“Not exactly,” she said. “He told me and I thanked him. He was sexy and flirty about it too, Winter. I kind of offered him money… like you do…”
“He didn’t take it?”
“No,” Gia said. “That’s when he really got to me. But nothing happened.”
“Gia, you don’t have to tell me this,” I said. “I’m being unfair to you. It’s just… you were so…”
“I was a bitch,” she said. “I was worried something would happen with you and Talon. I got over that though. I’m sorry for anything I said to you. Or if I made it seem like a Bump and a Troc shouldn’t be together.”
We were in silence for a minute or so.
“Gia and Talon,” I whispered.
“I know.”
“You’ve been…”
“Yeah,” she said. “And it’s really good. I’m happy.”
“Do you love him?”
“I think I do,” Gia said. “I don’t know. I’m not thinking that far yet. I’m just enjoying this. I’ve never felt this way about someone. And sneaking around is kind of fun. It feels wrong, even though it isn’t.”
“It’s not wrong at all,” I said. “You two like each other. That’s good. I just feel…”
“Stop feeling that way,” Gia said.
“I just can’t believe how bad it all is,” I said. “I mean, not to be mean to you and Talon, but it’s just like another dagger to my heart. I thought he was protecting me. I thought maybe he liked me and wanted me. I thought he would be there when I had to face Noah, Easton, and Xavier. You know?”
“I know,” Gia said. “I wish I could make all of that go away.”
“Me too. I wonder what would have happened if I had just admitted I remembered everything back in the hospital. I just feared so much what they would have done to me. I panicked. And now look at me.”
“Don’t forget what you started here,” Gia said. “You know things about them. You got what you wanted. They know the truth… but who cares, right? You can still stand up to them.”
“I can?” I asked.
Gia frowned. “I don’t know, Winter.”
“Neither do I. That’s why I’ve been staying here. But this place is crazy. I can’t believe what I’ve seen…”
“It gets wilder,” Gia said.
“Wait a second. They know you.”
“Of course they do.”
“You’ve really been coming here that long?”
“Just a few times before you were here,” Gia admitted. “Usually Talon comes to see me. He would… never mind.”
“No. Tell me.”
Gia smiled. “He would sneak around to meet up with me. Come over well past midnight. You know…”
“Oh, I get it,” I said. “I can’t believe this. But I get it. I’m happy for you. I mean… yeah, Talon is… hot.”
“Beyond hot,” Gia said. “I still can’t believe he wants me.”
“So how did you get here last night?”
“Talon texted me,” she said.
“And you drove here?”
“Yeah,” she said. “He texted to let me know you were sick. So I came and I checked on you. You don’t remember. You were passed out on Emily’s lap. Once I knew you were okay, Talon and I went out to his truck. We slept there. It was nice.”
“All the while I was sick and…” I rubbed my eyes. “I can’t believe I wanted him when you two were…”
“Can we just start over then?” Gia asked.
“Maybe,” I said. “You have to do something though.”
“What?” Gia asked.
“You have to leave right now. I want to be alone with Talon.”
“Okay…”
“Now that I know the truth, I have to talk to him. About everything.”
Gia nodded. “Okay. I understand.”
“I’m in shock,” I said. “I’m in complete shock.”
“Are you mad at me?”
“I don’t know what I am, Gia,” I said. “That’s the honest truth. I kind of want to slap you. But I get it.”
“I deserve a slap,” she said. “I lied to you. I went behind your back. I kept something from you. We said we weren’t going to do that. I screwed you over. I messed with your feelings. I-”
“Gia,” I said. “Shut up.”
I opened the door and got out of her yellow car.
I slammed the door and she wasted no time in backing up to leave.
That was a good thing.
I wanted to slap her so hard.
I felt icky and used.
The way I had been feeling about Talon last night and this morning… maybe for even longer… I just assumed he was always available if I needed or wanted him.
But he wasn’t.
He was with Gia.
It was hard to picture Talon being loyal and faithful to someone.
At the same time, it wasn’t my business.
It was their business.
I walked toward the house and as I approached, Talon came outside.
Our eyes met.
He didn’t smile. He didn’t make a stupid face.
He was stone faced.
Serious.
I was too.
He reached for the door and opened it.
He nodded for me to come inside.
I felt like running away.
But I sucked at running.
So I followed him into the house.
Brock and Raine were still on the couch sleeping.
Emily was in the kitchen, whistling and dancing with her hips. Meaning what she got from Kace was good enough to put her in a great mood.
“Want some more coffee?” Emily asked me.
“She’s fine,” Talon said.
“Oh. Shit.”
I looked at Emily and rolled my eyes.
Talon’s tone was dark. Evil.
I wasn’t sure why.
I was the one who should have been dark and evil.
But I was just numb.
Still trying to process everything.
We went into the bedroom with the bunkbeds and Talon shut the door.
When he turned to face me, I swung my hand.
I couldn’t hit Gia. She was my best friend. She had been through a lot in life. I didn’t want her to end up getting panicky and doing something crazy.
But Talon?
I was paying him… so…
My hand smacked his face with a loud slap.
I grabbed my hand and felt the stinging pain.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Are you going to tell me what that was?”
“What?”
“You and Gia.”
“Two people who wanted each other. That a problem?”
“It is when you’re in my bed.”
“You paid me to be there, darling.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said.
“I call everyone that.”
“Even Brock?”
“When he’s acting like a bitch, yeah.”
“So I’m a bitch?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that,” Talon said.
“I thought last night…”
“You thought wrong,” Talon said. “You’re just assuming, Winter. I did my job last night. I protected you. That’s what you wanted from me.”
“I wanted more.”
“You can’t buy that from me,” Talon said with a wink.
“So my best friend and my… whatever you are… have been sneaking around behind my back.”
“Sneaking?” Talon asked. “That’s a stretch.”
“What do you call it when nobody tells me what’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s called life. It happens around you, Winter. The world doesn’t revolve around you. That’s your problem. You think it does. Maybe you grew up that way. Mommy and Daddy buying you everything.”
“There was no Mommy,” I said. “She left.”
“You poor thing. You live with her now.”
“
Out of need,” I said.
“Save the sad story,” Talon said.
“You’re a piece of shit, Talon. You led me on. That’s what hurts. That’s why I’m mad at Gia. She’s dumb for falling for you.”
“I never led anyone on,” he said. “I did my job. If you want to leave right now, then go. Go face those guys. Let me know how it turns out. I’ll keep an eye on the obituaries.”
I gasped. My heart pounded in my chest.
There was a very spoiled and jealous part of me that wanted to hit Talon again. At the same time, I wanted him to carry me to the bed and…
No. He’s Gia’s. I can’t think that way anymore.
The real reason I wanted Talon was to chase away the desire for Noah, Easton, and Xavier. Being with them at that ball and getting so close…
I blinked fast and nodded.
“I think I have to go,” I said.
“You know where to find me when shit hits the fan,” he said.
“I can’t believe all of this. I thought we had something, Talon.”
“We had a financial arrangement.”
“That’s it?”
Talon stepped closer to me. “Look, Winter, there was a moment or two, sure. I’m sorry if I hurt you. That’s the only time you’ll ever hear me apologize. So take it and run. You know you can’t live here forever. If you want to try, have at it. But you’re not a Troc. You’re a Bump. You need to face that world and figure it out.”
“And when I face the guys, will you be there?”
“Bring the money, I’ll bring my ass,” he said.
I swallowed hard and shook my head.
Talon leaned down and kissed my cheek. Then he whispered, “Just as friends. And you can tell Gia all you want.”
He walked to the door and opened it.
“Talon,” I said.
“What?”
“I need a vehicle to leave,” I said.
“You can take the truck. Keys will be on the counter. I’ll figure out a way to get it back.”
“You’re not going to give me a ride?” I asked.
Talon left the bedroom.
That was it.
It was all over.
My time with the Trocs was done.
I was leaving with another secret exposed.
Going to face what my real life was… whatever it was.
I now had to find Noah, Easton, and Xavier.
I left the house without saying goodbye to anyone. I honestly had no desire to. The Trocs were nothing but a blip on the radar of my life. I appreciated what Emily had done for me, but I could have done that on my own. I would have easily survived a night alone in the dirty Troc bathroom. Plus, let’s be real, that girl was using her body to get what she wanted in life. And sadly it wasn’t even all that much that she wanted.
Who the fuck am I to judge?
That was a fair question and another reason why I left without saying goodbye.
As far as Talon went, I was far from done with him.
I was going to need his help at some point again when I had to deal with Noah, Easton, and Xavier. And I would have to see him if and when he came around to hang out with Gia. If he and Gia were the real deal, I didn’t want her sneaking around like she was doing something wrong. Socially, Gia was screwed. When word got out that she was fooling around with a Troc, her life would turn into hell. That’s when I would stand next to her and throw punches at anyone who hurt her feelings. Because she would do the same for me. She had done the same for me. Gia was the crazy bitch who took a knife to some tires for me.
I got behind the wheel of the pickup truck and turned the key.
The engine protested for a second but then started.
Jealousy started to creep inside my body. Sitting alone, I could admit it - I was jealous of Gia and Talon. Talon and I had that one moment in my bed and I had thought it was something that lingered. That I could just snap my fingers and have him. That I could use him. That I could let him use me. It all seemed… there.
But I had been so wrong.
Not that Gia wasn’t pretty and not that she didn’t deserve to have some Troc fun, I just wanted it to be me. I wanted Talon to get to a point where he would basically die for my safety.
Greedy? Acting like a spoiled princess?
“Of course,” I whispered as I put the truck into reverse.
I knew how it sounded and how I was acting.
Again, that’s why I was alone.
I backed away from Talon’s house and shook my head as I started to drive.
I wasn’t sure what he wanted me to do with the pickup truck.
I guess the logical plan would be to drive it to the beach house, park it somewhere and then text him. Chances were Gia would drive to get him and bring him to the beach house to get the truck.
I rolled my eyes.
“Of course she will,” I said. “She will probably do anything for him. It’s a hot guy who wants her. A hot guy who’s a bad boy too. A stupid Troc.”
Yeah, I had to get rid of the jealousy.
My hands gripped the steering wheel and I forced my brain to focus. This wasn’t about Gia. This wasn’t about Talon. This was about me. And it was about-
My eyes looked to the rearview mirror.
I swallowed hard.
A familiar vehicle was following me.
Chapter 7
Unexpected meeting
The large vehicle drove up behind me very fast.
I kept the same speed but my heart didn’t. This was literally jumping right back into reality. I barely got away from Talon’s house and something was happening.
This was terrible.
This was the same person that had been following me before. The same person who had been following Noah, Easton, and Xavier too.
I had no idea who it was.
Or why they were following me. Or them.
Or what they wanted from me.
Suddenly Talon’s house didn’t seem so Troc-ish.
I thought about Brock and Raine on the couch. Brock obviously trying to get some extra lovin’ after rescuing Raine from the inflatable pool. Or Emily walking around half naked, not caring, ready to hump the next guy she saw. Or Talon…
I pressed the gas pedal and sped up.
The pickup truck gained speed and distance from the SUV behind me.
For a second I thought maybe it was just my mind messing with me.
But I was wrong.
The SUV was right behind me again.
Not following.
It felt like they were inches from the back of the truck.
I stepped on the brakes and pulled to the side of the road.
The SUV passed by me.
I smiled.
I watched the vehicle speed up the road and disappear.
I let out a long sigh.
“Okay then,” I said. “That was… coincidence.”
Which made sense.
I wasn’t driving Tank Two. I was driving a piece of crap pickup truck.
How would anyone know it was me?
I waited a few minutes before moving again.
I cruised down the road, feeling better with each passing second.
Everything was going to be-
I saw the black SUV again.
Parked on the side of the road.
I gasped and didn’t know what to do.
If I stopped, someone might get out and come after me.
If I drove by…
I didn’t have time to think or debate.
So I just kept driving.
I picked up speed again and flew by the SUV on the side of the road.
My eyes looked to the mirror and the SUV began to follow me again.
I considered calling Talon… but what could he do? I was driving his truck. I didn’t know if he had another vehicle or not. Each time I saw him he was walking. The night we met when I was going to mess around with Noah’s car, Talon appeared from nowhere. And how many times did I have to drive him
around?
In other words, I was the one who was screwed now.
My only saving grace would be to drive home and hope my mother was there.
Or maybe it was time to go home to the castle. To my father’s house. I wasn’t sure if he was going to be home or not, but the castle was big and safe. Nobody would follow me up the driveway. Not unless they wanted to be met with security and police. Real police. Not that weird detective I met who made me feel uneasy.
I could…
My eyes looked in the mirror again.
The SUV was right on me again. Closer than ever. Getting closer by the second.
I shook my head, fearing something terrible was about to happen.
My hands gripped the wheel tighter.
My mind threw flashbacks of the accident with Tank. The accident that Noah, Easton, and Xavier set up. The accident that was supposed to kill me.
If I crashed in this truck, I would die for sure. There was nowhere to hide in the vehicle. That meant…
The SUV got ever closer.
I had to make a decision. Pull over. Speed up. Hit the brakes and have the SUV hit me. My arms started to shake as I didn’t know what to do.
The SUV beeped its horn.
I let out a cry.
Then the SUV made its move, cutting to the left to pass me.
I slowed down and watched as the SUV took off. It sped up and it was… gone.
My right foot slammed down on the gas pedal. The pickup truck engine roared.
My hands gripped the wheel tighter.
My lip curled high into the air.
It was my turn to chase the SUV down.
To do what?
I had no idea.
The truck moved fast but the SUV was definitely faster.
I saw it one time, as a black speck way ahead on the road.
Then it was gone and it stayed gone.
Chances were it turned somewhere.
There was no real sense of relief either, now that the SUV was gone.
Gone didn’t mean gone for good. Gone meant gone for now.
Whoever it was, they would be back.
I settled into driving again, like normal, even though nothing was normal.
And nothing would ever be normal.
That was the cold reality I had to face.
Messing around at Talon’s place was one thing. That was me as a Bump watching the Troc life knowing I could leave at any time.
But this… driving Talon’s pickup truck… going back to the beach house…
Devious Love (Bay Falls High NEXT Book 3) Page 6
