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Josh silenced me by slamming his hand on the table. “This is all Cayden’s fault,” Josh burst out. “If he hadn’t been such a superstar and stolen the team, and all the attention… and then broken my fucking nose, none of this would have happened. Don’t look at me like I’m the bad guy.”
I stared at Josh. Cayden’s actions had ignited a chain reaction that had fucked up both our lives, it was true, but Josh’s jealousy and resentments were festering sores that might have led us to the same place, anyway.
“He didn’t make you come here to dig dirt up on him. You should have just gone to my dad about the attack. That’s the way it should have been handled.”
Josh scoffed. “And your dad wouldn’t have done a thing. He’d have protected his golden boy, his one shot at moving up in the coaching world, and we both know it.”
“Well, maybe you should just focus on yourself and stop sucking up to my father. Your skills can speak for themselves and get you noticed.”
Josh stared between me and Ellen, a muscle working in his jaw. “Whatever. You guys don’t understand the pressure of making it in the Hellions. We have a ton of talented players, and getting noticed was already next to impossible before West showed up. Now – forget it.” He let out a bitter laugh and waved his arm. “Especially now.”
“It’s not Cayden’s fault that he’s better than you.”
A red flush worked up Josh’s neck at my flat statement.
He shook his head and checked his phone before nodding to himself. Apprehension rippled up my spine at his solemn look.
“Whatever, keep being delusional. He doesn’t care about you, Lillian, he only cares about himself. It’s a shame you can’t see that. I have someone for you to meet who might be able to change your mind. He’s been waiting for you to come back to Midnight. He’s happy you’re here.”
“Who? I can’t wait around to meet anyone, I have to get home,” I started and shuffled toward the end of the bench.
A body blocked my exit, sliding into the booth and trapping me.
“Ouch, that hurts my feelings,” Uncle Jack said.
So, that was who Josh had been texting.
I stared at him, suddenly afraid. “I have to get home, my parents are waiting for me; they’ll come here to get me if I’m not back in time.”
Jack tutted. “Didn’t anyone ever tell you not to tell lies, girl? I’m betting that you didn’t tell anyone where you were going today, a shameful little trip to Midnight Falls. I’m sure your parents wouldn’t even agree to let you come here at all, never mind alone.”
I had no comeback for that. He was right, after all.
“What do you want with me?” I asked quietly.
Jack sighed and cracked his knuckles. “Nothing, I’m serious, I want nothing from you. I just miss my foster son, and he isn’t answering my messages or taking my calls. No one just weasels away from Uncle Jack like that…so I have a way to make him answer my calls.” He grinned at me, exposing brown teeth. He tapped my phone sitting on the table in front of us. “You call him and ask nicely. I bet he’ll come running for his pretty little foster sister.”
I wet my lips, my mouth as dry as hell. “He won’t come. We don't talk to each other anymore. He doesn’t care about me.”
Jack raised an eyebrow and then shrugged. “Let’s see, shall we?”
Lily
We were goingto Uncle Jack’s trailer. I felt invisible. When we’d left the coffee shop, I’d told the waitress I was going somewhere against my will, and she’d looked right through me. Uncle Jack ruled Midnight Falls, and no one was going to help me. The other patrons in the coffee shop had glanced away as I’d resisted getting into his truck.
Luckily, they had been slow in confiscating my phone, and I’d had a chance to text someone. A lifeline. I couldn’t text Cayden, not when Uncle Jack clearly wanted me to do just that. I couldn’t text my parents or Eve and drag them into this whole mess. Instead, Ms. Sophie’s number had come up at the top of my new contacts, and I’d written a simple message before Jack had taken my phone away.
Midnight Falls. Black Lake.
“This is kidnapping, you know? This could fuck up your entire life,” I said to Josh as he opened the car door for me and pointed inside.
“Get in, Lily, no one is going to do anything to you, so stop being dramatic.”
“Josh, your nose is nearly healed, you’re back on the team…if that’s why you’re so pissed at Cayden, have it out with him the normal way, or go and tell Coach that he was the one who did it. Don’t participate in whatever is going on between Cayden and his foster dad.”
Josh sneered at me. “You think I only care about my nose? How about the fact that Cayden West breezed into HHH and became the star player in the middle of the season? How about the fact that your father worships the ground he walks on? Everything just comes easy to some people.” He let out a jaded laugh.
“Comes easy? You wouldn’t say that if you knew what he’s been through, where he grew up…I mean, look at his foster dad!”
