Total pages in book: 126
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 122030 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 610(@200wpm)___ 488(@250wpm)___ 407(@300wpm)
“I’m not fucking around. I know you were with her tonight.”
“All right, enough,” Silas commands. He and RJ pry us apart, standing between us. “Calm down a second and tell me what’s going on.”
“Shut up, Silas. You can fuck off too.”
He flinches, offended. “What the hell did I do?”
“Seriously? I know you set me up, you shady bastard.”
“What are you even talking about?”
“Fenn, come on.” RJ tugs at me again. “Let’s not do this tonight.”
“No.” I smack his hand away because tonight seems like a perfect time to ream out both these assholes. “You sent RJ to find Sloane and me that day because you wanted to break them up. You used me and you’re a shit friend.”
His face falls.
Yeah, that’s what I thought. The mask is off. No one is buying the golden boy bullshit anymore.
“I swear I had no idea you were the one she was going out there to meet,” Silas insists. “I never meant to screw you over.”
“Whatever.” He can sell it to someone else. Silas is the least of my concerns now. “I’m here about him,” I snap, pointing my finger past him at Lawson. “You were out all night with Casey, and I want to know what the fuck you think you’re up to.”
He puts his hands up innocently. “She hopped in my car.”
“You don’t have a car.”
“All right, she hopped in a car that I was driving.”
“That doesn’t make any sense.”
Lawson backs away from the confrontation to grab a tumbler from the coffee table. It’s filled to the brim with a dark amber liquid. He takes a swig before continuing with his defense.
“I was at St. Vincent’s to pick up this other chick when Casey came prancing up to me to insist I give her a ride.” He casually throws himself into an armchair with his robe hanging open over his bare chest, light-brown hair falling onto his forehead. “We went for a perfectly innocent drive. Talked about her bunny—”
I lunge again. “You asshole—”
“Her actual bunny,” he interrupts, and I stop in my tracks. “I guess she rescued a rabbit the other day?” He shrugs. “I also thought she meant her pussy. It was very disappointing.” He notes my thunderous expression and chuckles. “Sorry. Bad joke. Anyway, that’s really it. She was pissed off at some girl at school and needed to clear her head. I took her for a drive, after which I delivered her in one entirely untouched piece.” He meets my gaze. “Nothing happened.”
“On your life.”
“I wouldn’t do that to a friend, Fenn.”
Releasing a breath, I slump onto the arm of the sofa and rub my face. “No, I know. Of course not. I’m sorry, dude.”
He hands me his drink, which I swallow in one burning gulp. It sticks hot and acrid in my gut.
“Uh…” He grins at me. “There’s half a crushed Vicodin in there, so no driving. All right?”
Lawson’s a fuckboy, but he isn’t a liar. Not to his friends, anyway. The guy might be a walking red flag, but at least he’s loyal, which is how I know he’s telling the truth. Even if it does me no good to hear it. It kills me that Casey is turning to other people for support these days. I used to be the one she ran to when she was pissed off or needed to clear her head.
This is your last reminder, Fenn—I’m not yours to worry about anymore. Leave me alone.
Her cold words buzz around in my head. They hurt. But I also know there’s no way I can possibly heed them. I will worry about her, and I can’t leave her alone. I’ll keep my distance, yes, but it’ll take a hell of a lot more than Casey going on a joyride with Lawson to make me stop caring for her.
CHAPTER 26
CASEY
“YOU SET ME UP!”
The screechy accusation reverberates in the hallway the next morning. I lift my head from inside my locker to find Ainsley barreling toward me, proverbial guns blazing.
“Oh, hey.” I give her a placid smile, then resume my attention on grabbing my history and math textbooks for first and second period. “You look nice today.”
“You bitch,” Ainsley spits out. “That was some sketchy shit you pulled yesterday.”
I tuck my books under one arm and shut the locker. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.” I raise a brow. “Are you sure you’re not the one who’s been forgetting to take her meds?”
Her cheeks turn bright red. She’s conspicuously alone, her sidekick Bree nowhere to be seen. I bet she’s embarrassed about the way Lawson blew her off yesterday and doesn’t want her friends being reminded of it.
“I don’t know what game you’re playing here, but Lawson Kent is—”
“Is what?” I interrupt. “A friend of mine? Yes, he is.” My smile widens. “Are we more than friends? Sometimes.”