I chose me.
My dad was doing something shady, that wasn’t even up for discussion, and I’d find out what it was. But not because Ryan asked me to. I was doing it for me. For my family. I needed to safeguard my own life. When the shit hit the fan, and it would, I wanted to make sure my family weren’t in the firing line. I didn’t want to put my future on the line, not for anyone. And if my dad was dumb enough to drop the ball and have the likes of the Renaissance men sniffing around his business, then I didn’t trust that he’d be able to save me or my mum when push came to shove. I needed to know what was going on.
Where did that money come from?
Knowledge was power, and when the powers in my dad’s life came knocking for answers, I wanted to be ready.
I was sitting in a local café with my girls, analysing the night before and trying to get my head around what had happened the last few weeks. Things were never dull these days, that was for sure.
“So, you went to the hospital…” Liv sneered as she spoke.
“Yes.”
“With Brandon Mathers.”
“Yes.”
“Why? Don’t you hate him?” I wasn’t sure how to answer that one. Yes, I did hate him, but I wasn’t totally heartless.
“He asked me to and I felt bad. The guy had half his eyebrow hanging off, Liv. What can I say? I had a moment of weakness.”
“You’re having a lot of those lately where those boys are concerned.” She tutted and folded her arms over her chest, letting me know she didn’t approve of my actions.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, feeling defensive all of a sudden.
“Nothing. Forget I said anything.”
I stirred my latte absent-mindedly and bit my tongue. I knew through Effy that things with Zak hadn’t quite gone to plan for Liv. Not to mention, I hadn’t been the best friend to either of them recently, but I’d kind of been distracted. It was a weak excuse, but it was the only one I had.
Suddenly, I heard Liv give an “Ooo” sound and I looked up to see Chase Lockwood stroll into the café and wander over to the counter. He gave the waitress a nod and a smile and leant against the till as he chatted to her. Not a hair was out of place and he had that killer smile painted on just for her. I hadn’t told Liv or Effy about my encounter with Chase in the woods at the party. I felt seedy even thinking about it. But I regretted that decision the minute Liv called out his name and beckoned him over to join us.
“What are you doing?” I said, slinking further down into my chair, hoping he’d just wave and move on. I had enough going on in my head without adding Chase Lockwood’s bullshit to the mix.
“Ladies. Nice to see you all.” Thankfully he didn’t pull a chair over to join us, he just stood there grinning.
“How are you, Chase. We haven’t seen you since the bonfire. You doing okay?” Liv asked in a flirty manner that made me question what her motives were exactly. After what she’d said about him not being what he’d seemed at the bonfire, I’d assumed she wasn’t his biggest fan. But right now, she was acting like she was putty in his hands.
“I’m doing okay, I guess. Things at home are a bit tense. My dad was talking to yours on the phone when I left just now, Em. Sounds like something big is going down.”
I shrugged. I didn’t know what I was supposed to say to that. My dad had been a small-time investor in some of Chase’s dad’s businesses, but I didn’t think they were that close.
“Sounds like you need a little pick me up, Chase,” Liv purred, giving him ridiculous puppy dog eyes.
What was her deal?
He nodded then looked straight at me. “I sure could. Maybe if Em agreed to go out on a date with me that’d give me something to look forward to.”
I almost choked on my latte. I gulped it down and looked up at him. I would tell him hell and freezing over had come to my mind, but Chase didn’t know I’d heard him that night, and I didn’t feel like airing my dirty laundry in the middle of this coffee shop. Not yet, anyway. He was being so gentlemanly, and it’d just make me look like a bitch.
“I… I can’t,” I muttered, wiping my hand over the coffee that had splattered over my chin.
“She’d love to go on a date,” Liv piped up. Effy gave her the same evil glare as I did.
“Would she? I can speak for myself you know. I’m-”
“Great! You free Friday? Say eight?” He didn’t care what I said. He was quite happy to bulldoze his way in via Liv and her couldn’t care less attitude.
“No…” I tried to argue.
“Yes. She’s free. Pick her up at eight.” Liv didn’t even look at me and I grabbed her knee under the table to squeeze it and tell her no, but she ignored me.
“I’ll see you at eight then, Em.”
Chase wandered off with the biggest shit-eating grin on his face, taking his coffee to-go from the waitress and giving her a wink as he went. I’d never realised quite how smarmy he was before. In fact, he took smarmy to a whole new level. I gritted my teeth ready to ask Liv what the fuck she was on.
“What the hell was that for? Why did you do that? I don’t want to go on a date with Chase Lockwood. I’m not going.”
“Fine, then don’t go. If you did go though, it’d give Ryan the kick up the backside that he needs to get his ass into gear.”
“What are you talking about?” I didn’t like arguing with my friends, but I was ready to go all out on Liv’s ass.
“Oh, come on! Ryan is hot for you, Em. And I know you like him too. Maybe, if he gets wind of this date, he might finally do something about it and ask you out himself. Then maybe the rest of us can get a break from hearing about all the dramas between you two.”
Oh, hell no.
“What? You need a break from my dramas? Fine. I won’t bother you again. But know this, Liv. You’re insane. What makes you think-”
I was rudely cut short by Kian, the Renaissance wannabe, who grabbed a chair and plonked himself down at our table. I hadn’t even seen him come in. His joining us did nothing to dampen the fire in me that Liv had created by being my un-appointed dating guru though. I wasn’t finished with that subject, not by a long shot.
“Wow,” he said, looking at each of us in turn. Then he smirked and shook his head. “Chase Lockwood must have a fucking death wish if he thinks he can come in here and ask you out.”
“Oh my God. What are you even on about? I’m not going on a date with him. I’m not dating anyone.” I was so over this. I felt ready to hunt Chase down and put him in his place. Tell him in no uncertain terms that his dick was never gonna get wet. Not with me, anyway.
“Oh, we know. Ryan shut that shit down years ago.”
Say what now?
“Come again?” I leant forward in my chair and screwed my face up.
“Quit talking in riddles, short stack, and tell us what the fuck you’re on about,” Liv said, getting straight to the point as usual.
“You know… Ryan and the whole ‘nobody is allowed to date Emily’ thing he kept harping on about at high school. Oh. Did you three not know about that? Shit. I don’t think I was supposed to say anything. On second thoughts, forget I spoke. You didn’t see me here.”
I threw myself back in my chair, rolled my eyes and let out the biggest sigh of the day. This guy was un-fucking-believable.
Kian went to stand, but Liv grabbed his arm, forcing him back down into his chair. “Not so fast, tiny Tim. We’re gonna need you to spill the tea.”
“I can’t. They’re my boys.” He grinned like a child that’d been caught stealing cookies and guessed his sweet smile would get him off the hook. Not a chance, dude. Not this time.
“And we are three hormonal teenage girls who can and will make your life hell if you don’t tell us exactly what you know,” Liv barked back at him. She was immune to his charms. We all were.
“He doesn’t have any say over who I date. He never has.”
I was so pissed off. I knew they were behind this. They prob
ably sent Kian in on a mind-fuck exercise just to toy with my head a little more. Make gullible Emily think Ryan is a knight in shining armour. Why not? The brother isn’t around to deny it. Those boys liked playing me, but I wasn’t going to dance to this tune.
“It was my brother, Danny, who warned guys off, not Ryan.”
“That’s just what he’d want you to believe. Oh shit. I’m gonna go to hell for this. If you ever rat me out, I swear, I will haunt your asses for eternity.”
“We have good asses. The pleasure will be all yours. Now spill,” Liv said, giving him her best death stare.
“It was never Danny who warned them off. It was Ryan. Ryan’s had a thing for you for years, Em. I thought you knew that? When I saw you come out with them yesterday and with you going to the hospital, I figured he’d pulled his head out of his ass and done something about it.”
“You’re wrong. That makes no sense, at all.” Here we go again with the mind games.
“It kind of does. He does look at you like you shit rainbows and unicorns when he thinks you’re not looking.” Liv spoke like she was jealous, turning her nose up in disgust.
“Liv, that’s the shittiest analogy I’ve ever heard. And he doesn’t look at me.”
“He does, Em,” Effy chipped in. “Even I’ve noticed it.”
“Yep,” Kian added like he was one of the girls. “The guy is crazy. Obsessed. Totally and utterly-”
“You can stop now,” I said feeling embarrassed, mortified and generally uneasy about all of this.
“If he hears that you’re going on a date with Chase Lockwood, of all people, he’s going to lose his shit. Like I said, Lockwood must have a death wish.”
I wanted this conversation to be over with. I couldn’t even think straight.
“No one needs to lose their shit, because I’m not going on any dates. And Kian? I’d prefer it if you didn’t tell anyone else about this, especially Ryan.”
“Like I’m about to let it slip that I pissed all over his biggest secret.”
“For the record, I still don’t believe you, but this stays between us. All of it. Understand?”
They all agreed to keep their mouths shut and I sat there, wondering how I was going to avoid Chase Lockwood come Friday night, and how I was ever going to face Ryan again after hearing what Kian had to say.
When Kian finally left with his tail between his legs, probably to report back to his bros, I turned to Liv to let it all out.
“Some friend you are.”
“What?” She batted her eyelids like she was the innocent party.
“First, you offer me up to Chase like the sacrificial lamb-”
“Oh, don’t be so melodramatic. It’s one date. You don’t have to marry the guy.”
“Jesus, Liv. You sound like my mother. I’ll be bloody melodramatic if I want to be. I think I have every right to after you’ve just pissed all over my life.”
“Em, you can just cancel,” Effy offered, trying to give a solution that’d avoid an argument.
“I shouldn’t have to. I didn’t agree to the date in the first place. And second? What the fuck was all that about? The Ryan thing? One minute you’re sick of my drama, the next you’re causing me a shit load more.”
“I didn’t cause anything. Oh, boo-fucking-hoo. Emily Winters has such a hard life. She has to live in a massive house, drive a fancy car, get Daddy to pay for everything and if that isn’t bad enough, she has two hot guys fighting over her. However will she cope? You know what? I’m done here. You don’t like my dose of reality? Then suck it up, buttercup.” And with that, Liv sprang up out of her chair and stormed out of the café.
“What the hell crawled up her ass?” I’d sensed she was tense when we’d met up earlier, but I had no idea she’d held that much animosity towards me.
“It’s not you.” Effy sighed, reaching across the table to rub my arm as I slumped forward feeling despondent. “She didn’t mean any of those things she said. They’re not true.”
“Didn’t she?”
“No. She’ll regret it in a few hours, but you know Liv, she speaks before she engages her brain. She’s hurting.”
“What did I do to hurt her?”
“Not you. Zak. I think she was really into him, and after the bonfire and them hooking up, she thought he might feel the same. He doesn’t. We saw him go off with Kelly Hopton last night. He didn’t even give Liv a second glance.”
Why were guys such dickheads sometimes?
“He didn’t spend the night with her, if that helps. I saw him at the hospital later on.” I knew it wasn’t any consolation. I also knew my original gut-feeling about Zak had been spot on. He was a player. He was not the type of guy you could trust.
“I don’t think it would. He’s an asshole, Em, but she was heartbroken last night.”
“And I wasn’t there.”
“Even if you had been, you couldn’t have done anything to help. I think she’s jealous of your friendship with them. They all seem to really like you, even Brandon. I think her stirring up trouble is just a way for her to lash out.”
I could understand why Liv felt so pissed off. I just wished she’d told me first, instead of causing waves. None of us knew what these boys were capable of, and now I had to do damage control with Chase and Kian. It was shit I didn’t need on top of what my dad was serving up. I needed my friends in my corner, not stabbing me in the back.
“I’ll talk to her. She’ll probably call you later tonight. You know Liv. She’ll be mortified that she’s upset you.”
I liked Effy’s optimism, but I didn’t agree. I knew Liv, and it’d take a few days and multiple peace talks for us to smooth this over. It always did when we fought. This time, she felt humiliated by Zak and I was feeling the brunt of her anger. I got it. You hurt those closest to you, and Liv was as close to me as a sister. They both were. I needed to sort my shit out and put an end to all this.
“Dude, you need your sniper rifle. Mate, he’s right there… Fuck…”
Gunshots rang out like we were slap bang in the middle of world war three. I tried my best to fight back, but it was useless. I was getting my ass handed to me on a plate in Call of Duty, playing with Brandon over at Zak’s place. Fighting in real-life wasn’t the only skill Brandon had, he could kick anyone’s ass in a game too. I was usually pretty good at holding up my end, but my mind was on other things today. I was distracted by a five-foot-nothing brunette, who was slaying me better than any opponent I’d ever gone up against.
My feisty little firecracker.
She had me all out of sorts and I liked it. Didn’t like it so much last night when she’d burnt my ass, but today I liked the fire she stoked in me. Call of Duty just wasn’t cutting it.
“Ry, mate. If you’re not gonna take this seriously, pass the controller to Finn. You’re about as much use as a rice paper condom right now.”
I threw the controller to Finn, who caught it mid-air, and I got out of the chair opposite the T.V. to let Finn take my coveted place. Finn wasted no time wading into the game and earning a pat on the back from Brandon. I’d lost interest in it ten minutes ago, so I wandered over to the dining table where Zak had set up his I.T. empire, complete with computers, monitors and God knows what else.
“You found anything?” I asked, flipping through the reams of papers he had spread out on his desk. He rolled his eyes at me and moved the papers out of my way. He didn’t like that I was fucking up his well-thought-out filing system.
“Yeah, no. Not yet. I will though. These screenshots and the names, they’re a massive help. Em really came up trumps.” He tapped his finger on the monitor as if to back up what he was saying, then turned to look at me. “Do you think she’ll find anything else?”
“Course she will. She lives with him, doesn’t she? If it’s there, she’ll find it.” I had faith in my girl.
“You sure she’s not in on this too?” Zak whispered, so Brandon and Finn couldn’t hear.
“Not a chance
. Whatever all this is…” I gestured around his desk with my hand to make my point, “She has no idea. I trust her.”
“I hope for all our sakes she’s worth that trust.” Zak went back to clicking away, but I didn’t like what he said, and I wasn’t gonna let him dismiss me that easily.
“She is.”
I noticed Brandon look our way and then shake his head. “You still need to keep your wits about you, mate. She might be easy on the eye, but don’t let that pretty face fool you. You’re not gonna go soft on us are you, Ry?”
Here we go again. Mathers was hooked into our conversation and ready to get in a few digs. He always did where Emily was concerned. She was an Achilles heel for both of us. The thorn in our friendship.
“I know her better than any of you,” I argued. “I also know she wants to find out what’s going on as much as we do. Why wouldn’t she?”
“Because she might lose her allowance and get booted out of that mansion on her ass. You’d be surprised what desperate people are willing to do.” Brandon was right. Desperate people did do stupid dumb-ass shit, but not Emily. Her father might be desperate, but not her.
“She’s not like that.” I folded my arms, squaring my chest to show I wasn’t fucking about.
“Damn, you’ve got it bad, bro.” Brandon smirked, then turned back to concentrate on his game and without missing a beat he said, “I think you need to cut her loose. We’ll get the answers we need without her.”
Zak raised his eyebrow and looked up at me, waiting to see my reaction. I think he expected the fake war from the T.V. to become real at any moment.
“Not gonna happen,” I stated. I couldn’t make my stance any clearer. I wasn’t gonna be told what to do.
“And if she fucks this all up for us? You might need to pick a side, Ryan. When the time comes, make sure you pick the right one.” Brandon was deadly serious, but so was I.
“Oh, I will.”
I glanced back down to the screen Zak was studying, not having the first clue what I was looking at, but I wanted to move the attention away from Emily. I didn’t react well just lately when it came to her. Certainly not as far as these guys were concerned, anyway. They had a habit of riling me up and making me more determined to prove them wrong.
Renegade Hearts (Rebels of Sandland Book 1) Page 12
