I’ve been searching for Oakley for over twenty minutes, and there’s still no sign of him.
In a last-ditch effort, I climb the staircase, preparing to barge through every door I come across.
After checking the first two bedrooms and pissing off two couples in the throes of passion, I make my way to the one stationed at the end of the hall.
The door is closed, so I knock a few times.
When I don’t get a response from the other side, I let myself in.
The room is dim, but I spot Oakley right away. He’s alone and sprawled out in the middle of a king-sized bed.
I breathe a sigh of relief. I hate to wake him, but the sooner he hands me his keys, the sooner he can sleep in his own bed.
“Come on, party animal.” I tap his ankle. “It’s time to go home.”
He makes a low noise in the back of his throat.
“Oak.” I pat his leg. “Get up.”
He squints at me through bloodshot pupils. “It’s you.”
“Yup, it’s me. Sawyer had to leave.” I scan the nightstand for his keys but come up empty. “Where are your keys?”
His lids lower. “Huh?”
Placing my knee on the bed for support, I start digging through his pockets.
“I miss you.”
His speech is so slurred, I almost don’t hear him.
Evidently Oakley is the I love everyone kind of drunk.
I rub his shoulder. “Miss you, too. But you know what else we’re missing? Your keys. Do you remember…” Nope, no point in asking. He won’t. Shifting on the bed, I try my best to get into the back pockets of his pants.
He closes his eyes in pain. “You’re killing me.”
Dramatic, much? “Sorry, but I need to find your car keys.”
His hands frame my face. “I can’t.” His hooded, glassy eyes become even glassier and his voice cracks. “It hurts.”
I blink, unsure what to do or say. Drunk or not, there’s a lot of conviction behind those words and my heart aches for him.
Oakley deserves happiness. But even more than that? He deserves the freedom to love who he wants.
His grip becomes tighter and he trembles. “I can’t take it.”
Oh, man. I’ve always been bad at this sort of thing. However, I want him to know I’m here for him and he will get through this.
“I can’t imagine what you’re going through, but I’m here—”
He tugs me closer. “I need you so fucking bad.”
The alcohol is clearly impacting his comprehension. “You have me. I’m not going any—”
He shoves his fingers through my hair and the next thing I know…his lips are on mine.
What. The. Fuck.
I open my mouth to ask him what he’s doing, but the second I do, his tongue plunges inside.
I freeze, completely caught off guard. I get that he might be confused, but I am so not the right person to test the waters with.
I slap at his shoulders when he deepens the unwanted kiss.
He shifts his hips and groans.
My stomach churns as one thing becomes abundantly clear.
The thing currently poking me in the side. Yuck.
“I’ve heard the term kissing cousins, but I’ve never actually seen it before now,” a voice that sounds a lot like Cole’s says from the door.
I shove Oakley as hard as I can, until finally, he unfastens his mouth.
Wiping my lips with the back of my hand, I get off the bed and whirl around.
Of course, it’s not just Cole. Jace is standing there too.
And his gaze is as scrutinizing as ever.
“We’re not…this isn’t.” I glare at the drunk idiot on the bed. “I thought you were gay. I was trying to help you.”
Oakley’s head lolls to the side and he dozes off.
Cole’s lips twitch. “For real?”
“Yes,” I spit. “And I’m not the only one. Sawyer thought so too.” I kick the bedframe. “I was gonna take you shopping, jackass.”
Amusement lightens Jace’s expression.
Cole doubles over in laughter. “This is the best shit I’ve ever heard. I can’t believe he pretended to be gay to get into your pants.”
“What? That’s not what happened.”
His laughter comes to a halt. “But you just said…”
Clearly, Sawyer and I jumped the gun and got carried away. “We saw him in the car with some guy before and assumed—”
“What guy?” Jace questions.
Before I can answer, he brushes past me. “Shit.”
All the blood drains from my face when I turn around.
Oakley’s violently shaking.
Panic spirals through me and I pull out my phone. “I’m gonna call 911?”
“No,” Jace barks. “He has epilepsy.” His features harden as he rolls Oakley onto his side. “He hasn’t had a seizure in a while, but severe stress and drugs are his triggers.”
If that’s the case, Oakley really needs to evaluate his favorite hobby.
“He smokes weed all the time.”
Jace gives me a look. “Weed isn’t the problem. If anything, it helps.” He looks at his watch. “It’s when he messes around with stupid shit that things like this happen.”
Oh. The guy Oakley was with before really was a dealer after all.
Jesus. I feel utterly helpless—but even more than that—mad at myself for not stopping him.
I’m at a loss for what to do or how to make it better. “Maybe I should call my uncle.”
“No,” Cole snaps. “If you tell him, he’ll not only be pissed because of the drugs, they’ll take his car away for a year.”
Probably. “But if he’s doing dr—”
“One minute, ten seconds,” Jace declares.
Oakley blinks up at the ceiling, looking so lost and confused I want to run over and give him a hug.
Jace peers down at him. “You had a seizure, man.”
Oakley tries to speak, but Jace leans over and grips him by the collar. “You fucking promised me.”
His tone is colder than ice, but his eyes are full of so much fear my heart constricts.
Jace pulls on his shirt until their heads are pressed together. “Lose Loki’s number for good and end this bullshit, or I’m fucking done with you for good. Got it, asshole?”
Oakley’s guilt is palpable as he gives Jace a small nod before closing his eyes.
Cole blows out a breath. “Okay, what’s the plan? Am I driving his car back to our house?”
Jace shakes his head. “No. You’ve had a few beers tonight, so I don’t want you driving either. We’ll leave it here and get it in the morning.” He swipes Oakley’s phone off the nightstand. “I’ll text Wayne and let him know he’s spending the night at our house.”
“I can drive. I haven’t had anything to drink.” I narrow my eyes. “Other than soda.”
With a grunt, Jace digs into the pocket of his jeans and tosses a set of keys at me. “Fine. You can drive him to my place, but after that, you need to bounce. You’re not welcome in my home.”
A mixture of hurt and confusion wash over me. “If that’s the case, why don’t I just take Oakley’s car and drive us both home?”
Jace crosses his arms. “No.”
“Gee, I’m sorry, Daddy. I wasn’t aware I needed your permission, to begin with.”
Cole snorts. “Look, either work with us or get out of our way while we handle shit. Wayne thinking his son spent the night at our house because he drank too much at a party is different than shoving the actual evidence in his face and getting Oakley in trouble.”
I guess he has a point. Sort of. “Okay, so how about I drive Oakley’s car home? This way you won’t have to—”
“No,” Jace says tightly.
“Why are you being so freaking difficult?”
“Because I’m looking out for my friend.” Jace advances toward me. “Are you really prepared to face your uncle’s cross-examination? What are you gonna say when he asks why his son’s car is in the driveway but he’s not home? You gonna cave and tell him he seized? Or let it slip that he was so high and drunk out of his mind he kissed you?”
I fight the urge to string him up by his balls. “Of course not.”
His laugh is bitter. “Well, call me crazy, but I don’t trust you. If you really want to help Oak out, you’ll keep your mouth shut and do whatever the fuck I tell you to.” He juts his chin at Cole. “Ride with her. Make sure she doesn’t pull a fast one and take Oak home.”
Christ, he’s unbelievable.
Cole and Jace cart Oakley off the bed then reposition each of his arms around their shoulders.
“If you could walk in front of us and open the front door, that would be swell,” Jace grits through his teeth.
If he wasn’t physically supporting a very groggy Oakley right now, I’d kick him in the junk.
A horrible thought crosses my mind as we head down the stairs.
I fought Oakley the other day. He could have had a seizure.
All because Jace let me believe his friend was the one responsible for all the stuff he did.
My blood boils as we make our way outside.
The second we get Oakley situated and I know he’s okay, I’m going to have a little chat with Jace.
The ride to Jace’s is pretty silent, aside from Oak’s periodic snoring in the back seat.
I peer at him through the rearview. “Will he be okay?”
I don’t know much about epilepsy, but I plan to do my research.
Cole nods. “I’ve only seen him have a few over the years, but he’s always really tired after.” Shifting in his seat, he surveys his friend. “He’s also drunk as a skunk and high as a kite right now, so it’s best we let him sleep it off.”
Agreed. As upset as I am with him for doing drugs and putting the moves on me, I’m far more concerned about his health than I am about reading him the riot act.
I can feel Cole’s eyes on me. “I can give you a ride home if you’re willing to wait a bit.”
“I appreciate it, but I’m covered.”
I’m not since Tommy hasn’t returned my text, but I’d rather crawl back to my aunt’s home on broken glass than accept a ride from a Covington.
I’d probably be better off too, because at this rate they’d kill me and bury my body in the woods.
He faces forward. “Suit yourself.”
Whereas Jace is a consistent asshole, Cole has been almost pleasant for the duration of our short trip.
It puts me on edge. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
His brows raise in surprise. “I’m sorry.” He runs a hand through his dark hair. “Didn’t mean to offend you by not being a dick. I’ll do better next time.”
I make a left, turning down their block. “I didn’t mean it like that. I appreciate you being…polite. However, it’s no secret Jace hates me, and you’re not too fond of me either. I guess I’m just wondering why the sudden change of heart is all.”
I can tell he’s mulling over his response by the way his jaw works as we pull up his driveway.
I’m undoing my seatbelt when he finally speaks. “We all make choices and mistakes in this world.” Sadness shadows his eyes. “And there’s a small part of me that can’t help but think yours might have been the latter.” He shrugs. “If I’m right, chances are every time you look in the mirror, you’re already being punished far worse than Jace or I am capable of.”
He steps out of the car before I can ask him what he means or what mistake of mine he’s referring to.
Jace pulls up behind me, blocking Oakley’s car in, then meets his brother.
Oakley’s a little more alert after they help him out of the backseat, but he’s still really out of it.
“Are you mad at me?”
He looks so dejected I fold like a cheap lawn chair. “A little, but we’ll talk tomorrow.” They’re about to head inside, but I wrap my arms around him. “You scared me.”
“I’m sorry,” he whispers as we break apart and Jace and Cole take hold of his arms.
I zero in on my nemesis. “After you get him inside, come back out. We need to have a little conversation.”
Those sinister eyes examine me from head to toe. “Excuse me?”
I stand my ground. “You heard me.”
Jace starts to argue, but Cole says, “I got it from here.” He slaps Oakley on the back. “Come on, big guy. We can wake Bianca up and get her to make us some food.”
He perks up a bit and they make their way up the driveway.
The second they’re inside, I shove Jace against the car. “You’re a goddamn hypocrite. You knew Oakley had epilepsy, yet you still let me think he did all those bad things.”
Jace doesn’t look amused. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”
“No, I’m not, asshole. I attacked him over it.” My heart drops. “I could have seriously hurt him, Jace.”
I’m not sure what to make of the expression on his face. “Yeah, you could have. Yet, here you are standing in my driveway blaming me.”
He wraps his fingers around my wrist and yanks me until I’m the one against the car. “Newsflash, Dylan. I didn’t make you do shit. You chose to beat him up, because that’s your MO. Whenever someone hurts you or pisses you off, you take it to the extreme.”
Anger rises in my throat. He’s got a lot of nerve considering all he’s done. “Are you sure you didn’t steal from Oakley’s stash tonight? That’s your MO. The only thing I’ve ever done was be a good friend, which is a hell of a lot more than I can say for you.”
His upper lip curls and he leans in. “I wish you were a guy, because I swear, I’d beat the goddamn heartbeat out of you, you vile, manipulating cunt.”
I’ve been called a lot of bad things before, but this takes the cake. It’s the worst thing anyone’s ever said to or about me.
I slap his cheek so hard my own hand stings. “I hate you.”
I honest to God do in this moment. It doesn’t even matter why he’s mad at me, because I no longer care.
He plants both palms on the car, trapping me. “Is that supposed to scare me? Because it doesn’t. There’s nothing else you can do—there’s nothing else you can take from me. I won’t fucking let you.”
My heart slams against my ribcage. He’s talking in circles and it’s getting us nowhere. “I didn’t do anything to you.” I grab his face, forcing him to look at me. “You know me, Jace. You know me better than anyone. Whatever you think…”
“No. I don’t.” The sorrow in his voice strikes me low in the gut. “I’m not sure I ever did.”
I was wrong before. This takes the cake. “You’ve held my heart in the palm of your hand since I was eleven-years-old. If anyone has the power to hurt the other, it’s you, not me.” My throat prickles and a rush of anger fills the cavity of my chest. “Hell, it’s all you’ve been doing since I’ve been back.” I jab a finger into his pec. “Britney Caldwell? You think I’m vile? She’s the very definition of it.”
His hand slides to the nape of my neck and he grips my ponytail, tilting my head back. “She might be a bitch, but at least she never betrayed me.”
“Give her time.”
The tip of his nose skims the length of my exposed neck. “Careful, Taylor. Your jealousy is starting to show.”
I laugh. “Please. She has nothing that I want.” My eyes narrow. “Not anymore.”
“You sure about that?” he challenges.
“Positive,” I lie.
His lids lower. “Is that why you wore this sexy little shirt tonight?” His warm breath tickles the side of my neck. “Hoping to get my attention.”
“No.”
Liar, liar, pants on fire.
That earns me a husky chuckle. “Too bad.” He presses his lips against my throat. “Because it’s working. You have all my attention.” He walks his fingers down my torso. “Question is…what are you going to do with it?”
My teeth clench in frustration. “Tell you to go fuck yourself.”
I shiver when he flicks his tongue ring against my pulse point. “I think it would be more fun to fuck you.”
“As if I’d let you.”
My pulse skyrockets when his knuckles brush the bare strip of skin above the waistband of my jeans. “We both know you would.”
“You’re wrong.”
His nostrils flare on an indrawn breath. “Fine. Then tell me to stop. Tell me to stop touching you and go inside.”
I can’t.
“That’s what I thought.” I gasp when he traces the zipper of my jeans with his thumb. “I wonder what I’d find if I tugged these down and slipped my hand inside.”
Blood whooshes in my ears when his teeth graze the hollow of my neck. “I bet you’d be nice and wet for me.” He sucks the sensitive skin into his mouth. “I bet you’d beg for my cock, too.”
“I wouldn’t beg you for shit,” I say, although it sounds unconvincing even to my own ears.
He clamps down on my flesh, sucking and biting so hard it hurts. “Who says you’d have to?” His palm slithers up my abdomen. “Maybe I’ll just give it to you.” He hitches my leg around his waist, pressing his erection into me. “Pull those jeans down and fuck you senseless right here. Get it over with so we can both move on.”
I swear I stop breathing. “Is that what you want?”
“I don’t know.” He grinds against the spot that’s aching for him. “You tell me.”
My insides swoop when he lowers his head and his mouth brushes the lace material of my shirt. But no matter how much I want this—I’m not willing to accept him with a side of Britney.
I want all of Jace. Every fucked-up piece and broken part. All to myself.
“I won’t fuck you while you’re with her.”
He starts to speak, but my phone rings, cutting him off.
Growling, he shoves his hand inside my pocket and pulls it out.
Instantly, his face fills with disgust and he pushes off me.
His expression is so vicious, it’s like he’s carved from stone. “And I won’t fuck you…ever.” He chucks my phone at me. “But, hey. I bet Tommy would.”
