“April … I swear, I haven’t …”
“Don’t!” she shouts, losing what little nerve she has, and her bottom lip begins to tremble. “Grave … please tell me this isn’t because of the baby? Because of me?” Fresh tears run down her cheeks.
“No. No. No.” He rushes to her once again. “They’re not mine.”
“Then whose are they?” she demands, shoving him away. Her emotions are all over the place for more reasons than one. “Huh? Who else would be taking pain pills with your name on the bottle in our house?” She throws the bottle at him.
He lifts his tatted arm that showcases her face on it to shield himself from the bottle. They bounce off his forearm and hit the floor. The lid pops off, and the remainder of the pills scatter across their marble floor. I see Bones looking at the floor. I do the same and quickly count five.
Grave looks down at them, and I watch his shoulders drop in disappointment. That he let her down. Let himself down.
Once an addict, always an addict.
“Grave. Be honest with me.” Her voice cracks again. “Are you using?”
He can’t look her in the eyes. They stay on the floor, staring at the pills that used to give him an escape from this very feeling. Silence fills the large room, putting everyone on edge. While April waits for him to admit he relapsed and needs help. She places her hands over her mouth to quiet her sob, but it’s too late. April spins around and runs out of the formal dining room. The girls all get up from the table and rush after her.
Grave jerks his jacket off the back of the chair he was seated at and starts to leave, but Bones grabs his shoulder, spinning him around. “Where do you think you’re going?”
“Out!” he snaps.
“Grave, I don’t think—”
“I don’t give a fuck what you think!” he shouts and shoves him away. Seconds later, we hear the front door open and close.
Bones chases after him, yelling his name.
I lean back in my seat and run my hand down my face.
“He’s not using,” Titan speaks softly, breaking the silence.
“How do you know?” I ask, looking up at him across the table. He and Grave have become very close since he went off to rehab. Titan was the one who drove him there. And I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t jealous of the relationship they now have.
“Because I’m the one he calls at all hours of the night when he wants a hit but chooses not to take one. Or when he wants to drink an entire bottle in hopes it’ll help him sleep. Those may have had his name on them, but he’s not taking them.” Then he too gets up, following Grave and Bones out the front door and leaving Luca and me alone.
I sit back, remove my Zippo from my pocket, and start flipping it open and closed while I try to think of who could be using them. Here at their house of all places. Who would be over here that we know uses? I’m not at home very often, so I don’t know who comes and goes here. April doesn’t have a lot of girlfriends. Her circle is pretty tight. Jasmine and Emilee don’t use. Neither does Haven. And I know that Alexa doesn’t. Who the fuck …?
My jaw tightens, slamming the lighter shut. I know exactly who it is and why Grave didn’t give them up.
Motherfucker!
I rush out of the house just like the others and jump in my car that’s parked in Grave’s driveway. Squealing the tires, I pull out my cell, dialing a number that I never use, but I still have it. One of those things that’s good to have for a rainy day.
“Cross. Well, this is a surprise,” the man says, answering after the first ring. I can practically hear his smile through my car’s speakers. “What is this three times in the same number of weeks?”
“I need a favor,” I say through gritted teeth, hating that I even had to make this call in the first place. Everything has a price.
Turner Mason lets out a low whistle. “Well, you know those cost you, right?”
I refrain from growling. “Yeah.”
“What may I do for you?” he asks happily.
“Ethan Davis. Know where I can find him?”
He gives a soft chuckle. “Well, Cross. It’s your lucky day! He just so happens to be right here.”
I let out a long breath. At least it’ll be worth it. I’d do anything for my best friend and his girlfriend. Not like the Mason brothers can demand my soul. I sold that to the devil years ago. And if everything goes right with Kale, we’ll be business partners.
ALEXA
JASMINE AND I sit on the end of Grave and April’s bed with her. Jasmine holds her hand while I rub her back, and Emilee paces back and forth. Haven stands over by the window with her back to us as she stares out over the city. She hasn’t said anything, which surprises me. She’s usually the first one to have an opinion on something. Maybe she understands how fragile April is right now after losing the baby.
“This was my biggest fear,” April cries softly.
“I don’t think he’d lie to you.” Jasmine jumps to Grave’s defense.
“Me either. But …” She shakes her head. “Who else could it be?”
“He’s hiding something.” Haven finally speaks, turning to face us.
“You don’t know that,” Jasmine snaps.
April sniffs. “I’ve shut him out to avoid this.”
I sigh at her confession.
“I didn’t want him to feel,” she admits with a sob. Pulling her hand free from Jasmine’s, she covers her face with her hands. “I didn’t want him to turn to drugs. I can’t lose him too.” Turning, she buries her face into my shirt.
I hug her tightly and start to rock us back and forth gently.
Haven opens her mouth, but Jasmine snaps her fingers at her, shaking her head. Haven rolls her eyes and spins back around, giving us her back.
“He’s not going anywhere,” I tell her, my chest tightening. This is why she’s kept everything in and why she refuses to open up to anyone. She was trying to take all the burden on herself to save Grave. “April …”
The sound of a door banging open from downstairs cuts me off. “Cross … what the fuck?” Luca, Haven’s husband, yells from the first floor.
We all jump to our feet and rush out to see what’s going on. Looking down over the banister, we see a guy lying on the floor in the middle of their foyer. Face bloody along with busted knuckles. His shirt is ripped, and his jeans are dirty. He looks up at April, making his way to a sitting position, and wipes the bloody drool off with the back of his hand.
We start our way down the stairs, not nearly as fast as we left the bedroom. Once we hit the landing, I look at Cross wide-eyed. It can’t be …
“Ethan.” April steps toward him, but I pull her back. He looks like a feral cat ready to attack. She’s been through enough shit already tonight. I feel the need to protect her from everyone at this point. “What the hell happened to you?”
“Tell her,” Cross demands, kicking him with his shoe.
“Fuck you!” he spits out at Cross.
“Dude? What are you …?” Luca starts, but Cross bends down, grips Ethan by his hair, and forces him to stand.
“Tell. Her,” he growls.