THE PARTY WAS FAR MORE crowded than I expected. Music was pumping loudly as I entered the house, and I could feel the deep base rattling my bones. It felt as though every kid from our grade was here, which made my stomach twist with apprehension. I was still the new kid and wasn’t all that comfortable around these people yet.
I cursed my mom for canceling on me again. I wished she had just called this time. Or that my car had broken down miles away from the house. Anything so I could have avoided the party a while longer. I wondered if I should have purposely taken a wrong turn while walking here with Reed, but that would have meant spending more time alone with him. My cheeks were still warm from the way he’d whispered his parting comment in my ear, so it was probably a good thing I’d come straight to the party.
I sent Jeremy yet another text as I walked through the house. He still hadn’t responded to any of my calls or messages, and I was beginning to wonder if maybe he’d lost his phone. Even if he was pissed at me, I didn’t think he’d give me the silent treatment for this long.
As I searched the house for my friends, I flashed tight smiles at the people I passed. Even though I had only just joined the school, everyone at Sunshine Prep recognized me because I was dating their hometown hockey hero. It had been quite the surprise on my first day to discover just how idolized Jeremy was. He’d barely mentioned hockey during our summer together, but it was all anyone talked about once school started. Jeremy Hoffman finally getting tied down seemed to be the gossip on everyone’s lips.
It made me very self-conscious because I wasn’t exactly in the popular crowd at my last school. But I’d somehow ended up popular by proxy at Sunshine Prep, thanks to Jeremy. At least, it appeared like I was popular. Most of the people politely returning my awkward smiles probably had zero interest in me beyond the fact I’d somehow managed to weasel my way into their local superstar’s life.
At least they were civil though. Not everyone was quite so happy to play nice with me. The girls in Jeremy’s friendship group frequently made me feel like I was encroaching on their territory. Heather was particularly cruel to me. She definitely had her sights set on my boyfriend, and seeing us together brought out a nasty streak in her I thought was reserved for mean girls in movies.
She was sweet as pie when Jeremy was around, but the moment his back was turned, her claws would appear. She was always commenting on how my uncle worked at the school, reminding everyone I wasn’t paying my way like the rest of the students. One of her favorite tricks was to point out I didn’t look like I came from California before talking at length about how beautiful people from California supposedly were. She said all these things while keeping her perfectly crafted fake smile firmly in place. I wasn’t sure why she bothered. If you were going to be a bitch, I figured you might as well embrace it.
Jeremy’s friends weren’t much better. Each of them had more money than sense and a huge helping of self-entitlement to go with it. They were all on the hockey team with him and acted as though they were better than gods. It didn’t help when the kids at our school all bowed down and worshipped them like they were.
Given the kind of people Jeremy was surrounded by, I still had no idea how I’d managed to catch his attention or why he was with me when there were so many girls at school who would kill to be his girlfriend. I often wondered if it was simply because I was someone new in a town filled with girls he’d known his whole life. I kept waiting for some of my shiny appeal to tarnish and for Jeremy to realize I wasn’t all that special.
I eventually found Mia in the kitchen with Nicole. The two girls were sitting on the counter, knocking back shots of tequila. Nicole worked with us at Hug in a Mug and was Mia’s closest friend. They’d both adopted me with open arms when I’d arrived at the start of summer and were the two people at school who truly made me feel like I had somewhere to belong.
Mia had changed since the game this afternoon and was dressed in a short plaid button-down dress paired with long boots. I never knew what to expect from her. She changed her style as frequently as her hair. One day she’d be dressed like she was headed to a ballet recital, and the next, she’d be sporting heavy boots and head-to-toe leather. Somehow, she always managed to make it all work.
Nicole, on the other hand, dressed far more predictably. She preferred clothes that were darker and more understated, and her long, black hair was always slicked back in a perfect ponytail. She never usually wore much makeup, but tonight she had a smoky look to her brown eyes, which were highlighted with a winged eyeliner.
I was still trying to figure out how to configure my wardrobe for the cold. And while I liked to think my outfits were cute, they were often buried beneath so many jackets I looked more like the Michelin Man than a high school senior.
As she was a fashion designer, my mom was always sending me her latest pieces. Tonight, I was wearing a beautiful white silk top she’d designed. It was perfectly tailored, and I loved the way it looked when I paired it with the distressed wide jeans I had on. But no one would know because, like always, it was hidden away beneath my burly winter coat. I was inside now though, and Mia had promised me dancing, so I could probably lose the jacket.
Mia squealed with delight when she saw me. “You came!”
“I told you I was coming.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t think you’d actually turn up.” Her excitement didn’t last long, and she suddenly thumped me on the shoulder. “You were supposed to be here an hour ago.”
“We’re just glad you made it.” Nicole cut in before Mia could get going. She then handed me one of their tequila shots. “You’ve got some catching up to do.”
I glanced down at the drink. “Aren’t we supposed to drink this with lemon and salt?”
Mia was already downing hers, and she scrunched up her nose as she swallowed.
“Pretty sure this isn’t a lemon and salt kind of party,” Nicole replied. “It’s more of an every-man-for-himself affair.” She winked before knocking back her tequila. I followed suit, finishing the drink before I could second-guess myself. It had been a hell of a day, and I’d just survived an encounter with a Devil. One drink couldn’t hurt.
“So, what took you so long?” Mia asked as she placed her shot glass down on the countertop.
“My car broke down.”
“Shit,” Nicole said. “Is Betty okay?”
“No idea. I won’t find out till Monday.”
“That sucks.”
“You should have called,” Mia added.
‘I did, but you didn’t answer.”
Mia pulled out her phone to check and grimaced. “Sorry, it’s so noisy here. I hope you weren’t stuck for too long.”
I waved away her concern. “No, not too long. Someone was running past and came to help me, actually.”
“That’s lucky,” Nicole said. “Who was it?”
“Uh, just some guy.”
‘Some guy?” Mia didn’t look impressed. “You let some random guy you met on the side of the road help you?”
“Uh, yeah.” Given the way her voice went up an octave as she spoke, I wasn’t sure if I should tell her the random guy was Reed Darling.
‘This is exactly how all those true crime shows start,” she continued. “Did he try to lure you to his car with candy?”
“He wasn’t some creepy old man with a van, Mia. He was our age.”
“Was it someone from school?”
“Uh.” I hesitated before answering. I was a terrible liar, and I hadn’t been expecting my cousin to give me such an intense interrogation. “No, not our school.”
“What school then?”
My vague answers were only making her more intrigued. “I think he went to Ransom.” I muttered, making her eyes grow wide.
‘Ransom?” Mia gasped. “Well, you’re lucky to be alive.”
Yeah, I definitely wasn’t telling her it was Reed. “Everything was fine, Mia. He was actually very friendly.”
“Of course, he was friendly,” Nicole said. “He was probably hitting on you.”
“No, he wasn’t.”
“He definitely was.” Mia gave me a playful nudge. “I told you if Jeremy wasn’t in the picture there’d be a line of Sunshine Prep guys just waiting to ask you out.”
Nicole reached out and touched the ends of my long, red hair. “I think it’s the hair…”
I swatted her hand away, making her grin. “How much have you guys had to drink?”
“A lot.” Mia giggled.
“So, did this Ransom guy have a name?” Nicole asked.
“And was he hot?” Mia added. The concern that had filled her voice when she’d first found out I’d met a guy from Ransom had disappeared. Apparently, it was okay to accept help from strangers in the night if they had a nice set of abs.
I didn’t want to reveal Reed’s name, so I dodged Nicole’s question and reluctantly answered Mia’s instead.
“I guess he was pretty good-looking.”
“Damn, he must have been a total hottie for you to admit that,” Mia gushed.
“Well, let’s just say he probably doesn’t have any issues getting girls.”
“Ugh, you’re totally playing this down because of Jeremy, aren’t you?” Nicole complained.
“I’m not.” I drew in a breath and peered around the room. “Speaking of Jeremy. Have you seen him tonight?”
“You don’t know if your boyfriend is here?” Nicole raised an eyebrow and folded her arms across her chest. Like Mia, she didn’t seem to care for Jeremy. I really wished my friends would just give him a shot.
“I haven’t seen him,” Mia said. There was, at least, a hint of sympathy in her voice.
“Me neither,” Nicole added.
“He must be here somewhere. I should go find him.” I poured myself another shot and quickly downed it. That was the one advantage of my car breaking down tonight. I no longer had to drive home.
Nicole also had another shot before she hopped off the kitchen counter. “Well, if he’s in the basement, I’ll let you know. I’m going down there to see if the boys are still playing poker.”
“Try not to steal all their money this time,” Mia said with a shake of her head. “You were getting filthy looks for weeks after the last time you played poker with the boys.”
“It’s not my fault they suck at cards.” Nicole shrugged. “I’ll see you guys later.”
As Nicole headed off in search of her poker game, Mia jumped down from her spot on the counter and grabbed my arm. “Okay, Vi, let’s dance.”
“No, Mia, I need to find Jeremy.”
She huffed. “Jeremy can wait. Plus, if he’s here, you’ll only be on the dance floor a few minutes before he gets jealous and comes to drag you off. Don’t waste your time searching for him. This will be way quicker.”
I ignored her dig at Jeremy. He wouldn’t be jealous. Especially not if he was as upset with me as I expected.
‘Come on,” she purred at me. “You’ve had a shitty day, but you’ll feel a lot better after a quick dance. And then we’ll look for him together.”
Dancing did sound a lot more appealing than confronting an angry Jeremy. “I guess we could have one dance.”
“That’s the spirit.” Mia didn’t give me a chance to reconsider as she pulled me toward the large open-plan living room where everyone was dancing. We squeezed into the middle of the crowd, and I quickly realized Mia had been right about one thing; it was fun to let loose on the dance floor, and it was a welcome distraction from the anxiety I’d been feeling ever since I’d realized we were going to be late for Jeremy’s game and my day started to go rapidly downhill.
Jeremy didn’t show up to sweep me away, despite Mia’s prediction, and we ended up dancing for song after song. A few guys tried to dance with Mia, but I was almost completely ignored. It was hardly surprising. I felt completely invisible to the male population of Sunshine Hills. No one was willing to cross my boyfriend.
It was fine by me as I was finally enjoying myself. But when I noticed a few Saints hockey players nearby, I was reminded about Jeremy. If they were here, he surely wasn’t far away. I’d put it off long enough. It was time I found him and checked he was okay.
Before I could say anything to Mia, I felt a shift in the atmosphere of the room. The lively and carefree energy turned tense, and a sense of unease rippled across the dance floor as the people around me seemed to freeze in place. It felt like a storm had just rolled in, bringing ominous clouds that cast a shadow over everything and everyone. The people around me were fixated on something behind me.
“Oh my god,” Mia gasped. “What are they doing here?”
Following her gaze, I turned and found Reed Darling staring across the room at me. My stomach dropped at the sight of him. He was standing near one of the entrances to the living room, flanked by two guys who were just as tall and imposing as he was. There was no question their presence had caused the apprehension that was now suffocating the room, and a space had formed around them as everyone shrank back.
I swallowed because the friendly expression that had been on Reed’s face when I’d met him earlier was nowhere to be seen. There was nothing kind or playful in his eyes now. Standing there, with his gaze intense and his muscles rippling beneath the fabric of his shirt, he exuded a threatening aura. And the two guys beside him only heightened the sense of danger.
The one on his right towered over everyone in the room, his expression as dark as a cloud full of rain and thunder. And while the guy to Reed’s left looked slightly younger, there was a menacing glint in his eyes and a subtle curve to his lips that suggested he was enjoying the reaction their arrival had caused. I could certainly understand why the three boys had forced everyone to take an instinctive step back. But, as Reed continued to watch me, his mouth twitched as though he was fighting off a smile.
“Why is Reed Darling looking at you that way?” Mia hissed.
I didn’t get a chance to respond as she grabbed my wrist and yanked me away. She pulled me across the crowded dance floor to the door on the opposite side of the room from Reed, which led out to the corridor. I could hear people chattering about the boys’ dramatic arrival as we passed.
“What are the Darling Devils doing here?” one girl gasped, peering past me toward where Reed had made his entrance.
“It’s probably to deal drugs,” the guy next to her said.
“Nah, they like to show up at parties like this to intimidate their competition,” a guy I recognized from my math class replied. “I bet they’re here to make sure our star players can’t play this season…”
“Either that or they’re done with the girls at their school and have come to steal all of ours,” his friend grunted. “Have you heard the way they fly through women?”
“They can steal me,” another girl said with a giggle. “Especially Reed. He’s so hot.”
“Bethany!” the first girl shouted at her.
We moved off before I could hear anything else, but, by the sounds of it, everyone had a theory about Reed and his brothers, and not one of them was good. It was only once we were deeper in the house that Mia slowed. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs, finally let go of my wrist, and turned to me.
“Mia, what the hell?” I said, rubbing the skin she’d been grasping so tightly.
“Why was Reed Darling looking at you that way?” She repeated her question with surprising concern.
I frowned slightly, knowing I was going to have to come clean. “Uh, you remember how I told you a guy from Ransom helped me with my car…”
“Reed Darling helped you?”
“Yeah, and…”
“And I told you what he’s like,” she interrupted. “How dangerous he and his brothers are. Weren’t you terrified?”
“Not really…” I muttered. “He seemed nice.”
“Nice?” She shook her head with disbelief before glancing over her shoulder, as if she was afraid she might find Reed standing there. “What do you think they’re doing here? They don’t come to parties this side of the river…”
“Uh, well, I don’t think it’s drugs, girls, or general mayhem,” I started. “I might have invited him…”
“What?” She faced me once more.
“I was being polite since he helped me with my car. I didn’t think he’d actually come…” I was suddenly grateful I hadn’t seen Jeremy around tonight. I couldn’t imagine him understanding why I’d invited the captain of his rival hockey team to join us.
“You were being polite?” Mia repeated my words as though the mere concept was impossible to believe.
“What? I can be friendly.”
“I know that. But you chose to be friendly with the scariest guy in a hundred-mile radius. It’s like trying to comprehend a bunny cuddling a rattlesnake.”
“I’m not a bunny, and he’s hardly a rattlesnake.”
“No, he’s worse,” she replied. “He’s a Devil.”
Mia stepped closer to me and put her hands on my shoulders, holding me firmly in place before she continued. “Listen, Vi. Reed Darling is not a nice person. I was trying to tell you at the game, but you ran off before I got a chance…”
‘Tell me what?”
“Reed is the reason Jeremy’s nose isn’t perfectly straight.”
“What?”
“He broke your boyfriend’s nose, Violet.”
I felt the blood drain from my skin. I knew Reed didn’t have the best reputation, but if I’d known he’d physically hurt Jeremy, I never would have accepted his help.
“What happened?” I whispered.
“They got into a fight during a hockey game freshman year. It wasn’t pretty…”
“I thought fighting was normal in hockey.”
“Not like this. People still talk about it, even now. And Jeremy and the rest of the team absolutely hate Reed.” I was really beginning to wish I hadn’t bailed on Mia’s Darling Devils lesson at the game today. Instead, I’d stupidly gone and made friends with the worst of them.
“I think we should get you out of here,” Mia continued. “I didn’t like the way he was looking at you. And you’ve clearly lost your mind.”
‘I haven’t lost my mind, Mia.”
“You have if you’re calling Reed Darling nice.” She placed a hand against my forehead. “Maybe you’re sick.”
“I’m not sick.” I pushed her hand away. “And I’m not fleeing the party. I still need to find Jeremy.”
“Vi, as soon as Jeremy and the other Saints players find out those Darling boys are here, there’s going to be chaos. And how do you think your boyfriend is going to react when he hears you invited them.”
Mia had a point. I hadn’t been thinking about Jeremy when I’d invited Reed to the party. I didn’t know about their fight then, but even so, I should have known better. Jeremy was already avoiding my calls after I missed his game today. This might be the final straw.
“All the more reason why I should find Jeremy now and talk to him,” I said. “Can you help me look—’
I stopped mid-sentence when I saw Mia’s eyes widen, and she grabbed my wrist once again. “Darling Devil coming this way.”
I went to look over my shoulder, but Mia dragged me toward the stairs. “Quick, get up there,” she ordered.
“But, Mia—”
“Go!” She lifted the little rope that was barricading the staircase and practically pushed me under. “You can’t be seen with him.”
This all felt a little ridiculous, but judging by the reactions of everyone at the party when the Darling brothers arrived, Mia was probably right. I didn’t want Jeremy to see me talking to Reed.
“Okay, okay,” I said as I ducked under the rope and hurried up the stairs. “Thanks, Mia,” I called over my shoulder, but she’d already disappeared into the crowd.
I wasn’t sure how long I needed to wait up here before I went back down again. Perhaps just a couple of minutes until Reed had moved off to another part of the house. As I reached the top of the stairs though, I realized I couldn’t go any farther. At least, I couldn’t if I wanted to avoid the two people furiously making out on the landing. I was either going to have to interrupt them so I could get past, hang out right by them, or head back downstairs and risk running into Reed.
None of those options were appealing. Thankfully, it was dark up here and the couple was so absorbed in one another they hadn’t noticed me hesitating at the top of the stairs. They shifted slightly as the guy pressed the girl against the wall. It freed up just enough space for me to sneak by, but my heart stopped as I moved toward them and their faces became clearer.
That was Jeremy. My Jeremy…and Heather.
My stomach plummeted, and I blinked frantically as I desperately tried to process what I was seeing. But there was no denying it—my boyfriend was passionately entangled with the girl he’d told me not to worry about. The one who was supposedly just a friend.
Every ounce of trust I had for him shattered, and my chest tightened with anger and hurt as I looked on, unable to move or speak. I couldn’t seem to look away, and I felt the image of them together branding its way into my memory.
Tears escaped my eyes and slowly spilled down my cheeks. I felt like such a fool. I’d thought Jeremy was an exception. That he was nothing like the stereotypical jocks my mom had warned me about. That he would never break my heart. Clearly, I’d made a terrible mistake, and the realization was like a sucker punch to the gut.
I didn’t know how I would react if they turned to find me there. I wasn’t prepared to confront Jeremy. So, instead, I found myself fleeing back downstairs. I couldn’t get away from this party fast enough.
As I reached the bottom of the stairs, I slammed into a hard chest. Two strong hands reached out to grasp me. “You okay there, Sunshine?”
Reed’s deep voice rolled through me, soothing me despite the panic clawing at my chest. I glanced up, and his deep-blue eyes were soft as he looked down at me. The cold aggression I’d seen in his gaze as he’d entered the party was gone. That boy had been a stranger. But this boy was the one who’d helped me with my car.
“I…” My voice trailed off as I glanced over my shoulder and up the stairs toward Jeremy. I couldn’t see him from here, and a part of me was grateful. I didn’t need the dagger lodged firmly in my chest twisting any deeper.
I shook my head. “I’m fine.”
I pushed past Reed and continued to the front door. The crowd seemed to part for me as if they could sense my desperation to get away. I didn’t stop until I was outside on the street, the freezing night air biting against my exposed skin.
I’d taken my jacket off to dance and left it somewhere inside the house, but I only felt the chill through my thin top for a moment. When I spotted Jeremy’s car parked on the side of the road, hot anger began to race through my blood instead.
With purposeful steps, I strode over to his shiny red Mustang. It was parked right across someone’s driveway. Usually, I would have shrugged it off as an accident, but tonight, I felt like my eyes were opened, and I finally saw Jeremy for who he was. He simply didn’t care. His arrogance knew no bounds. He felt just as entitled to a car space that didn’t belong to him as he did to a girl who wasn’t his girlfriend.
As I reached the car, I slammed my fists down on the hood. “Jerk!” I followed up with a swift kick to the closest wheel. “I broke my one rule for you, you entitled, inconsiderate, selfish jerk!”
It was lucky his car was a little way down the street so the partygoers who’d spilled onto the front yard couldn’t see me. Even if they could, right now I wasn’t sure I cared.
“I hate you!” I kicked the tire again. I wasn’t sure if I was angrier at Jeremy for cheating on me or myself for believing he was different. I think it was mostly myself. I shouldn’t have allowed my feelings for him to blind me from what my mom had taught me: never trust a boy who cared more about a game than he could ever care for a girl.
I hadn’t made so much as a scratch on Jeremy’s car, and I wondered if there might be a crowbar back in the house somewhere. There was nothing I would like more than to see the look on Jeremy’s face if he came out to find his baby in pieces.
“I’m beginning to think you don’t like cars…”
I spun to find Reed behind me. He was standing in the middle of the road with one eyebrow lifted and his jacket held out toward me.
“Which is really sad because I happen to love cars.”
My cheeks flashed hot, and I had no idea how to respond. I should have been wary, standing here alone with the guy who’d broken Jeremy’s nose. Instead, I was wondering if he’d consider breaking it again.
Reed didn’t seem too bothered by my silence as he slowly approached and carefully placed his jacket over my shoulders. He was moving with the kind of caution you might use around a wild animal. Is that what I was to him right now? Some feral beast he’d encountered out in the snow? I should have told him not to bother with the jacket because I could no longer feel the cold. But I didn’t have it in me to argue.
“So, is there a reason we’re beating up a brand-new 2024 Ford Mustang?”
“We?”
“I mean, I haven’t done anything yet, but I’ve got a couple of hockey sticks in my truck if you want to do some real damage?”
“You’re going to help me beat up a car?”
“It pretty much goes against my religion, but you clearly need the help…”
Given his reputation, it wasn’t all that surprising Reed was so happy to help. A few minutes ago, I might have just let him. But a wave of exhaustion rushed over me as the fiery anger that had fueled my outburst wore off. Now that I no longer felt the hot adrenaline pulsing through me, the cold night air started to seep through Reed’s jacket, and I pulled it closer around me. As much as I hated Jeremy right now, beating up his car wasn’t going to make things any better.
“What happened?” Reed asked as if he could sense the change in me.
I shook my head. I didn’t want to talk about my anger, my frustration, my embarrassment, or any of the many emotions I was currently struggling to sort through. Thankfully, Reed didn’t push me to respond and was patient as he waited for my answer.
I blew out a breath as I looked back at the house. “Let’s just say I’m never dating another hockey player.”
Reed’s expression faltered when I glanced back at him, and a deep furrow lined his brow. “Never sounds very final.”
“I made that mistake once. I won’t do it again.”
I glanced up and down the street but let out a sigh when I remembered I didn’t have my car. Not that it mattered; I was in no state to drive. Mia wasn’t either. She was my best chance at finding a ride though.
I pulled up her number and gave her a call. The phone rang several times before it went to voicemail. I tried Nicole too, but she didn’t answer either. They probably couldn’t hear their phones over all the noise at the party. That’s why Mia had missed my call earlier, and if anything, the music in the house only seemed to be growing louder.
I bit my lip as I tried to figure out what to do. I just wanted to get home, but there was no way I was going back inside the house to find a ride. Reed hadn’t moved, and he was still watching me with concern in his eyes. My head was already all over the place, but I was finding it even harder to think straight when he looked at me that way.
“Can I drive you home?” he asked.
“It’s fine. I’ll get an Uber.” I started to open the app.
“It’s a Saturday night. You’ll be waiting out in the cold for ages.”
“I can handle the cold.” I couldn’t, but he didn’t need to know that. When the app found my closest driver, my heart sank. It was thirty minutes away. That was far too long. Not only would I be waiting out in the cold, there was also a chance Jeremy would come outside, and I wasn’t prepared to face him yet.
“I’m not letting you get an Uber alone,” Reed said. “Any psycho could be picking you up.”
“I heard you’re the resident psycho around here.”
He gave me a smirk, but a flicker of hurt flashed across his eyes. “And what do you think?”
I hesitated. Reed certainly didn’t seem like a psycho to me, but I was hearing more and more concerning rumors about him, and there was no smoke without fire. Right now, I was too cold and exhausted to care. I let out a sigh. “I think I’d like a ride home.”
“You got it.”
He didn’t start to his car straightaway though. Instead, he glanced back at the party with a grimace as the two massive guys I’d seen him with earlier marched out the front gate.
“I should probably apologize in advance,” he said.
“Why?”
“Because my brothers will be coming too…”
