I’m nodding, but Liam could be telling me the secrets of the world, and it’d be lost because all I see is Caroline raising her eyebrows to me in challenge. Guess the truce is over. She’s dying to talk as much shit as possible.
I lean forward, palms down on the table, not breaking our matching disdainful glares. “Don’t stay quiet on my behalf.”
She smiles big, matching my pose, and blinks her big blue eyes innocently. “That’s the last thing I’m planning. I wouldn’t spit on you if you were on fire.”
The tension is so thick it could suffocate anyone within breathing distance because while boys handle these kinds of things with clumsy brute force, girls go straight for the jugular. We’re strategic. And fucking mean.
“Then, by all means, say what you want to say. I’m all ears, Caroline.”
“I already did. You still haven’t answered.”
Her voice is so sharp I know she hopes it will cut me, but all it does is give away her weakness. You should hide your jealously better, Caroline.
“No. We’re not fucking yet. Today’s my first day, after all. You have high expectations for me. I mean, maybe by the weekend. Want me to report back?”
Grey growls beside me, scooting closer. Her eyes shoot to his, then cut back to me. That’s right, Caroline. He has my back.
“Report back? You look like the type that would spread your legs and your business.”
“Enough,” “Caroline,” and “Care” are said in unison by Grey, Liam, and Kai, but we’re too far in to turn back now.
I glance down to her chest and smirk as I meet her eyes again. “Your tits might be a bit smaller, but it seems you haven’t changed. Once a bitch always a bitch, I see.”
Caroline brushes her long hair over her shoulder and smiles sweetly, but her whole face is tight, like a spring ready to snap.
I’m ready whenever you are.
Grey must anticipate what’s coming because his voice is nothing less than a precisely wielded threat. “Caroline. Be very careful with what you say next unless you’d like this year to be unbearable for you. She’s proven herself more than equal. And let’s be real, she never really had to.”
“I second that,” Liam adds, leaning in to play with the feather again.
Boys forgiven.
I give her a wink before picking up my water to take a drink. But a tiny piece of me wonders what price I’ll pay for my win. I didn’t want to return here and play another role as false as the previous one. Then again, I don’t desire to have Caroline Whitmore eating me alive.
Sometimes you have to flip the other bitch over to establish your dominance—your place. And mine has always been between Grey and Liam.
The threat makes her face pale, but she’s a stubborn one and narrows her eyes at Liam before facing off to Grey. “Oh, I see. Your beloved childhood best friend comes back, and now your loyalty to your family shifts. I’m your sister, Grey.”
Umm, what? My body spins to Grey’s, tossing my hair into Liam’s face. I hear him sputter as I speak.
“Wait. Hold on a minute?”
Anger’s on his face, and it grabs hold of me. What the hell is happening?
“Did I miss some special Upper East Side edition of The Jerry Springer Show? Sister?”
Grey’s jaw tenses, as he shoots Caroline the kind of look I hope to never be on the receiving end of. When I glimpse her over my shoulder, it’s clear she doesn’t want it aimed at her either. My head turns back to Grey, waiting for an answer, but Liam answers from behind, whispering into my hair.
“Stepsister. Dad remarried two years after—”
“How didn’t I hear about your parents getting a divorce?” I blurt out, feeling Liam’s hand give a small squeeze to my thigh.
The table falls silent, so much so that I turn back to everyone confused, feeling like I’m missing something.
“What?”
Liam pats my leg, but all the other sets of eyes shift in different directions. My head swings back to Grey. His answer is as quiet and as empty as the expression taking over his face. “There’s a lot you didn’t hear about, Cherry.”
He pushes back from his seat and stands, directing his words over my head at Liam. “I’m going outside.”
Something’s off. I start to stand, but Liam grabs my hand. “No, leave him alone.”
“But—”
“She died, Van. Car accident.”
“She drove into a tree—” Caroline interjects, and when our eyes meet, I can see her regret. “I didn’t think. I mean, I did, but I didn’t mean—I’m sorry.”
She directs her words to Liam, who nods before turning back to me. “He doesn’t talk about it. To anyone. Ever.”
The tips of my fingers draw to my lips as I look back over my shoulder, watching Grey walk outside.
“You.” Liam launches into a lecturing tone, staring at Caroline and readjusting forward in his seat. “Stop being such a shit because you’re jealous. We still love you.”
“Wow, lucky me,” she drawls.
“Agreed. Now shut your beautiful face and eat something. You’re too skinny. You’d probably be more pleasant with some meat in you.”
The ice princess blushes. Interesting. Leaning forward, I catch her eyes.
“Don’t get too comfortable, Caroline. I haven’t decided if you get to stay.”
I reach down and grab my bag. Pushing my chair back to stand, I search through the windows, trying to spot Grey.
“Don’t.”
“Liam. I’m going.”
“He won’t talk. You can’t fix him, Van. We aren’t twelve anymore.”
I don’t have an answer, because he’s right. We aren’t twelve. But I just found out one of my very best friends suffered a loss. I’m not going to sit here with thoughts and prayers. My shoulders give a shrug before I turn and walk away toward the doors Grey walked out of.
“You’ve been warned.”
Liam’s voice follows me as I exit, my eyes immediately searching for Grey. A thick waft of smoke billows out from around the corner of the building as Grey steps into view, a cigarette dangling from his lips.
“You’re a smoker now…how very ‘supermodel chic’ of you.”
“High fashion is a hard life. What are you doing out here? Come to console the grieving son?”
He’s terrified I might do just that because while he’s doing a fantastic impersonation of indifference, I can see his fear, and it guts me. But Grey doesn’t need my sympathy; the boy I knew would’ve hated that. He’d much rather fall into a faux indifference. He’ll only come when he’s ready, never one minute before.
“Nah. Death happens. I came to smoke,” I answer, hopping up to sit on a cement pony wall next to where he’s standing, eyeing his smirk.
“Liar.”
I shrug and pluck the cigarette from his lips, bringing it to mine to pull in a deep inhale. My lungs fill, feeling heavy as I hold in the smoke and slowly round my lips and blow. Small clouded circles float into the air as he gives a half laugh.
The rest of the smoke thrusts from my mouth in a whoosh as I speak. “God, I haven’t done that in years—” I smile at his surprised face. “I mean smoke. I haven’t had one in at least three years.”