She turns and looks at Cole. He’s running his hand absentmindedly through her hair. “Please tell me you don’t want to kill Demi?” I haven’t heard that kind of fear in her voice in a long time.
His hand pauses, and he looks up at her. His eyes give nothing away, but his brows crease. “No.”
She looks back down at the paper in her hands.
This would be a good time to tell them she threatened me the last time I saw her, but I keep my mouth shut. For some reason, I feel like I need to protect her from Shane. He’s on a mission to kill someone, and Demi is his target. Do I think she’s capable of this? Not really. But am I suspicious? Yes. If she’s behind it, I’ll handle her myself. It’s not going to require all the GWS to take her down.
“We don’t have a lot of options here.” Shane growls. “She comes out of nowhere, and all of a sudden, she’s on a piece of paper that has some cryptic riddle on it. And we’ve checked Kellan’s phone. Of course, there was nothing on there. He must have deleted everything.”
Yeah, that was a dead end. “What do you suggest we do?” I ask her.
Shane snorts as if asking Austin for advice is beneath him. I don’t give a shit what he thinks.
She doesn’t answer right away. Folding up the letter, she stares out the floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook their pool in the backyard. Regret and sadness flashes across her face, and I wonder what she’s thinking about. I’m not sure how well she knows Demi. Becky never hung out with her much. Demi came to a few bonfires on the beach with Becky, David, and his friend, but that was the last time I knew of them ever hanging out together.
Finally, after what seems like forever, she looks at me. “How do you push a girl to think irrationally?”
None of us answer.
She chuckles at our clueless minds. “You make her jealous.”
I frown. “Jealous?”
She nods. “A jealous woman is a scary one.”
I think back to the time I saw Austin jealous over Cole.
I lean my shoulder up against the lockers as Cole digs through his. Austin walks down the senior hallway, not bothering to look his way, but he sees her, grabs her, and pulls her back to his front before she can pass him. “Miss me, sweetheart?”
She spins around in his arms, reaches up, and slaps him across the face. The sound bounces off the walls.
I take a step back from them. What the fuck …?
“What the hell was that for?” Cole demands, now glaring down at her.
She throws me a look of disgust, and my brows rise. What did I do? She turns her attention back on Cole. “I’m sure you can figure it out.” She turns around and walks toward the door, but he grabs her arm and yanks her back. “Cole!” she snaps.
“What the fuck was that for, Austin?” he demands. “Because I didn’t tell you where I went? It was none of your fucking business!”
He spent the day in Texas meeting with his counselor at the University of Texas. He plans on taking Lilly with him, and he can’t live in the dorm with a child. He needed to discuss housing, and he already had a few lined up to look at while he was there. He told me this morning before he boarded his plane that he’s gonna ask Austin to go with him. He tried to make it sound like it was no big deal, but Cole wanting any woman to move in with him is huge. He loves her. I know it. He knows it. He just refuses to admit it. She had no clue where he went or what he has planned. I don’t know why he won’t just tell her.
Tears fill her green eyes. She tries to pull away from him, but she gets nowhere. “Just forget it.” Her voice cracks.
And I watch in fascination at the way he melts for her. How can he not see it? Feel what she does to him? His eyes soften as he steps into her. “What’s wrong?” he asks, cupping her face.
Her first tear falls. “I know where you went.”
My eyes widen. How the fuck does she know? I’m the only one he told.
Cole’s jaw sharpens. “How do you—”
“I heard it,” she interrupts him.
He looks at me, and I throw my hands up, shaking my head. “I haven’t said anything.”
“What do you mean? You heard it? Who did you hear it from?” He turns his attention back to her.
“I’m not gonna spell it out for you, Cole.”
She had overheard her stepmom calling out Cole’s name the night before while she was fucking our friend Kellan. He tried to convince Austin that Cole was cheating on her. And she believed it for a day. That was long enough to drive her crazy. That was also the day I found out Kellan was fucking Celeste. We didn’t need to know why. There was a reason behind it, but we just couldn’t figure it out.
Austin nods, getting my attention. “You force her hand. If she is really Evan Scott, she’ll get pissed and act without thinking it through. Make her jealous and see what Evan does next. We get another letter, message, or whatever, then you know it’s from her. But …” She pauses. “I’m just gonna give you my opinion now. It’s not Demi.”
“Who do you think it is?” Bennett speaks up for the first time.
“I don’t know,” she answers honestly, and he leans back on the couch, letting out a sigh. “I mean, how many enemies could you have left behind in Collins?” She shrugs. “I think it could be anyone at this point. And if for some reason, I’m wrong, and it’s Demi pretending to be Evan Scott, she’s not doing it alone. She’d have to have help, right?”
No one answers, but she makes a valid point.
I pull out my cell and send a quick message to Becky. She had messaged me the other day about wanting to meet up this weekend. I don’t have time to wait that long.
Me: Wanna have dinner tomorrow night?
“I’m not sure this will work.” Shane growls. “How are you gonna make Demi jealous?”
I look over at him. “I’ll stay the night with Becky.”
“Whoa …” Austin starts. “I said to make Demi jealous, not hurt Becky. She loves—”
“Becky and I are never going to happen,” I interrupt her.
Her mouth clamps shut at my words. Some things just can’t be undone. And Becky and I reached that point months ago. But I don’t mind using her.
My phone dings.
Becky: I’d love to.
“I’m on. Tomorrow night,” I announce.
The room falls silent, and I place my phone down without responding.
“Do we need to tell you this stays between us?” Shane asks, narrowing his eyes on Austin. He doesn’t want her running to Becky and telling her our plan.
Cole glares up at him, but Austin just sighs. She’s mad at me. And a part of me hates that. I see her as a little sister, but no matter how much I love Austin, it’s not gonna make me love Becky.
“What?” Shane snaps. “She’s best friends with Becky. One word could ruin it.”
“I’ll keep my mouth shut,” she tells him. “But thanks for the reminder.” Austin gets up and leaves the living room, making her way upstairs. Cole follows her without saying a word, knowing he’s finally gonna get his dick wet.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
BECKY
STANDING AT THE foot of my bed, I look over the clothes I have thrown around my room.