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A yelp is torn from my throat as he curses, yanking me by my arm and throwing me out of the way just as the car comes to a screeching halt where I was just standing. I look up in a daze from where I landed in a bush. Thorns pierce my skin, making it sting. But I can barely spare a thought as I watch Jack throw himself against the door of the car that just tried to hit me.
The door slams shut before it even really has a chance to open against his heavy body. Screams reach me, but I can barely sort them as I watch the scene unfold before me. A girl I’ve never seen in person, but instantly recognize, howls as she scrambles over the center console of her car and climbs out the passenger side door, screaming my name.
I huff a shocked laugh as I disentangle myself from the bush. A bra and shoes would have definitely been a good idea after all. Jack moves faster than I’ve ever seen him move as he blocks her path to me, using his arm to halt her so abruptly her legs fly in the air as she tries to throw herself at me.
Ow, fuck. I cup my elbow and my hand comes away covered in blood. Lovely.
“Ryn, go inside!” Jack yells at me as he holds Siri’s small body back.
I tilt my head to the side as I watch them. This all seems too familiar for the pair of them. The way he recognized her headlights, how quick he was to react. It’s not the first time any of this has happened. I shake my head.
Okay, maybe she really did deserve to be called crazy. Bitch just tried to run me over and he’s not even surprised.
How did she even have my address?
“My neighbors will call the cops if you guys don’t stop yelling.” I point out as she unleashes her rage on him.
“Torryn,” he snaps. “Stop standing there and go inside.”
She never stops screaming my name. Screaming about how he’s hers and I’m just a bitch in the way. That I can fight her if I want him so badly.
I blink slowly, holding my elbow to my chest, the blood making my hand slick. “Ask him why he’s here,” I say. Jack continues to yell at me to go inside. Nothing is going to come from continuing to stand here. I shake my head one last time.
“Shut the fuck up. My neighbors really will call the cops.”
I turn around and begin walking back up my driveway. How is any of this real? All of a sudden, a lot of his excuses and stories about her seem a little different. More real. A bit more terrifying. She actually is psychotic. But he’s allowed it. I can’t make him get off the ride if he doesn’t want to.
My phone starts vibrating in my hand as soon as I get back to my room. I don’t recognize the number, but I know who it is.
How does she have my number?
one
HOEDOWN
The story has me and several other people captivated as we stand around Isla and her best friend, Torryn.
“Was it really her?” Wells asks, disbelief coloring his tone.
Isla snorts, but Torryn just smirks silently as she has for the entirety of the story. “She’d stolen Tor’s number out of Jack’s phone one day when they were hanging out after finding out about her.”
This is fucking wild. Too wild, to possibly be the entire truth.
“You two have to be shitting us.” Beau, one of my roommates, stares at them incredulously. Apparently, I’m not the only one to think they must have exaggerated at least parts of it.
Isla mimes an X over her chest. “Cross my heart,” she promises, laughter in her eyes. “It wasn’t so funny back then though. We were a pretty close knit group and this blew us up. Tor could have been seriously injured because of their crazy asses and he never even checked on her, let alone gave her an apology.” She sounds miffed and I turn my attention to study the brunette, but she seems as unaffected now as she has for the entire time Isla was telling the story.
Zac shakes his head, half laughing, but his protective instincts flaring up. “How do you just act like something like thatnever happened?” My lips twitch. We don’t know Torryn or Isla all that well, but his older brother tendencies are showing.
Torryn shrugs, checking her nails and the dark red polish draws my attention. “He didn’t act like it never happened,” Isla snorts in annoyance, but Torryn clicks her tongue and adds the first thing she has commented. “He acted like he never even knew me.”
“You’re fucking kidding,” I deadpan. I’ve stayed mostly quiet, too preoccupied with observing my best friend, Wells, and the way he can’t take his eyes off Isla. But the words just slip out in astonishment.
She shrugs dismissively. “We never spoke again after that night. But Siri also stopped blowing up my phone so– win.” Her words are detached, even amused. A smug arrogance laced with humor is the best armor a person can have.
Wells finally draws his eyes away from Isla to stare at Torryn. I know that look. He wants to go all shrink on her. For the sake of the party, I really fucking hope he doesn’t. The atmosphere is light and fun, just like a party should be. No one wants to hear him dissect it further than that.
“So this is why you don’t date anymore?”
