“I DIDN’T DO IT,” I cry as I throw myself into Scar’s arms. Crew, Jagger, and Neo stand behind her, arms crossed over their chests and stern looks on their faces. Well, two of them, anyways. Neo is wearing a prominent scowl with his lips set in a firm line, and I wouldn’t expect anything less from him.
“Sure, you didn’t.” Neo scoffs and I just roll my eyes at him. He dresses like he doesn’t want to be seen, but that doesn’t stop everyone from looking. He’s always sporting that bad-boy persona and I’ve learned to just ignore anything that comes out of his cocksure mouth. And often, it’s warranted.
Scar’s forehead creases in contempt as she glances over at Neo. Slow strides bring her closer to me before she takes my shoulders in both hands and gazes into my eyes with a reassuring look. “We,” she emphasizes, “know you didn’t.”
My lips press into a thin white line as I swallow the lump lodged in my throat. “It was Lev,” I blurt out, immediately wishing I could take back the words because now that I’ve said them, with witnesses, there is no going back.
Jagger’s eyes perk up. “Lev Pemberley?”
“No,” Ridge says from behind me. “Riley’s confused. The last twenty-four hours have been draining for her. We don’t know who it was.” His hand rests on my hip as he stands behind me. “Isn’t that right, Angel?”
My thoughts elude me as I try to decipher why Ridge is covering for Lev. After everything Lev’s done, why is he protecting him? I turn my head to look at Ridge, losing Scar’s hold on me, as a cold wave washes over my skin. Eyebrows knitted, I question what he just said. “I’m confused?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“But it’s what you said. No more lies, Ridge. No more secrets. It’s time everyone knows what Lev has done because I sure as hell am not going down for his crimes.”
“What exactly did Lev do?” Neo asks, suddenly piqued with interest.
“None of your fucking business,” Maddox tells him as he takes me by the hand, pulling me away from the group. He leans close, his voice a whisper in my ear. “We need to keep everything under wraps for the time being. Incriminate no one.”
“That’s bullshit.” I huff loud enough for everyone to hear. I jerk my hand away, annoyed that both Maddox and Ridge are defending Lev’s actions. “This is all Lev’s fault. Why the hell should I protect him? And why are you?”
“I’m not protecting him. I’m just…’ Maddox’s words trail off as Ridge steps beside us.
“We need definitive proof before we bring any of this to light.” His eyes remain pinned on Scar and her guys as he speaks. “Please, just let us handle this before you start spreading rumors.”
I clench my fists as I slam my foot to the floor, rattling an empty pop can on the scuffed kitchen table. Every muscle in my body tenses with rage. “Scar,” I bellow, as I push past Ridge and Maddox. “Can I talk to you, please?”
I grasp the bathroom handle with one hand and slowly open the door. Scar steps inside, her eyes wide at my outburst. Slamming the door shut quickly, I create an echo that reverberates off the walls of the small space.
“I have to find him,” I tell her, really hating that I’m putting her in this position of knowing what I might have to do. “I have to leave campus and find Lev.”
“Ry. Babe. I dunno. This shit you’re in is deep. I think you need to just come forward and let The Elders handle it. I mean, they’ve got a fucking Punisher assigned to you. This isn’t some little thing that’s just going to blow over.”
“I know.” I exhale a pent-up breath. “It’s a fucking mess.” Tears prick the corners of my eyes and I aggressively jab my fingertips into them because I don’t want to shed a tear over what’s going on…or over Lev.
I miss him, though. I hate the fucking bastard. But, I miss him.
“This all stemmed from Governor Saint’s death. If only I’d just stayed out of it.”
“Don’t.” Scar grabs my hands, pulling them away from my face. “Don’t you dare go there. That son of a bitch got exactly what he deserved, as far as I’m concerned, and to anyone else who knows what really happened, you’re a hero, Ry. You saved us all.”
“A hero?” I laugh dryly. “Hardly.”
“You are! And if the truth ever comes out about what happened, I’m hopeful The Elders will see it that way, too. Because if one truth is revealed, we’re going to make damn sure all truths are revealed.”
“Thank you,” I tell her, pulling her in for a hug. “You always have a way of pulling me out of the darkness. I don’t know what I’d do without you.”
“You never have to find out. I promise you that.” She takes a step back and runs her thumb under my eye because one stupid tear broke free. It was a tear of happiness, though, because moments like this prove how unbelievably blessed I am to have such amazing friends and boyfriends.
Thinking of boyfriends, and almost ex-boyfriends, or whatever Lev was to me, Scar needs to know my plan. It’s not actually a plan because it literally just popped into my head a few minutes ago, but it might be the only way I can get two steps ahead of The Elders, and The Punisher assigned to me. “Well,” I begin, “there is only one way to ensure that we will never be without each other, and it weighs heavily on Lev.”
“Whatever you’re thinking, no.” A look of displeasure washes over her face. “I love you, babe, but you’re your own worst enemy when it comes to getting yourself out of the mud you’re stuck in. Do I need to remind you of the time you got gum stuck to the bottom of your shoe?”
A smile draws on my face and an airy chuckle escapes me. “That was some sticky-ass gum, okay?”
“I only had to cut a chunk. Just saying.” My hand sweeps through the air as I spin in a circle, coming to a stop at the free-standing sink. With my palms resting against the porcelain, I heave a sigh. Looking down, I absorb what she said. Not the part about the gum, or my hair, but me being my own worst enemy. She’s right.
“I don’t know what else to do,” I tell her. “I have to find him.”
Scar inhales deeply, and while I can’t see her face from where she’s standing behind me, I imagine she’s chewing hard on her bottom lip. It’s something she does often when she’s deep in thought.
I raise my head, ripping my gaze away from the sink. Casting a sidelong look at her, I’m proven correct. Sure enough, her lip is sucked between her teeth, and her nostrils are flaring as she breathes deeply.
“I’ll be safe. I promise.”
Her eyes close momentarily before she reaches into her pocket and pulls out a phone. It’s not just any phone, though. It’s one of those old flip ones. “Take this.”
She sets the phone in my palm as I watch her with quizzical eyes. “What’s this for?”
“You’ve all had your phones turned off. I knew I’d find you here today, and I brought this so we’d have a way of keeping in touch while you’re hiding out. It’s a burner phone that can’t be traced.”
She’s right. Ridge, Maddox, and I shut our phones off to not risk anyone tracking our whereabouts. It’s been tempting to turn it on, just to get an update on the situation, but I know it’s a risk. I tap my fingers to the phone she handed me, smiling. “Always thinking ahead.”
“As a member of a fucked-up society, we sort of have to.”
“Scar,” I say softly as I tuck the phone in the side pocket of my black joggers. “There’s one more thing.”
“For fuck’s sake, Ry,” she sighs. “What else could there possibly be? You’re wanted for murder and you’re going on a manhunt for a deranged psycho. I swear to fucking God, if I see you on America’s Most Wanted…”
“Shut up.” I punch her shoulder playfully. “It won’t come to that. At least, I hope not. It’s just that, I’m not telling Ridge and Maddox I’m leaving. The last thing I want is for two innocent guys, who I care deeply about, to get in trouble for something they didn’t do.”
“You mean, in the way that you’ve been set up to fall for something you didn’t do?”
“Exactly. I don’t want them to get hurt.”
“You’re really falling for these guys, aren’t you?”
This time, I’m the one gnawing on my bottom lip, but I do it with a sly smile creeping up on my face. “Harder than I thought it was possible to fall.”
“And Lev? Are you two just…done?”
With my eyes downcast, I release my lip from my teeth. “Lev and I were nothing but an illusion. A budding relationship built on fraud. Not only is it over, it never even had a chance to begin. Now, it never will because Lev Pemberley is going down and I sure as fuck am not going with him.”
“I’m sorry to say this, but it’s probably best you learned the truth about him before your heart was too invested.”
But my heart was invested. So much more than I’m letting on. I can still see his face in my memories and taste him on my tongue. If I think hard enough, I swear I can remember what it feels like to be wrapped in his arms, and it was probably one of the best feelings in the world. Lev doesn’t attach himself to people or things easily, yet he did to me. I felt special. Now, I feel like a joke.
My mouth goes dry and a boulder rests on my chest. “It is what it is.”
“You always go with the easiest response.”
“It’s the only one I’ve got.” I shrug.
“Scar,” Neo hollers. “Come on, baby. We’re leaving.”
Scar’s eyes roll. “There’s always that one that can’t play nice with others.”
I chuckle. “Gotta love him.”
“Oh, I do.” She smirks as she pulls the bathroom door open. “More than life, but it doesn’t mean I don’t wanna smack him sometimes.”
Neo’s voice rises to a near shout. “And you keep that fucking maniac away from campus, and my girl. I don’t care how close you assholes are. He comes near us, or her, I’ll take care of him myself.”
Ridge shoves Neo out the door then slams it shut before Crew, Jagger, and Scar even have a chance to make their exit.
“Keep in touch,” Scar whispers as she pulls me in for a hug. “And be safe.”
“I will,” I tell her. “This will all be over soon.”
If only I could believe the words leaving my mouth because I’m scared as hell, and something in my gut tells me, this is only the beginning of my descent into the fire.
