it to the ground and crushing it the same way I had. He glances across at Spencer. “Give me that fucking list.”
My phone is tossed across the room again and Colton snatches it out of the air as simply as if he was swatting a fly. He scans over it before throwing the phone to Charlie and looking between the two boys. “You two finish down here. I’ll head upstairs with Ocean.”
They nod and just like that, we all clear out of the den.
With the boys’ help, the house was cleared within an hour but it wasn’t exactly the easiest task. Colton took over searching his sisters’ and mom’s room and only ended up with arguments and white lies. Luckily they all quickly left after that and Colton was able to sweep through their rooms properly.
My mood hasn’t begun to calm down and sensing that, both Spencer and Charlie are quick to make excuses as to why they need to leave. They give hasty goodbyes and are out the door within mere seconds, knowing just how wicked I can be when needed.
I’m left with Colton in the kitchen as I sit upon the counter silently raging about my lack of privacy, but I can't deny the relief that pours through me knowing Nic no longer has eyes on us. Colton steps out of the secret bar behind the kitchen with a glass tumbler filled with who the hell knows what and instantly hands it over. “Here,” he says with a deep grumble. “This’ll help take the edge off.”
I take the glass from him and look down at the clear liquid before bringing it to my lips and throwing back the whole glass. My face scrunches with the burn and I choke back on it, having absolutely no idea what I just drank.
“Woah, Jade,” Colton chuckles. “You’re supposed to sip it. This shit will fuck you up.”
I shrug my shoulders. “Excellent. Hit me with another.”
Colton ignores my comment and moves into me with a hand on either side of my thighs, caging me in on the counter. “Are you alright?”
I shake my head, feeling his closeness somehow pulling that rage out of me. “No, I’m so freaking angry. I can’t understand how he could do that to me? He was supposed to be my best friend but every single step of the way, he’s done something to betray my trust.”
Colton’s arms wrap around me and he holds me tightly to his chest. “It’s okay,” he murmurs. “I’m going to get a security team to come through and sweep the property properly. You won't have to worry about it anymore.”
I nod into his chest, hating how much this has destroyed me. It’s like the final nail in the coffin. Maybe it hurts more because seconds before that, I thought I had my friend back. We were nearly there. I was so close to starting to forgive, but the guy just keeps fucking up. How can he expect me to ever move on from this?
“So, I take it things didn't go so well in Breakers Flats?”
I pull back and meet his eyes, quickly realizing that if there's going to be a right time to tell him about Nic being behind the DeCarlo attack, that it would be now, but I find myself hesitating. If I was to tell Colton, it would be a war. He vowed that he would get revenge for the attack and if he knew that Nic was behind it all, he’d act out against him and I have absolutely no idea how far he would go.
Do I lie to the man that I’m falling in love with?
If Colton knew and hurt Nic, or Nic retaliated and hurt Colton … I don’t know where that would leave me. Things would never be the same again. If I tell, I’m going to lose either one or both of them permanently and it’s not a risk I can take.
I shouldn’t want to protect Nic. I should be throwing him under the bus and making him pay for what he did, but I find myself holding back. Colton is my future. I know it with one hundred percent certainty, but I can't find it within myself to let go of Nic or the Widows, not yet at least.
I find myself shrugging, feeling the heaviest kind of guilt falling down on my shoulders and slowly tearing me apart from the inside. “See, that’s just the thing,” I tell him, deciding that I need to