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“Itold you.Damon’smy oldest friend.Iknow he isn’t capable of murder.Heexplained the situation and told me he needed your family to trust him.”
“Damonwas there,”Ireinstated in a small voice.
Theroom turned quiet following my declaration.Sophiewatched me, trying to assess if she said too much.PerhapsIwasn’t meant to know those little pieces of information.
Beforeshe could open her mouth, the balcony door slid open, andDamonstalked back in, shoving his phone in his pocket.
Sophie’smild gaze bounced betweenDamonand me.Shehad no idea of the bomb she had dropped. “Well,Ishould get going,” she said mildly, rising to her feet.
Damonflicked his eyes over her briefly before focusing on me.Idon’t know howIforced my head into a nod.
Damontensed almost imperceptibly at my composure. “Youokay?”
Igazed at him longingly before throwing my arms around his neck and wrapping my legs around his waist.
Damontruly was the only one capable of loving me.
* * *
“Comeon, do one bump with me.”
Irolled my eyes asRayyandid a line of coke off the ledge of the terrace.Thewarm summer breeze whipped hair around my face, the crashing ocean waves sounding like white noise.Whatcould’ve been a tolerable experience was ruined byRayyan’sinsipient presence.
Hejumped onto the ledge and sat on the edge of the terrace, his legs dangling over the side with the blue expanse of the ocean below him.
Idiot.
“You’llfall to your death,”Iwarned. “Getdown from there.”
Hedidn’t listen, andIcursed myself for coming here.Itwas out of my loyalty toRosethatIkeptRayyanin check.SheknewRayyanwas her half-brother and, unfortunately, showed him more kindness than he deserved.That’swhyIagreed to letRayyanstay at my house after the party.However, some asshole broke into my apartment.
AtMom’spersistence,Ireturned toSandsPoint, droppingRayyanoff on the way.Heinsisted on a nightcap, andIstayed to ensure the asshole didn’t tumble to his death.Hehad a habit of doing coke on this terrace, a terrible place to be when you were barely lucid.Adrug addict with a home overlooking the ocean was a recipe for disaster.
Ugh.Killme.
“Aww.Don’tlook so miserable,Poppy,” he said mockingly.
“Iwouldn’t have to ifIwasn’t here,”Iretorted.
Itmade him laugh, and he suddenly turned philosophical. “Youknow, everyone fears you because they think you’re the big, bad.Butyou’re just a little goth girl who acts tough.”
“Ohyeah?”
“Obviously.Imean, just look at us.I’mgoing after your dream job, and you haven’t done a thing to fight me.I’llbeCEOby the time you graduate.”
Isnorted. “Thereis no reason to fight you,Rayyan.”Igestured at the ensemble of drugs sitting on the ledge. “You’llbe dead by the timeIgraduate from college.You’redigging your own grave, andIhave a front-row seat to it.Trustme,I’menjoying the show of your slow demise.I’drather extend your misery than allow you a quick death.”
Insteadof being offended,Rayyanthrew his head back and laughed wholeheartedly like it was the cutest thing he’d ever heard.
Whatever.Rayyan’sopinion of me made no difference to me.AsIsaid, he was digging himself an early grave.Ijust wishedRosewould see it, too.Inher heart, she believed he could be saved and needed our help.
Rookiemistake.
Rayyandid another bump.WhenItried to take away his magic powder, he screamed up a storm.Goddammit.
Myloyalty toRoseforced me to helpRayyan.Shewouldn’t like it ifIallowed him to plummet to his death.Ugh.Familywas the worst.
“Okay, how about we hop off that ledge now?Goto sleep soIcan be done with babysitting you.”
