Glancing over my shoulder, I take her in from head to toe. Her thighs are completely exposed, but she’s wearing that infamous hoodie. Her hair is covered in a leopard print bonnet, and her glasses are nowhere in sight. In her hands, she carries two coffee mugs, the steam swirling in the air. A smile tugs at my lips as I turn to face her.
Out of all the fucked-up shit that’s happened in the last few months, she’s the only good thing. Which is a crazy concept for me. I’ve never been the relationship type. Then she shows up and turns my entire world on its axis. Literally, because if she would have never shown up to SKU, I would have never gotten the courage to go up against my dad, never would have believed I can be anything other than what I am right now. We wouldn’t have broken into his office, and Kane would have taken that secret to the grave.
“Hey,” is all I say.
She holds out a mug and I take it.
“How are you?” she asks and stands beside me.
I continue to face the house while Sam looks out into the distance.
I shrug. “I’m confused. Conflicted.”
She nods and places a hand over my chest. “I get that.”
We hear voices from inside the house, both glancing back tosee Kane enter the kitchen. He’s watching us through the sliding door, and for what it’s worth, it looks like he didn’t sleep a wink either.
“You should talk to him.” Sam tips her head in Kane’s direction.
I face forward again, taking a long sip of the piping hot drink. “I don’t have anything to say.”
“Alex,” she groans. “You have plenty to say. You guys have been friends forever; you have to talk this out.”
“And say what, huh? Geez, thanks for finally telling me we’re blood brothers, let’s create a new secret handshake.”
“You’re hurt.” She nods. “Understandably so but—”
“No. I’m beyond hurt. I’m pissed. He lied to me for God knows how long”—I point toward the house but keep my sights fixed on Sam—“and had it not been for me finding his name in that file, he never would have said anything.”
“It’s complicated. I seriously doubt he wanted to keep that from you.”
“I treated him like a brother, Sam. What was mine was his. Never held anything back, trust him with my life.” Now I’m pointing at myself, my finger sharp against my chest. “But he didn’t trust me.” I huff. “What am I supposed to do with that?”
“Talk to him. I get that this fucked your world up. But try to imagine what he’s feeling in all this. There’s a reason he didn’t tell, and I’m sure that’s been hard for him. He feels alone, Alex. Kept everything he’s been dealing with to himself, and the only other family he has, he’shadto lie to. He’s a victim in this, too. The person you should be angry with is your father.”
All I can do is stare at her. I know she’s right, this isn’t his fault, but he was supposed to trust me. We could have maneuvered this together.
“Think about it. Okay? You’re going to need each other.” She pats my chest then lets her touch linger along my biceps. Rising on her toes, she places a kiss to the side of my mouth and retreats back into the house.
Taking a large sip from the coffee, I turn on my heel to follow behind her. The moment I open the patio door, their voices fill the space. I close it behind me, set the empty mug on the counter, then enter the living room. The three of them are sitting around the living room—Kane’s on the loveseat, Mountain is positioned on the larger sofa, and Sam settles opposite him.
“I was up all night going through the drive and found a lot of disturbing stuff,” Mountain says without looking at either of us. “It’s a lot, so I focused on your moms, given that all this started because you found that picture.”
“What does it say?” Sam questions and tucks both legs beneath her before covering herself with the blanket.
Mountain scoffs. “What doesn’t it say?” He shakes his head. “From what I can tell, your father”—he looks between Kane and me—“isn’t the only person involved. And it goes back years. Though it seems to have stopped or slowed down in 2005.”
“When Emily died?” Sam interjects.
Mountain shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“My father—our father wasn’t the only one involved in what?” I ask.
“Some very, very disgusting things. That club Sam and Gracie found out about? Turns out it was a front.”
“Front for what?” Kane asks, adjusting in his seat.
“Some sort of secret society. I mean, I guess it wasn’t so secret considering the name you found, the Aurelian Circle, is public information, but it went beyond being a social club. At face value, it was an official school program but not an open one. Imean they have school activities, and fundraisers, and all the usual stuff. But membership was extremely exclusive, and invitation only. All the male members were the elite, sons of mayors, senators, etc. And the women varied from wealthy families and poorer families.”
