I look over at Cole and hand him the phone so he can read it. “He responded to you.”
She nods frantically. And Cole reads it out loud. “Not if I kill you first.”
“It didn’t make any sense, so I ignored it,” she whispers. “Is Seth Evan Scott?”
“Fuck!” Cole hisses. “This explains why Becky was so pissed to begin with. Demi slept with you the night of the Halloween party and then shows this to Becky two days later. She knows you’re Evan Scott …”
“You’re Evan Scott?” Demi interrupts him.
We all ignore her. “She probably thinks you both set her up,” Cole finishes.
A cell begins to ring, and Cole looks down at the one he holds in his hands. “It’s Seth,” he announces.
I rip Demi’s cell out of his hands and hit answer. He begins to ramble instantly.
“I’m so sorry, Demi. You have to understand. I had no choice. I tried to think of a way around it. I even offered them money. You know I’m good for it. I would never hurt you, not like that, if I didn’t have to. If you would have just taken the drink, I wouldn’t have had to force you. You probably wouldn’t have even remembered it.”
He tried to drug her?What the actual fuck?And he actually thought he was doing her a favor. I stare into Demi’s blue eyes while I listen to this guy who is supposed to be her boyfriend, and I can’t figure out what I’m missing.
“Please say something,” he begs. When my silence lingers, he breaks down like a fucking chick. “I’m sorry,” He sobs. “They have a video of me and Hayden … you know that can’t get out, Demi. It can’t …” He sniffs. “Please tell me that you forgive me.”
“If you’re afraid of a video getting out, wait until I’m done with you.”
He gasps. “Wait … What? Deke, is that you?”
I don’t answer.
“I didn’t …”
“But you tried,” I shout, interrupting him, knowing where he is going. I can literally see the evidence on her body as she stands in front of me. He tried to drug her!
“She has to understand,” He growls, no longer begging for forgiveness since he knows I’m not Demi on the phone. “I helped her out when she wanted to fuck you. Putting on that fake fight for you to sweep in and feel like a fucking man trying to save her. The least she could have done was let me do what I needed to do to save my ass. It’s not like she was still a virgin anymore.”
My eyes swing to Demi’s at his confession, and I take a step toward her. “You’re dead.”
DEMI
You’re dead?
He still holds the phone to his ear, but his eyes are on mine. I’m not sure if he meant that for me or for Seth, but my heart pounds in my chest, nonetheless.
He pulls the phone from his ear, holds down the button to turn it off, and then throws it across the room. I hear it slide on the tile hallway that leads out of the living room. His eyes never leave mine. “Cole, take Austin—”
“No.” She interrupts him, coming to stand beside me.
My eyes shoot to Cole. He looks like he’s debating on staying. As if he wants to have a hand in whatever Deke plans on doing to me. Why do they think I’ve somehow betrayed them? I haven’t done shit to Cole.
“Now!” Deke shouts, making me jump.
Cole steps up to us, grabs Austin by the arm, and pulls her away from me. “Don’t you fucking hurt her, Deke!” she screams at Deke as Cole drags her out of the room. The front door slams shut moments later.
We stand in silence, facing one another with only a few feet separating us. He stands, shoulders pulled back, and he’s breathing heavily. He looks like a storm about to drown me before carrying me out to sea to never be found.
I swallow nervously. “I don’t know what he said …”
“Enough,” he says in a clipped voice.
“Deke, let me explain,” I growl, tired of this shit.
