He pulled out a clear baggie from his pants pocket.
Fantastic. Just what I needed. The guy I’m dating’s best friend isn’t just a thug—he’s also an addict.
“You don’t deserve a friend like Will,” I said, recognizing the baggie’s contents.
James stuck his index finger in the white powder and sucked on it enthusiastically in front of my astounded face. “You’ve barely been here two days, and you think you know everything, but you don’t know shit.”
I saw him put the baggie back into his pocket before he pulled out a little leather wallet.
“Do you think anyone cares about your thug backstory? Do you think I or anyone else gives a fuck about what made you such a tortured asshole?”
Instead of getting angry, James sneered, rolled up a dollar bill, and put it behind his ear. “And here’s where sweet, innocent White is wrong.” His whisper aroused conflicting sensations in me. “I’m not talking about myself. I’m talking about everyone else you think you know,” he continued.
I thought about Blaze again. Had I seen him with Jackson?
Amelia. Why didn’t she tell me what really went on with James? And why did Brian hate his guts?
Then there was William—he seemed like the perfect guy, but I had a gut feeling that there was something he wasn’t telling me. It was weird, but in that moment he seemed like the biggest asshole of all of them and the nicest one of all.
“Are you still being a dickhead?”
William came back just in time to notice the confused expression on my face.
“Definitely,” I groaned, toeing the gravel with the tip of my Vans. William shot James a look.
“Come on, June, let’s get out of here. This place isn’t your vibe.”
William took my hand. I hadn’t expected that, but if it got me out of this situation, I was more than happy about it.
We took the side street that surrounded the place, and the farther we went into the dark, the more I squeezed his fingers. I felt my heart racing so loudly that I thought it was gonna jump out of my chest.
“Jackson parked on the dirt road back here. I want to show you something.”
I forgot about my rage, about Hunter, about everything else. Right now, I was on cloud nine.
I scowled when we stopped in front of Jackson’s old pickup truck. It was totally dark outside, and there were only trees.
“Come on, get in!” William urged as he jumped on the truck bed to climb onto the roof.
Hesitantly, I took his hand. As I reached him, I realized why he’d brought me here. Below us, beyond the cliff, all of Los Angeles was lit up.
“It’s beautiful,” I whispered.
“Was it like this in Virginia?”
“No, not at all.”
I started to get cold, and rubbed my hands together.
Without being asked, William put my freezing fingers between his warm hands.
I turned my head, and our eyes met. As soon as he realized how close our faces were, he got nervous.
“Damn it, your jeans are getting dirty,” I heard him mumble.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m such an idiot. I could’ve brought a blanket. Sorry, I just—” I felt his hands shaking.
