tell her, trying to keep the ache out of my tone, but failing miserably. “I didn’t mean to disappear like that, I just had … a lot going on and then all this shit went down with Carver and I just … I’m sorry.”
Ember pulls back and gives me a tight smile. “I guess you’re not about to tell me what happened with Carver?”
A smile cuts across my face and I shake my head, which only makes her sigh. “Damn, it was worth a try,” she tells me. “I still don’t think I really understand how you ended up living there, but I’m not going to lie, I’m jealous as fuck. Those guys are … wow. They’re just wow. There’s no other word to describe them.”
“Trust me,” I grumble under my breath as I loop my arm through hers and lead her down the hallway toward my locker. “I have plenty of descriptive words for those guys, but right now, I need you to keep my mind off them. What’s been going on with you?”
“Really?” she groans. “You’re not going to give me anything? Not even a little hint at what went down between you and Cruz after your party? Because I haven’t forgotten that you were supposed to tell me what’s going on between the two of you, and don’t think I didn’t notice how you skipped out early. You were fucking him, weren’t you?”
A wicked smile cuts across my face. “So, you and Jacob, hey? How’s that going?”
She gives me a blank stare. “Really? You’re going to avoid it altogether?”
“Damn right, I am,” I laugh as I drag her to my locker and momentarily forget which one is mine. I swear, at this stage, I think I’ve actually spent more days away from school than actually being here. “Now, tell me everything that’s been going on with you. I’ve missed your hourly updates on your life.”
Ember rolls her eyes as we come to a stop outside a locker with a familiar combo lock attached to it. I fumble with the code as Ember drops her shoulder against the neighboring locker before going all girly on me and letting out a deep sigh. She meets my stare as a beaming smile stretches across her face. “Do you really want to know?”
“Umm … yeah,” I laugh. “Tell me everything. Besides, it’ll hopefully work wonders in getting my mind off the four assholes who know nothing about personal boundaries.”
Ember narrows her eyes and I see the desperation pulsing through her. She wants to push me for information, but she knows that if I were going to tell her something, I would have already done it. “Fine,” she says with a sigh, giving up on the hope of learning exactly how devilish Cruz Danforth really is. “Where should I start?”
I shrug my shoulders. “Tell me everything you know about the guy,” I say, feeling my stomach twist with guilt. If only she knew that the guy she’s seeing is a member of Dynasty, and also the guy who managed to place himself right at the top of my shit list—right under Carver of course.
Jacob Scardoni was at the party in the woods and after Carver let me know what he thought of my theory that he was being a double agent and had something to do with it, my suspicions fell on Jacob. If I’m completely honest, I think I’ve always suspected Jacob. He seems far too shady to me.
Ember told me she had a crush on him for ages, and now suddenly, he wants to be with her. It’s too convenient, plus the fact that he just happened to be at that party right before the hitmen were sent after me. Who else would have known that Carver had me alone in the woods?
Jacob is using her as a pawn to keep an eye on me. At least, that’s what I think. I really hope for Ember’s sake that he’s genuine because if he breaks her heart, I’m going to break his face, and I’m going to enjoy every last second of it.
She starts going on and on about their date over the weekend, and the longer she talks, the harder it is for me to smile. This bitch was out getting wined and dined while I was pacing the small concrete floor of my cell. But I’m not here to bring her down.
I don’t know why I’ve been holding back from Ember. I want my world and hers to stay