My eyes widen. “What?”
She looks back at me. “And I told her that she is not welcome here.”
“Austin ...”
She ignores Cole and walks over to me. Her green eyes have tears in them, but I can’t tell if they’re from sadness or anger. She licks her lips and the look on her pretty face makes me think she’s about to break down and sob. “I’m sorry, Deke, but I cannot forgive this. I will never tell you who you can and can’t date, but she’s not allowed back in my house.”
“Sweetheart?” Cole steps up behind her.
She spins around and looks up at him. He opens his mouth to speak, but whatever he sees written on her face makes him pause. He reaches out to cup her face, and she shoves him away. “How could you?” she asks, and her voice breaks.
“I—”
“No,” she interrupts him. “That was private. You had no right.” Then she turns and storms back out of the kitchen just as fast as she entered, but I don’t miss the tears running down her face.
“What the hell is in that damn thing?” I ask.
Cole runs his hand down his face, releasing a sigh. “Things her stepdad did to her. And everything we did to her. From the point she saw us on New Year’s night committing murder in the cemetery up until the night before Kellan shot her.”
Fuck! No wonder she’s mad. “You told her you only read a few pages.”Had he been lying?
“I read enough,” he says through gritted teeth, knowing none of it was pretty. “I gotta go talk to her.”
“Good luck,” I offer, thinking he may be the thing she sets on fire.
He slaps me on the back as he exits. “Austin will forgive me. You’re the one who needs luck. Two women equally hate you at the moment.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
DEMI
SETH BRINGS HIScar to a stop in front of my mother’s house. “You okay?” he asks.
I nod my heavy head. “Yep.”
He chuckles. “Need me to carry you upstairs and put you to bed?”
I snort. “I didn’t drink that much.”
“I know, but you also haven’t eaten anything.”
I open the door and look over at him. “I’m fine.”
“Okay. I’ll talk to you tomorrow.” I crawl out and turn to shut the door, but he speaks. “Don’t let her get to you,” he tells me.
“I won’t …”
“She’s pissed. Just lost her best friend and her boyfriend.”
I snort. “You don’t know them like I do.” After what went down with my sister and Austin, my sister left. I’m sure she went running to Deke. Begging him to love her from her knees. I’m sure he promised her the world since he owes her for fucking up and sleeping with me. He probably told her we were drunk. Or he thought I was her. Who knows what he said and what she’ll believe?
“I know your sister is a bitch.” He growls. “And that you should sleep with your bedroom door locked and one eye open.”
I nod. “Thanks for the ride home.” I slam the door shut and make my way up to the front door.
It’s a little after midnight. I left a few hours after Becky and Austin did. I called Seth, and we went to hang out with a friend of his. We had some drinks and played video games. I needed to celebrate. I fucked over my sister, and she fucked over her best friend.
It was a great Monday!
