I really didn’t give a fuck who she did or didn’t get with. But I couldn’t stand his smug expression as they’d stood across the bonfire, practically dry-fucking. Zane had seen my fist clench, seen the anger build, and suggested we walk it off.
Movement over by the water tank had caught my eye and we’d decided to check it out. I’d never expected to find Birdie though. Hanging out with Nate Miller, her eyes bloodshot and constricted.
“Motherfucker.” I kicked a stone, sending it flying across the ground.
“Feel better?” Zane snorted.
“Fuck you, Z. Fuck you.”
“What happened?”
“A whole bunch of shit I’d rather not talk about.”
He tsked. “Went that well, huh?”
“What happened with Chloe?”
“Kye got a message saying she needs bailing out from some party in Dartmouth.”
A trickle of unease went through me. “She okay?”
“Not sure. He tried to call her back, but she wouldn’t answer.”
“Shit.”
“Yeah, so we need to hurry the fuck up.”
“What are we waiting for?”
Maybe I couldn’t fix the shit with Harleigh, but I could be there for Kye and Chloe. She was as good as family. And if anyone had even tried to hurt…
Well, it wouldn’t end well for them.
Harleigh
“Want to talk about it?” Nate asked as we waited for Celeste and Miles to finish up whatever the hell they were doing.
“Nope.”
“Okay… although, you know it has been said, I’m a pretty good listener.”
“What’s with the change of heart all of a sudden?”
“Excuse me?” He blinked up at me.
“You were a sleazy asshole at the mixer. A total creep when you came over to hang out at the pool with Max and your brother. And now you what? You want to be my shoulder to cry on? I’m not buying it.”
“That’s fair. I was a dick.” He ran a hand down his face. “Hell, I am a dick. But I figured we had something in common.”
My eyes crinkled as I studied him. There was no hint of teasing. In fact, he almost seemed… sad.
“I know, Maguire. About what happened to you.”
“I… I don’t know what you mean.”
“It’s okay, your secret is safe with me. But I get it.”
“I don’t know what you think you get, but—”
“My sister.” He glanced at the ground, kicking the gravel with his sneaker. “She… uh—”
Laughter floated over to us, Celeste and Miles emerging from the shadows.
“You two look… happy,” I said dryly, arching my brow.
“She’s drunk.” Miles hugged her closer. “We should probably get her home.”
“Yeah. It’s getting late.” Nate stood and folded his chair up. Part of me wanted to ask what he’d been about to tell me, but the other part was scared to walk that path with him.
I didn’t want to bond over my trauma. Not with him. Not with anyone.
The scars from my past were mine and mine alone. Scratched onto my skin and etched onto my heart. They were my reminder of where I’d come from, where I’d been, and where I wanted to go. Sharing that felt… It felt wrong somehow.
So I was relieved when he gave me a small smile and ushered us to get into his car.
“What did you two get up to?” Celeste asked, shuffling into the back seat beside me.
“Talked mostly.”
“Until Wilder and Zane Washington showed up.”
I flashed Nate a murderous look in the rearview mirror.
“What?” Celeste gasped. “They were here? Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.”
Liar.
Because the second Nix’s lips had slammed down on mine, something inside me had cracked wide open. He’d kissed me. Pulled me under his spell, and I didn’t feel wholly in control of myself.
But it was just a kiss.
Some unresolved bullshit we hadn’t aired.
I knew firsthand when emotions ran high, people acted out of character. They did things they wouldn’t usually do. I couldn’t trust a single thing about that kiss—even if it had ruined me for all other kisses.
My fingers drifted to my mouth, prodding gently, in a feeble attempt to feel his mouth still on mine. Damn you, Phoenix.
He couldn’t just leave me alone.
It made no sense when he’d walked away from me so easily last year.
I felt Celeste’s heavy stare and thrust my hand under my thigh. “What aren’t you telling me?” she whispered.
“What aren’t you telling me?” I countered, and she flushed right to the tips of her ears.
‘Later,’ she mouthed.
“Fine.” I leaned my head back against the seat and closed my eyes.
Tonight had been confusing. From Nate wanting to come with us, to Nix turning up and kissing me, to Nate’s attempt at a heart-to-heart. I felt exhausted. My temporary high had slipped away the second Nix kissed me.
And now I was left with nothing but a gaping hole in my chest.
“Hey.” Celeste slipped into my room and climbed into bed with me. “Can I stay in here?”
“Are you going to tell me what happened with Miles?”
“Oh God, Harleigh, it was… the biggest surprise of my life.”
“So you two…?” I waggled my brows, surprised how easy this felt. Talking to her. Sharing secrets.
“We didn’t fuck, if that’s what you mean.”
“You kiss your mother with that mouth?”
She balled up her fist and pressed it to her mouth, suppressing a smile.
“Celeste…”
“Fine, okay.” She inhaled a deep breath. “We were talking and then he just looked at me, like really looked at me, and the air turned thick and my heart started beating so hard, and I knew. I knew he was going to kiss me… and I let him.”
“And was it good?”
“So freaking good. And unexpected. I mean, it’s Miles. He isn’t exactly—”
“The bad boy from across the reservoir?” My brow lifted and she rolled her eyes at me. “So, what else happened?”
“He touched me, down there. I swear to God, Harleigh, I came so freaking hard.”
“Way to go Miles.” I chuckled. “Did you reciprocate?”
“Of course I did.” She shrugged. “And let me tell you, I was not disappointed.”
“I’m happy for you, Celeste. Miles is a good guy and it’s obvious he dotes on you.”
A strange sensation snaked through me. I didn’t want to think of it as jealousy because Celeste deserved this. She deserved to be happy with a guy who would treat her right. But she was the only real friend I had here. If the two of them started going steady, I’d find myself without an anchor. And maybe that made me a shitty person, but the truth was I was scared about drifting again. Scared of losing myself to the darkness.
“Harleigh, what is it?” Concern pinched her brows, but I couldn’t tell her.
“Nothing.” I forced my lips into a convincing smile. “I’m so happy for you.”