Jett turned swiftly in the front seat and pierced her with his glare. Having been on the end of that glare many a time, I understood why Red flinched. “You’re being a bitch,” he spoke clearly and calmly, which was misleading because I knew Jett was a long way from calm. “My best friend is in trouble, real trouble, and all you care about is how it inconveniencesyou.You resent Ava’s new friendships and relationships, and I’m going to make this very clear and simple for you . . . too fucking bad.”
“Jett,” Ava’s reprimand was low but angry.
“No, she needs to hear it. She’s being selfish. She’s been selfish ever since I met her, and you’re too loyal to hear it.” Jett returned his hard look to Red. “You get stage fright? Fuck off. You’re the most self-centered person I’ve ever met, and I grew up with a twin who’s emotionally handicapped.”
It was not the right time or place for my snort of laughter, but it was reactive to a tense situation.
Jett was not to be deterred. “You left Ava that night of the party; you leave her every time you’re out together. When you’re in the same apartment, you lock your bedroom door and practice and leave her again. She is always alone even when sheiswith you. And now, Ava has relationships that don’t need you —shedoes not need you — and you just can’t fucking handle that.”
“Jett!” Ava’s cry was louder as she stared at him in astonishment.
“You left your best friend to walk home when she was too hammered to stay upright because you’d hooked up with some random guy. You’re fucking lucky it was me Ava met. If Derrick had got what he wanted, how would you feel? Guilty? Do you even know what that means?”
Red was white with shock or anger, I wasn’t sure. “I didn’t know she was—”
“You didn’t know because you didn’t care.” Jett was fury beside me. “Every party I’ve ever seen you at, every time in the bar, you never know where she is. You never spend your time with her, because beside Ava, you’re not the center of attention.”
“Jett, seriously, that’s enough,” Ava’s voice was hard.
“And you know why you don’t spend time with her? Because you knew and we’ve proven it, she doesn’t need you. Ava is amazing, and her friendship with Quinn is something you hate. You think I’m possessive? I’m not possessive, I just spend the time with her that she deserves.”
“Could you stop?” Ava shouted at him.
“No.” His hard stare at Red didn’t waver. “My best friend is in trouble, my girlfriend could be vulnerable, my whole entire focus is on keeping them safe, but Ava, being the perfect person she is, made us include you. No one wanted you involved. No one wanted you. And you know it.”
“Are you done?” Red asked quietly.
“With you? Definitely.”
“I think we’ve all heard enough,” I said in the quiet of the car. They hadn’t noticed that we were outside the football house. “We’re here.”
Jett turned in his seat and, in one swift motion, was out of the car. I saw Red relax slightly before Ava’s car door opened, and my cousin’s hand extended toward her.
“I’m staying with Mia,” Ava said softly. “You need to look after your best friend, and I need to look aftermine.”
The whole car shook with the force with which he closed the door.
I waited, facing forward, but my eyes were on the redhead in the back seat. Hazel eyes met mine, and I saw the pain there.
“I’ll take you to the admin building,” I said softly.
“Thank you.” Ava’s voice was a whisper, and I made the short drive to the main building.
I had the things from the apartment that Ava had picked up earlier and two bags of shopping in the trunk. As the girls got out, I saw the uneasiness between the two of them.
“C’mon, I can make this move along quicker.”
In the admin building, I pulled the Santo legacy rank and got them in a room within half an hour. I looked around the suite: a couch, a desk, a TV. Off to the side was an archway that led to twin beds and a closet. A door in the bedroom led to an adjacent bathroom. Neither girl looked at me or each other as they stood in the middle of the small suite. Ironically, it was almost the same size as their apartment — they just didn’t have a kitchen.
“Tensions are high,” I said to them, and Ava nodded once before she locked herself in the bathroom.
“You okay?” I asked Red.
I almost thought she didn’t hear me, but then she looked up at me, and I saw the hurt again. I crossed the room quickly, and she was in my arms as I hugged her close.
“I don’t leave her intentionally,” she whispered. “She just never follows.”
The thought that Ava was a follower of any kind made me chuckle. The girl was so incredibly independent that it was a wonder she consented to being in a relationship with Jett.
