“It’s a bee.” She beams, showing me the picture.
Lilly’s standing in a dressing room with a bumble bee costume on. Her blond curls up in pigtails and her hands on her hips.
“Adorable.” I nod my head as if I fucking care.
“Isn’t she?” She tilts the screen toward her and smiles down at it.
I roll my eyes and look out the window. I was supposed to move in with them but decided against it after Deke told me Cole ratted me out. He disclosed to Deke and Austin that I was the one driving the car the night their three friends died. He also snitched that I was fucking Eli. Well, that was only half the truth. I hadn’t quite made it that far yet.
That fucker.
He only ever does shit in his best interest. After Deke told me he had enough information to bury me, I decided against living under the same roof as a killer. I chose to move in with my mother and stepdad. And of course, Deke moved in with them instead.
It’s not awkward when it’s just Austin and me, but whenever Cole is home, I tense, waiting for him to get me alone and tell me he’s gonna make me pay for the lie I told him. When I lied that I was pregnant.
Junior year
Cole’s car is upside down. Smoke makes it hard to see anything. My entire body aches, and I feel dizzy.
“Eli?” Cole coughs. “Mad … dox?”
Pain slices through my stomach, and I cry out.
“You okay?” he asks, coughing again.
We’re both hanging upside down—our seat belts keeping us in place. The smoke has cleared, and I can see that the entire windshield is gone. I feel blood running from my nose. “I don’t know … what happened,” I cry. One minute, I was driving, then the next, the car was flipping.
“We gotta get out of the car,” he says. “Eli? Landen?” he screams, making me flinch.
I sob. What did I do? I’ve been drinking, but I don’t feel drunk. Had I had too much? I thought I could drive.
I hear Cole feeling around, then he places his hand on the ceiling and releases his seat belt. He falls on his face. “FFFUUCCCKKK!” he growls. He gets out of his broken passenger side window and stumbles over to my side. He gets down on his knees and looks at me through where my window once was. “Cover your face.” He stands, kicking what’s left of the big pieces off the edge. “I’m gonna have to undo your seat belt. Put your hands on the ceiling.”
I continue to sob as he gets me out. I fall to my knees and grab my stomach. My crop top is ripped, and I’m bleeding. My hands shake.
“Eli? Maddox? Landen?” He calls out, but no one answers. “I gotta call 911.” He pats down his pockets. “Fuck!” he growls when he can’t find his phone.
I continue to sob, and he drops to his knees beside me. “Are you okay? What hurts?”
I look up at him. “I … I …” I don’t know what to say. I can’t get caught with them. Not like this. My father will kill me, and my mother will make me move to Texas to live with her. And I refuse to give up my life here.
“What is it?” he asks.
Cole is a fucking shark. A twisted soul. But I’ve never seen his blue eyes filled with so much concern. The guys have to be dead. They weren’t in the car with us, and they’re not answering when he calls out to them. And I can’t go down for that. I can’t go to jail.
So I take advantage of this rare side of Cole and wrap my arms around my stomach. “I’m pregnant.”
Silence falls over us. An eerie calmness. Like the calm before a catastrophic storm that is going to level everything in its wake. Fresh tears run down my cheeks, and he places his hand on my back. I begin to shake.
“Go,” he says.
I look up at him. Could it be that easy? I pretend like I have a conscience. “But …”
“Go, Becky,” he orders. “I’ll take care of this. You need to get out of here.” Then without saying another word, he stands and begins to walk along the street, looking for his dead friends.
I knew if I told him I was with child, then he would tell me to run. I didn’t wanna get caught up in that bullshit. My parents would have killed me if they knew I was driving drunk and wrecked Cole’s car. They all thought I was sober, and that’s why I drove. Big fucking mistake. But I wasn’t about to take the fall for it.
But when Cole confessed that truth to Deke, he knew I had lied about being pregnant. Cole hasn’t mentioned that to me yet, which can only mean one thing—Deke hasn’t told him the truth. That’s what gives me hope that we can still have a future. That he doesn’t hate me completely yet. He’s keeping my secret as if it’s his own.
He’s protecting me. A part of him still loves me, and that’s all I need to know to move forward with my plan to win him back.
My phone vibrates, and I unlock the screen to see I have a new message.
You still coming tomorrow?
Me: Yes. My flight leaves at 6:45 in the morning.
I turn the brightness down on my phone, so it doesn’t draw attention.
Do they know you’re coming?
Me: Nope.
Good. I’ll see you then.
I lock my phone and smile as I look out the window. I’ve been back to Collins a few times since we’ve moved to Texas. I hate that place, but I have unfinished business there.
Deke pulls up to Cole and Austin’s house and jumps out, still not saying a word. It’s obvious he’s pissed. I need to try to smooth things over with him. I ignored him earlier when we were with the others at Silence because I didn’t want them questioning me. Austin would be all over that. She still thinks we can work through our problems, but my sister would just tell me I’m a stupid fucking bitch.
They both need to understand I don’t give a fuck what they think. I don’t want their opinions or need their advice.
We enter the house, and Misty greets us.
Reaching into his jeans pocket, Cole grabs his wallet and pulls out some cash. “Here you go …”
The teenager waves him off. “Mr. Biggs already paid me earlier.”
“Deke,” he growls.
“It was my idea,” he mumbles before storming up the stairs and slamming his bedroom door.
“Thank you, Misty,” Austin tells her. “I’ll walk you over to your house.”
“I’ll do it,” Cole interjects, and she doesn’t argue.
Austin turns to face me. “Want me to take you home?”
I look up at the top of the stairs and then at her. “Yeah.” Tonight is not the night to try anything with Deke. I’m not in the mood to kiss his ass or suck his dick. Plus, I’ve got an early flight out in the morning.
“Wait until I get back and I’ll drive you guys,” Cole orders Austin.
“I can drive myself, Cole.” She sighs.
Just when I think he’s gonna argue with her, he bends down and kisses her forehead. “Hurry back, sweetheart.”
“Deke was being nice tonight.” Austin speaks once we’re alone in her car. “Until he wasn’t.”
“Yeah,” I mumble. “He can be like any other man. Hormonal.”
She laughs. “Things will work out.”
“I know.” ’Cause I’m gonna force them to. Just like Cole forced me into being friends with her.