Jaded
Page 63
I didn’t wait for a nod of permission. I shoved my way through the crowd and stopped short at the surreal emptiness of the lounge that lay just beyond four opened doors. In the corner, tucked away behind the coat-racks, couches, chairs, and coffee tables was a girl with spiked hair. She looked like a peacock.
I remembered and approached her. Her head was downcast, studying her lap, and she seemed to shrink in size as I sat in a chair next to her.
She looked up after a moment and I saw the same injustice that raged inside of me. She had startling blue eyes, but she looked away again.
“You can just leave,” she bit out.
“You were friends with Leisha. I remember seeing you at her table once.”
She whipped up and snarled, “It was my table and Leisha is my friend…she’s just gone right now.”
“Don’t tell me your name is Cassandra Bens.” I remembered that Carlos had had a thing for her.
“God, no!” She blinked, startled, and in disgust. “I’m Bailey, Leisha’s best friend.”
“I’m—”
“I know who you are,” she said quickly. “Leisha worshiped you.”
“I know,” I said faintly.
I caught movement at the doorway and looked up to see Bryce standing in the doorway. He met my gaze and turned to lean against the doorframe as he watched the vigil inside.
Bailey looked over too and shook her head, “He’s really gorgeous, isn’t he?”
“He’s an ass.” I smiled faintly.
“Yeah.” Bailey laughed dryly. “Only you can say that because he’s yours.”
I frowned, but didn’t correct her. “I liked Leisha,” I said instead.
“I know. Me too,” Bailey whispered hoarsely.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Why? Leisha was the one who went to the party. She was the one who walked down the block.”
I frowned and asked, sharply, “What?”
Bailey looked up. Blank.
“What do you mean—she walked down the block?”
“She was at my house that night. Carlos called her and she wanted to go. He said that you invited her. I live two blocks from Evans’ house. He’s a dipshit.”
“I thought—I thought she was walking in the park because that was the straightest way from her house.”
“Hell, no. Leisha’s not stupid. She would never have walked in that park alone.
Someone who’s high might go there at night or if they want to get murdered and raped.”
I was stunned. And speechless.
“I told her not to go. I thought it was stupid. She liked Carlos so much. I thought she was stupid for liking you too and I really thought she was stupid when she skipped with you and Mr. Gorgeous.” Bailey shook her head as a haunted grin flitted over her features, “Leisha was so stupid sometimes, but…she said that you weren’t what everyone said you were. I guess she was right after all.”
“I liked her,” I said again, faintly.
“I can’t stand this mockery. I bet a third of those people in there are actually feeling sad. The rest, they’re just there so everyone will see them there. I hate it. Leisha wouldn’t have cared and that’s so sad. She wouldn’t care that they’re just using her.
She’d say something moronic like ‘at least they’re praying for a good cause.’” Bailey broke off and laughed bitterly. A few tears streaked down her face and she wiped them away.
“I gotta go,” she said abruptly and sped down the stairs.
I didn’t move. Bryce came and sat in her vacated seat.
He leaned back and neither of us said a word.
We sat and stared at nothing.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Bryce and I left as the last prayer started. We wanted to beat the crowd and after Bryce dipped inside to tell Corrigan the plan, neither of us said a word when he came back with Luca in tow.
The three of us trailed to Bryce’s car and Luca sat in the back. Silently, Bryce drove to his house. He didn’t look my way, but disappeared inside with Luca for a moment. Bryce came back out with a bag slung over his shoulder and he reversed the car out of his driveway.
My house was doused in black while Mena’s was white with movement, music, and dancing lights. They were having a party. It was surreal considering what we’d just left.
I walked around the garage for a better view. Bryce rounded the garage and stood beside me. He watched for a moment and murmured, “Those people seem pretty glitzy.”
“Yeah. I don’t think Mena’s parents are there.”
“Big bro is having a party.” Bryce nodded with no reaction and moved around to the back door.
He knelt, found the hidden key, and unlocked the house.
It was a little startling how ingrained Bryce had become with my life.
Once inside, I said, “You can’t leave.”
He stiffened and slowly put his bag on the ground before he turned to me. “We’re not going to hash that out right now.”
“Why not? This is as good a time as any. No one’s here. And you’re already pissed at me.”
“Pissed,” Bryce bit out. “That’s what I am? That’s why I held your hand and sat next to you at that prayer thing? That’s why I’m here right now?”
“No.” I was blind as I spewed out, “You lo—”
I stopped as the words choked in my throat. My eyes went round and I blanched as I took in the furious keenness that had overtaken my best friend as he heard me and heard the words stop. He stepped closer.
He asked softly, lethal, “What were you going to say?”
I readied myself. A fight was brewing.
Bryce finished it as a gentle fury swirled in him, “I love you. That’s what you were going to say.”
I looked away and started to walk, but Bryce gripped my arm and whipped me back. “You don’t walk from this. You started it. We’re going to finish it.”
“I—” I started, but my doorbell rang and the words shriveled and died.
Bryce cursed and I shoved past him to walk the entire household’s length to the front door.
I glanced through the living room windows and gulped as I saw who stood there.
Bryce still waited in the back doorway, so I moved around and opened the front door.
Denton stood and I saw the movie star that caused everyone to pant. He wore a crisp white buttoned-down shirt over a pair of just-as-crisp black leather pants.
I remembered and approached her. Her head was downcast, studying her lap, and she seemed to shrink in size as I sat in a chair next to her.
She looked up after a moment and I saw the same injustice that raged inside of me. She had startling blue eyes, but she looked away again.
“You can just leave,” she bit out.
“You were friends with Leisha. I remember seeing you at her table once.”
She whipped up and snarled, “It was my table and Leisha is my friend…she’s just gone right now.”
“Don’t tell me your name is Cassandra Bens.” I remembered that Carlos had had a thing for her.
“God, no!” She blinked, startled, and in disgust. “I’m Bailey, Leisha’s best friend.”
“I’m—”
“I know who you are,” she said quickly. “Leisha worshiped you.”
“I know,” I said faintly.
I caught movement at the doorway and looked up to see Bryce standing in the doorway. He met my gaze and turned to lean against the doorframe as he watched the vigil inside.
Bailey looked over too and shook her head, “He’s really gorgeous, isn’t he?”
“He’s an ass.” I smiled faintly.
“Yeah.” Bailey laughed dryly. “Only you can say that because he’s yours.”
I frowned, but didn’t correct her. “I liked Leisha,” I said instead.
“I know. Me too,” Bailey whispered hoarsely.
“I’m really sorry.”
“Why? Leisha was the one who went to the party. She was the one who walked down the block.”
I frowned and asked, sharply, “What?”
Bailey looked up. Blank.
“What do you mean—she walked down the block?”
“She was at my house that night. Carlos called her and she wanted to go. He said that you invited her. I live two blocks from Evans’ house. He’s a dipshit.”
“I thought—I thought she was walking in the park because that was the straightest way from her house.”
“Hell, no. Leisha’s not stupid. She would never have walked in that park alone.
Someone who’s high might go there at night or if they want to get murdered and raped.”
I was stunned. And speechless.
“I told her not to go. I thought it was stupid. She liked Carlos so much. I thought she was stupid for liking you too and I really thought she was stupid when she skipped with you and Mr. Gorgeous.” Bailey shook her head as a haunted grin flitted over her features, “Leisha was so stupid sometimes, but…she said that you weren’t what everyone said you were. I guess she was right after all.”
“I liked her,” I said again, faintly.
“I can’t stand this mockery. I bet a third of those people in there are actually feeling sad. The rest, they’re just there so everyone will see them there. I hate it. Leisha wouldn’t have cared and that’s so sad. She wouldn’t care that they’re just using her.
She’d say something moronic like ‘at least they’re praying for a good cause.’” Bailey broke off and laughed bitterly. A few tears streaked down her face and she wiped them away.
“I gotta go,” she said abruptly and sped down the stairs.
I didn’t move. Bryce came and sat in her vacated seat.
He leaned back and neither of us said a word.
We sat and stared at nothing.
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
Bryce and I left as the last prayer started. We wanted to beat the crowd and after Bryce dipped inside to tell Corrigan the plan, neither of us said a word when he came back with Luca in tow.
The three of us trailed to Bryce’s car and Luca sat in the back. Silently, Bryce drove to his house. He didn’t look my way, but disappeared inside with Luca for a moment. Bryce came back out with a bag slung over his shoulder and he reversed the car out of his driveway.
My house was doused in black while Mena’s was white with movement, music, and dancing lights. They were having a party. It was surreal considering what we’d just left.
I walked around the garage for a better view. Bryce rounded the garage and stood beside me. He watched for a moment and murmured, “Those people seem pretty glitzy.”
“Yeah. I don’t think Mena’s parents are there.”
“Big bro is having a party.” Bryce nodded with no reaction and moved around to the back door.
He knelt, found the hidden key, and unlocked the house.
It was a little startling how ingrained Bryce had become with my life.
Once inside, I said, “You can’t leave.”
He stiffened and slowly put his bag on the ground before he turned to me. “We’re not going to hash that out right now.”
“Why not? This is as good a time as any. No one’s here. And you’re already pissed at me.”
“Pissed,” Bryce bit out. “That’s what I am? That’s why I held your hand and sat next to you at that prayer thing? That’s why I’m here right now?”
“No.” I was blind as I spewed out, “You lo—”
I stopped as the words choked in my throat. My eyes went round and I blanched as I took in the furious keenness that had overtaken my best friend as he heard me and heard the words stop. He stepped closer.
He asked softly, lethal, “What were you going to say?”
I readied myself. A fight was brewing.
Bryce finished it as a gentle fury swirled in him, “I love you. That’s what you were going to say.”
I looked away and started to walk, but Bryce gripped my arm and whipped me back. “You don’t walk from this. You started it. We’re going to finish it.”
“I—” I started, but my doorbell rang and the words shriveled and died.
Bryce cursed and I shoved past him to walk the entire household’s length to the front door.
I glanced through the living room windows and gulped as I saw who stood there.
Bryce still waited in the back doorway, so I moved around and opened the front door.
Denton stood and I saw the movie star that caused everyone to pant. He wore a crisp white buttoned-down shirt over a pair of just-as-crisp black leather pants.
