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“You’re being a pessimist again.”
“How can I not be? My boyfriend is pretending to be a dead guy and the sick thing is, I have to keep being his girlfriend.”
“It won’t be much longer. As soon as the guys figure out who’s working with him, they’ll take action.”
After the Halloween party two nights ago, Melody spent the night with Riley at her dorm, so she wouldn’t be alone. Elias, or Jude rather, spent the entire night at The Gathering room on cleanup duty, so we knew she was safe. But now, I’ve insisted she stay here with us because I really don’t feel like she should be alone.
A subtle knock at my door has my head twisting. “Come in,” I say loudly.
She tsks. “Still too trusting, Scar. Still too trusting.”
I pull my pillow out from under me and chuck it at her. “I knew it was either Crew or Jagger.”
“Right,” she drawls. “Because Neo doesn’t knock.” Her tone drops to a mumble. “Prick that he is.”
Crew enters the room, walking slowly, shoulders slouched.
“What’s wrong?” I ask him.
He rubs his shoulder as he comes closer. “Boxing in the basement with Jagger and Neo. Neo got me good.”
“Boys,” Riley murmurs, shaking her head while getting out of bed. “I’m gonna go get ready in the spare bathroom downstairs. You two should start getting ready, too.”
Once Riley’s gone, Crew takes a seat on the edge of the bed and I draw in a deep breath of his cologne. “You smell good. Must’ve showered after your little boxing event?”
“Before. I didn’t last long boxing. Neo’s a fucking psycho. I swear the guy actually wants to kill both Jagger and me.”
I laugh, believing every word of it, but I’m still unsure why anyone would want to harm their best friends. “Why?” I tug the blanket up over my shoulders, not wanting to leave this bed. “Did you two piss him off again?”
“Seems like that’s all we’re doing lately. The thing is, Jagger and I were just having a conversation about you. Nothing that even pertained to him. Neo was pressing on the bench, while we were blocking harmless shots. I was checking in with Jagger to make sure there were no hard feelings with me crashing with you and him the other night after the Halloween party, and the next thing I know, Neo’s sliding on his gloves. Didn’t even speak a single word. Just started throwing shots.”
“Hmm. That is weird.”
“He’ll never admit it, but I think he hates that we’re with you.”
I sigh. “Yeah. Because he hates me. Of course he doesn’t want his friends hanging out with me. Let alone dating me.”
“No,” he shakes his head in disagreement, “it’s more than that.”
Stretching my hand out of the blanket, I rest it on his leg, and he curls his fingers around mine. “You’re overthinking things.”
“Don’t think so. Deep down, I think he really wants you. And I think he wants you all for himself.”
That warrants a heavy breath of laughter. I shoot up in bed, tossing the blanket off me, ready to end this conversation. “You’re insane.”
“Babe. I’m dead serious. I know Neo, and I’ve never in my entire life seen him so wrapped up in a single person like he is with you.”
I spin around to face him in my cropped tee shirt and underwear, half serious, half not.“No shit, Crew. For two years, the guy thought I tried to kill his sister. Not to mention, he blames me and Jagger for his mom getting hit by a car.”
Dammit.I’ve gone too far. I don’t think Crew even knew about all that.
“Wait.” He jumps onto his feet. “What?”
I swallow hard, knowing I put my foot in my mouth. “Nothing. Forget it.”
Casually going about my business, hoping Crew lets this go, I pull open my dresser drawer in search of black leggings.
His hand lands on my shoulder, and he turns me around to face him. “No way. Tell me what you meant.”
