“Who told you?” Bee screeched.
“Tyra.”
Everyone’s gaze fell on Four.
“Well, I didn’t tell her!” Four screamed. “I didn’t even know she knew.”
“Lou told Tyra, and Tyra told me,” Vaughn explained. It was amazing we had as many secrets as we did since none of us seemed able to keep them for long—most especially me.
The back of my neck grew hot when I felt Bee’s gaze. I made sure to keep mine firmly fixed on the road as I picked up speed again.
“Don’t even try it,” Bee snapped. “I already know you told Lou.”
“What’s the big fucking deal?” Vaughn said while chortling. “We’re teenagers. Banging while other people are in the room is like a rite of passage. I’ve done it at least four times.”
“Please tell me Tyra wasn’t one of those times,” Four fussed. One glance in the rearview showed her glaring at the six-foot-plus, broad-shouldered quarterback as if she could actually take him. Hell, she probably could.
“It wasn’t Tyra,” I answered for Vaughn. “She’s definitely still a virgin.”
“And how do you know that?” Bee questioned.
My jeans tightened a little at her jealous scowl. “Because she acts like she needs dick in her life.”
We all looked to Vaughn for confirmation and realized he’d passed out. Heavy snores could already be heard coming from him. Five minutes later, we were pulling into the hotel’s garage.
“Should we wake him up?” Bee questioned as we climbed out of my Jeep.
“Hell, no,” Ever groused. “I’m not carrying his drunk ass upstairs. We’re all the way up in the penthouse. Let him sleep it off here.”
“We can’t just leave him in the car,” Four argued.
“Yes, we can,” I said, siding with my cousin. “I’ll crack the windows.”
Bee and Four stood back with their arms crossed as I did just that. It was easy for them to expect us to help him since they weren’t the ones who’d have to carry his heavy ass. Vaughn had trained every muscle in his body, putting both Ever’s and mine to shame.
“He drank an awful lot,” Four remarked. “Was he close to Olivia?”
“He barely fucking knew her,” I answered before sighing. “This is something else.” My guess was his prick of a father was the culprit. Franklin Rees was a bad fucking man, who would stop at nothing to corrupt his only son.
“Have you talked to him lately?” Four asked Ever.
Ever rubbed the back of his neck. “Whenever I try, he just shrugs me off and says that nothing is wrong. He’s so closed off now that I feel like I barely know him anymore.”
When you had a father willing to exploit any weakness, no matter how cruel or contemptible, it was no wonder Vaughn remained a blank canvas to everyone except himself. And maybe Tyra. The tiny slip of a girl had gotten through to him more than any of us could, and we’d known him longer. I just wondered if it would be enough when it was all said and done.
Sighing, I stared at my sleeping friend. I guess we’ll all just have to wait and see.
Vaughn was dead to the world with his head back and mouth wide open. Unable to resist, I stole the pen I knew I’d find in Bee’s purse and drew a picture of my dick and balls on his cheek. Maybe that will cheer him up.
Glancing over my shoulder, I met Bee’s blue gaze. “Look familiar?”
She pursed her lips.
Shutting the door, I locked it before kissing her deeply and leading her by the hand to the private elevator. NaMara had an oceanfront location with five-star-quality amenities for a hefty price. Of course, our stay here was complementary since my family owned the joint. The penthouse suite had three bedrooms, a living room, dining room, wet bar, kitchen, and an outdoor terrace with a panoramic view of the Atlantic. We even had a private beach cabana, which I made a mental note to make use of before we left tomorrow.
As we stepped inside the suite, I snickered when Four and Bee looked around in awe as if they were seeing it for the first time.
Ever immediately grabbed Four before she could do whatever it was she was about to do. “Come take a shower with me.”
The look Four gave him told me she was on to him, and I watched Ever enthrall her with his hooded gaze as he pulled her toward their room and shut the door.
Alone at last.
Bee was sitting cross-legged on the couch, staring at the blank TV screen. It was obvious something was on her mind, and I’d been patiently waiting all day for her to tell me what was eating her. Lifting the charcuterie that room service had set out, I carried it over and placed it on the coffee table in front of her.
“Hungry?”
She smiled before picking up one of the meats.
I watched her bite and chew for a few seconds before saying, “Tell me what’s wrong.”
She swallowed and licked her lips, refusing to meet my gaze. “I tried to run away once. I packed a bag, stole my father’s car, and I just drove away. Actually, it was more like I sped away. I could actually smell the burning rubber from the tires.” She chuckled as a tear slipped from her eye, and she wiped it away before I could. “I didn’t know what I was doing. I was five miles outside of town when I ran a stop sign. A cop pulled me over and called my parents. My dad was furious. It was the first time he’d used something to beat me with other than his hand.”
Jesus Christ.
Bee didn’t know how hard it was for me to sit there and listen to her when all I wanted was to drive back to Blackwood Keep. If I ever got Elliot’s throat in my hands again, I wouldn’t stop squeezing. It had been all I could do to keep from killing him the first time. The only thing that stopped me was the realization that I wouldn’t be able to protect Bee from jail.
Not able to stand the distance between us anymore, I pulled her into my lap.
“It was right after I found out your father had died,” she continued with a whisper.
My ravaged heart twisted in my chest at the thought of my father. At the time, nothing else had mattered except every last precious moment I had left with him, but a part of me still wished I could have been there for Bee.
“Where were you going to go?” I was sure if Bee got away, no one would have ever found her, and even though I couldn’t stand the thought of never seeing her, I couldn’t help but wish she had. At least she would have been safe.
Bee hid her face in my neck, and I held her close as her silent sobs shook her body. “Scotland. I know it was stupid to try, but I just couldn’t stand the thought of you needing me as much as I needed you and not being there.”
My head fell back onto the couch, and I closed my eyes.
Fuck.
All this time, I’d been the one place she felt safe, and while she’d been fighting her way back to me, I had already written her off. And my first act in discarding her had been losing the virginity that I had promised to her.
When Ever had made that bet to see who could lose theirs first, I’d been tempted but reluctant. I didn’t want my first time with Barbette to be because of a stupid bet. Even after discovering that Bee had betrayed me for Ever, I hesitated. I didn’t realize it was because I was still hoping for us until Bee stayed with Ever after he cheated with Olivia. I knew then that there was nothing left of us to hold on to. I thought she’d wanted Ever no matter what—even if he was unfaithful to her.