Damaged Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,27

make sure their wealth stayed intact. In fact, the families loved their money more than their kids. Which was why Noah, Easton, and Xavier did the things they did. They were like cliché bullies, writhing in their own insecurities, afraid someone would find out and expose them, so they beat the hell out of anyone who looked at them the wrong way.

I lifted my head and my eyes went wide.

That was the way to do it…

It wasn’t about blowing up cars. Or slashing tires. Or getting someone arrested just to annoy them.

It was about their insecurities.

“Holy shit,” I whispered.

If I could find their deepest fears and expose them…

I would have to get closer to them to do that.

I had them convinced I had no memory.

If they wanted to ensure this their own way, fine. Let people follow me. Let people like Pete intimidate me. Whatever worked. I could stand my ground.

I hated to admit it as I sat there in bed, but I channeled my inner bitch big time.

I was my mother’s daughter again.

So much so that when my bedroom door opened, I sat up straight and looked at Gia as she walked into my room.

“Can’t you fucking knock?” I yelled at her.

She gasped.

And then burst into tears.

“Oh, shit,” I whispered.

I jumped out of bed and ran toward her.

Gia was slumped forward, her hands to her face, weeping.

I threw my arms around her and hugged her without asking what was wrong.

That’s what best friends did.

She cried hard for a little bit and then backed away and sucked in a deep breath.

She put her head back.

“Do you have a tissue? I look like a fucking mess.”

I got her a handful of tissues and she turned around to face the open bedroom door.

“Gia… I’m sorry I snapped…”

“It’s not that,” she said.

“Okay. What’s wrong?”

She shook her head. “Just a bad day.”

I touched her shoulder and pulled at her. “Hey. You can tell me. Anything you want.”

She slowly turned.

“Just a bad day…”

“Stop saying that and tell me what was bad.”

Gia took a deep breath. “I slept like shit. Then I ran like shit. It was my worst run ever.”

“I’m sure your worst run is better than my best one.”

“Winter…”

“Sorry.”

“Just so many little things going wrong. And then I keep thinking about what you’re going through. I want it all to stop. Before someone gets hurt. Or killed.”

“You don’t have to take that on,” I said. “That’s why I didn’t tell you about it.”

“I keep thinking about my mother. About Xavier. That I really do have a brother and it’s just so…”

Insecurities.

I bit my lip and realized I was about to be a complete asshole to my best friend.

“Gia, do you think Xavier knows?” I asked.

“What?”

“About you. Him. Your mother. What do you think he knows?”

“As far as I know, nothing,” she said.

“I’ve been doing some thinking today and I have some ideas. But I need to do everything alone. I need to hit hard. I feel like things are starting to get really rough. I don’t want anyone to get hurt. Just like you said. You know?”

Gia nodded. She wiped her cheeks. “Why does this shit have to happen? You know, everyone looks at us and thinks it’s easy. They see Bumps and just assume we’re living so free. I mean, I get it, we have money. Fine. I don’t know what it’s like to not have money. But is money really everything?”

“It’s just the way everyone is, Gia. If you have money you don’t get it. If you don’t have money it’s all you want. There’s no way around it. Shit, I hate to see you cry like this.”

“Oh, this?” she asked, pointing to her face. “This is nothing.”

“Gia, come here,” I said.

I hugged her again.

I felt bad for her.

She was carrying a lot of baggage with her. And being my friend was only making that load worse.

“Listen to me, Gia. You are beautiful. Strong. Fierce. You’re perfect. The past means nothing. Don’t let what your mother did hurt you. Accept it and move forward. You’re not going to become that.”

“Thank you,” she whispered. “Sorry I cried.”

“Sorry I snapped. I was just lost in thought, trying to see how much of a bitch I could really be.”

“Well, you’re pretty damn good at it,” Gia said.

We both started to laugh.

She wiped under her eyes.

I couldn’t stop thinking about Xavier.

If I exposed the truth there…

“You have a really mean look in your eyes right now, Winter,” Gia said.

“I know,” I said. “You’re not going to