in the metal is a man trudging through the ocean while holding a staff. Upon closer inspection, I notice he’s also carrying a baby on his back.
“What—”
“It’s S-s-saint C-C-Christopher,” Liam tells me. “He’s s-s-supposed to p-p-protect t-t-travelers.”
I want to protest and tell him a piece of metal won’t save anyone, but he looks so happy. Like he just discovered the cure to finally fix me.
I don’t have the heart to crush him.
“I can’t believe you got this for me.”
He shrugs like it was no big deal. “Of c-c-course I d-d-did. I love you.”
I blink, unsure how to respond.
Mom used to always tell us she loved us and that it was important to tell each other every day, but ever since she died…
We stopped saying it.
It’s as if our love died with her.
With a shaky breath, I reach for the door handle and climb into the back seat. “Fine, I’ll do it. But only for one minute.”
His smile is so bright it could rival the sun.
Chapter 19
“Let’s go,” Jace gripes from the doorway of my bedroom. “You’re gonna be late for school.”
School can wait.
I frantically continue searching through my jewelry box and every nook and cranny of my dresser but come up empty.
“What are you looking for?”
“Do you remember that St. Christopher pendant Liam got me when we were kids?”
Jace nods. “Yeah.”
I look at him. “It’s missing.”
Along with the silver feather charm I paired with it shortly after his death.
It was my way of acknowledging that he was my guardian angel.
Given I never would have taken it off, it has to be around here somewhere.
Unless…
My heart falls. “Do you think I lost it in the accident?”
I don’t have any recollection of it of course, but it’s not entirely out of the question to assume it might have fallen off when I went through the windshield.
Jace squeezes my shoulder. “Tell you what, after I drop you off at school, I’ll run down to the police station and the hospital and see if it’s there.”
I wrap my arms around him. “You’re the best, you know that?”
I honestly couldn’t have gotten through these last couple of months without him and Cole by my side.
I might be broken, but our family is stronger than I ever remember it being.
Mom would be proud.
“I know.” He playfully thumps me on the head with the banana in his hand. “Eat this on the way to school.”
* * *
Like a moth to the flame, my eyes land on Stone.
Unlike the rest of the students in the cafeteria, Stone isn’t sitting with a group.
He’s a loner who keeps to himself.
Seems we have that in common.
Averting my gaze, I look down at my tray. Today’s lunch is pizza, which is preferable to the usual crap they serve. However, it does nothing to lift my spirits.
I miss him.
Even though I shouldn’t because he’s related to that evil, vile scumbag responsible for Liam’s pain.
I’m about to give up on lunch, but Mercedes and her group of bitches surround my space like ants on a popsicle stick.
Here we freaking go.
The irony. Ever since my mom’s fatal crash, I’ve hated the Mercedes brand of cars.
Turns out the humans aren’t much better.
“Carmen said she saw you at Cluck You the other day.” Before I can remind her it’s a free country and inquire what the big deal is, Mercedes slams her hand on the table, causing my tray to rattle. “I’m gonna tell you this one time, puta. Stay the fuck away from my man or you’re gonna catch these hands.”
I want to ask if she’s blind because Stone and I haven’t spoken in over a week, but that would only give her the impression that I’m bowing down to her.
Fuck that. I’d rather swallow broken glass.
I expel an irritated breath. “I’m sorry. Last I checked, Stone dumped you and he was single.” I give her a sugary sweet smile. “Therefore, he can’t possibly be your man.”
One of her cronies snorts. “Damn, Ma. She got you there.”
“Shut up,” Mercedes snaps before turning her attention back to me. “We’re working shit out.”
I hate the sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach. This is news to me.
She swivels her head. “And if you know what’s good for you, you’ll leave him the fuck alone. Don’t make me have to tell you again.”
I could agree so she walks away, but she caught me on a bad day.
“Wow,” I mutter, feigning astonishment.
“Wow what?”
“I’m just surprised is all.” I shrug innocently. “I really didn’t think he’d forgive you for fucking his brother.” My grin is all teeth. “Puta.”
Before I can blink, she picks up my can of soda, pours it over my head, and crushes the can against my skull. “Bitch.”
Gasps and murmurs fill the cafeteria and through my fizzy haze, I see her fingers curl into a fist.
I steel myself, preparing for the impact.
But it never comes.
“Leave her alone,” Stone barks, yanking her away.
Mercedes struggles for a bit, but Stone—and his words—are stronger than she is. “I told you we were done.”
Her expression screws up. “Only because she—”
“Bianca has nothing to do with it. I don’t want you anymore, Mercedes. You need to get it through your thick skull and stop acting like an obsessed stalker.”
“Burn,” someone calls out.
Mercedes’ embarrassment is tangible, even though she’s trying hard not to show it. “Fuck you.” Her eyes harden. “And your small dick.”
The cafeteria erupts in hoots and howls.
Hurt flashes in Stone’s eyes and before I can stop myself, I shout, “No, he doesn’t.” Using the table for purchase, I stand. “Trust me, I’ve seen it.” I give her a wink. “It must be your loose snatch.”
Mercedes lunges for me again, but this time a security guard comes to the rescue and hauls her away.
It’s not long before people focus their attention elsewhere.
Stone’s eyes fall on me. “Are you okay?”
“I have a headache now, but I’ll live.”
He whips off his sweatshirt and hands it to me. “Here.�
��
Given I’m covered in sticky soda, I gratefully accept it. “Thanks.”
He gives me a curt nod before returning to his table.
Chapter 20
I’m just here to return his sweatshirt.
At least that’s what I keep telling myself as I hobble into Cluck You.
When Sawyer mentioned she was going into work to help feed the homeless after Thanksgiving dinner, I asked if she could give me a ride.
It doesn’t take long to spot Stone. He’s elbows deep in mashed potatoes and gravy. Giving everyone who passes him a hearty portion with a big smile on his handsome face.
Damn him for being kind and ridiculously cute.
Damn my heart even more for swooning.
I try to approach him, but Mr. Gonzales stops me in my tracks. “You…out.”
Dammit.
“Come on, Mr. G,” Stone calls out from his station. “It’s Thanksgiving.”
When it’s clear Mr. Gonzales isn’t going to fold, I add, “I was hoping I could help.”
Well, not really. But hey, why not? It’s pretty crowded and they look like they can use an extra set of hands.
Stone’s eyebrows raise in surprise. “Seriously?”
“Absolutely,” I state.
His boss might not be too fond of me, but opening his restaurant to feed the homeless and less fortunate Thanksgiving dinner is commendable and it would be awesome to be part of it.
Mr. Gonzales contemplates this for a moment before he says, “Fine. But today only. No exceptions.” He pulls a hairnet out of his pocket. “Put this on.”
I adjust the hairnet on my head and man the gravy station next to Stone. It’s a little hard to maneuver due to my crutches, but I manage to make it work and fall into a rhythm serving people.
I can feel Stone’s eyes burning into me like hot coals the entire time.
“What?”
His lips twitch. “Nothing.”
That’s bullshit. The look I give him conveys my thoughts.
He scoops some mashed potatoes into his giant spoon. “I just never thought I’d see the Bianca Covington wear a hairnet and feed the homeless.”
