Page 192 of The Unravelings

“Only one way to find out,” I say, leaning heavily against the heavy door and twisting the ancient handle.

“Let me help,” Hux says, helping me lean against it until it creaks open a crack and bright sunlight beams through.

Once we’ve exited the old building and shut the door, we stand outside it, staring. “So, this should be our little secret, right?” I say, looking between the three boys.

“Uh, duh! In our time of need, we come to this spot and meet in the caves.”

The caves never truly became a place we spent time in; they were just a fun discovery. Once Mack realized the fabled Greenwood treasure would never be found there, he dropped it, and we moved on. Only visiting when we wanted an adventure underground. The treehouse in the middle of the woods was always our sanctuary. Our home away from home. Especially for me. It was a shorter distance to get there from my bedroom window than to the caves. I could easily climb the ladder and hide out until my father gave up trying to reach me.

“So, the caves?” I ask as he takes a step away from me toward the opposite end of the alleyway.

A small grin tugs at the edges of his lips. “Yeah. The caves. Mack found good use for them after all. He’s still convinced that’s where the treasure is hidden despite looking almost everywhere in that cave system. He’ll never give up until he finds the gold.”

I nod. “I’ll be ready for it. Uh, thanks for the warning,” I say, wanting to ask more questions about what to expect, but JJ lifts his hand before walking off into the sunshine. At the edge of the alley, I watch as he walks along the sidewalk and then disappears toward the property line.

I blow out a breath when I exit the small alleyway. My mind replays the day’s events. Oh, and the night, too. Pulling out my phone, I look through the missed messages and calls. Simon called a few times, which is odd. Usually he texts, which means he probably wants the tea about last night. As I scroll more, my heart drops into my stomach when Jonathan’s name flashes across the screen several times. Three missed calls, and seven missed text messages. Shit. I rub my temples. This is not a good development. He rarely calls or texts during cases like this.

Whatever.

Instead of worrying about Jonathan, I type out a quick message to my favorite grumpy asshole.

Oli: Any news on the USB?

Carter: Fucking hi to you too…

Oli: Hello Carter. How is your day? Is it fucking amazing?

I roll my eyes as his texting bubble pops up.

Carter: I’m still looking. I should have some fucking news tonight. Maybe. There’s a lot of shit here to fact-check.

Oli: Well, I appreciate you looking into it.

Carter: The fuck? Are you getting fucking sappy on me now? Maybe I should send this back…

Oli: Ugh. Can’t I show my appreciation? You’re doing me a solid.

Carter: About fucking time I get some recognition.

Oli: On that note…

I shake my head as I shove my phone into my pocket and make my way up to my dorm suite. Walking through the door, Simon is immediately in my face and pulling me into the shared living room with furrowed brows.

“I tried to call you,” he hisses, looking me up and down with concern, and then a large grin spreads across his cheeks once he sees I’m in one piece. “You know, a certain someone stopped by earlier today and grabbed these very clothes.” He tilts his head knowingly. “Oli, what have you been up to?”

Heat explodes on my cheeks and runs down my neck as my eyes dart anywhere but at Simon. How the hell do I explain this? Oh, you know. I hooked up with Malic. JJ licked my pussy not too long ago, too. Not to mention, he’s my childhood sweetheart. Also, I died five years ago, so that complicates things more.

Easy fucking peasy to explain. Right? Ugh.

“I’m sorry!” I cringe. “I must have gotten distracted. I swear, I sent you a text telling you I was okay.” I do feel bad for leaving him and Daniel at the fights, but I swear I sent something so they knew I was okay. I mean, I basically ditched them to get down with Malic. Oh, and Wilder, too. Although he wasn’t a part of the plan. “Also, I didn’t mean to ditch you, either. Did you and Daniel have fun?”

Simon snorts, waving me off. “As long as you’re okay, Oli. And we had a blast. Drank some drinks. Watched some challenges. Did you know Beau challenged Reed last night?” His lips pop open in shock. “It was scandalous.” He shakes his head. “Poor Beau lost. A tragedy. All he wanted to do was win back his boyfriend, but instead, he was left alone and shamed.”

I blink several times. “Oh, that sounds sad,” I say, not having a damn clue who Beau and Reed are.

“No matter! They’ll be back together by tomorrow, stewing in their toxic relationship. Pfft. In my opinion, Reed should walk away, but I didn’t say that.” He grins widely and then waves me off again. “Sooooo, are you going to spill the tea for me? How was it? Malic Monroe…” He whistles and then leans in expectantly. “I bet he’s a passionate lover. Am I right? Passionate? Rough? Ugh. You’re living the dream,” he sighs dreamily, looking toward the ceiling.

I snort. “A gentleman doesn’t kiss and tell.”