Gray:I hear you, I’ve always heard you . . . I’m just done listening
Unexpectedly, I felt tears, and hastily I wiped one away as it had the audacity to spill over. I wasn’t used to crying; my emotions were under control. Tight control. I had cried so much for so long, I was done letting my emotions rule me. Wrapping my arms around myself, I made my way slowly back to the bar, but as I rounded the corner, I was surprised to see Ava standing there, waiting for me. Her hesitant smile made my feet falter, but I plastered my smile on my face and tried to loosen my arms from the fake comfort they were giving me.
“Hey.” I looked at her as she literally hopped from foot to foot in uncertainty, and I braced myself for the question that I knew was coming.
“Where do they go?” Ava’s eyes showed her anxiety, and I cursed my Devils for leaving me with this to deal with.
“They have practice tomorrow, early.”
The “that’s bullshit” look she gave me was merited, but it wasn’t my job to soothe her concerns. I felt a pang of . . . guilt?Wasit my job? Ugh, this friendship thing sucked.
“I’m not stupid.” Her whisper was worse than the stab of guilt I had felt.
We stood for a moment longer, and I knew that the fleeting feeling of belonging I had felt earlier was disappearing as quickly as it had come.
“I don’t know where they’re going.” I surprised myself with my own words, and I saw Ava mirror my shock, but she speedilyovercame it as she took a step forward. “I don’t know, they don’t tell me either,” I added quickly.
“But you know why?” Ava’s eyes were shrewd as she watched me. My resolve must have been clear on my face as I saw her slowly nod in acceptance. “I understand, if it was Mia . . . I wouldn’t be saying shit either.” Her hands ran through her ponytail as she looked away from me. “Is it bad?”
“Ava,” I began.
“Don’t tell me. I know that it is. He’s been out twice when he thought I was sleeping.”
Twice? Pushing my alarm down, I curbed my tongue.
“He comes back and it’s late and he feels . . . off.” Troubled green eyes met mine, and I saw her harden herself for the reply to the next question. “Is he seeing someone else?”
“No.”
The speed of my reply caused her to smile with relief. “Really? I know we’re new and we started off, well, wrong, but I . . .” Ava’s troubled look eased as I placed a hand on her arm.
“He will never cheat, I promise you. He isn’t and he wouldn’t.”
She startled me when she gave me a hug, and I awkwardly patted her shoulder. “He makes me crazy,” she admitted with a self-deprecating roll of her eyes. “I’mthatgirl. The crazy clingy girl that knows her boyfriend is insanely hot and women will throw themselves at him.”
“Of course they will.” I wasn’t dissuaded by her frown at my honesty. “He’s a nineteen-year-old good-looking guy with a very big future ahead of him; people will want their hooks in him, in all of them, very early on. He knows that. They all do. It’s one of the reasons they’re so fucking arrogant.”
“Just one?” Ava teased as she shook off her melancholy.
“Yeah, they’re also all overbearing, trust me.” I nudged her shoulder with mine. “They’re also disgustingly stubborn, and I swear Ash was in that womb with the twins — they’re more liketriplets sometimes. When they set their mind on something, they do not let go.” Watching her secret smile, I nodded in agreement. “You know that better than anyone.”
“He is persistent.”
“Bah!” I laughed. “He cares about you so much, trust me.” Watching Ava question herself and then give herself an inner shake was a nice distraction from my own problems.
“Sorry,” she mumbled.
“Don’t worry about it. They’re a lot to take.”
As she concentrated on the sidewalk, I felt her lingering uncertainty and was ready when she raised her head to me one more time. “Is it illegal?”
“You need to talk to Jett,” I deflected like a pro. I saw the understanding, and I appreciated it more than I realized that I would.
“You did tell me you were the fourth Devil.” Ava placed her hand on my arm. “I shouldn’t have asked, it was a bitch move, and I would have smacked me down if I were you, so thank you for being kind.”
Kind? Me? Well, that was a first.
“And of course it’s shady shit,” Ava carried on. “I fear for the opposition.”
