Damaged Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,37

open the door and jumped out of the car.

My hand clutched for my chest as Gia screamed my name.

She got out of the car and ran around to me.

When I saw her, I put my hand out.

“I’m fine,” I said. I took a breath. “Just… a little panic attack. Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have stopped like that. It’s just…”

She looked down the road and, yeah, there was no more road.

If she kept going she would have ended up going off a cliff and into the ocean.

Oops.

“Sorry, I forgot to tell you to stop,” I said.

“No problem. Nothing like a good thrill in the morning. Right?”

“Right,” I said. “My point is… I don’t even know now. The last time I was up here was when Tex left. It was the end of summer. Evie and Darcy were okay with it all. They had their fun. I think I got myself too involved. Emotionally and all that. I was kind of heartbroken when he left. So I came up here and sat alone for a while.”

“Did you cry over him?”

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry. I hate crying over guys. My mother always tells me there’s plenty of dick attached to dicks so don’t waste any tears…”

“Our mothers are too much alike.”

“Yes, they are,” Gia said.

“I was just amazed how that memory hit me.”

“I told you, that’s normal.”

I nodded. “Come on, let me show you this view.”

I walked Gia to the edge of the cliff and she gasped.

“I hate heights,” she said.

“Just take a breath and look at the view. It’s worth it.”

We stood together as she clutched at my arm.

“I know why we’re here,” Gia said.

“You do?”

“Yeah. You had that secret meeting last night. You never called. Texted. Nothing.”

“Shit. I’m sorry. It was…”

“Good or bad?” Gia asked.

“Both,” I said.

“How so?”

I looked at Gia. “Uh… they want to date me. And I kind of kissed all three.”

Gia’s jaw slowly dropped.

“It’s okay though. I know what I’m doing.”

But, really, did I?

We sat in Gia’s car because her fear of heights was too much for her to stand and enjoy the view. She apologized but I really wasn’t worried about it. It was nice to just feel hidden for a second. Which was ironic because everything I had been doing was hiding. You know? Hiding from the truth. Living in a lie. That whole thing.

“So they want you to go with them to this ball thing?” Gia asked. “Super, super-rich people.”

“They’re afraid,” I said. “I have them where I want them, Gia. They’re actually afraid. And they’re worried about me. Something else is going on too. I’m not sure what but I can feel it. They’re hiding more than just what they did to me.”

“Is that really your business?” Gia asked.

“No. But if it helps me hurt them, then I want to know. I just… I need something good on Easton.”

“Easton?’ Gia asked. “His family is a mess. That car you blew up?”

“His uncle’s,” I said.

“Yeah. The entire family is nothing but addicts. I thought you knew that.”

“What?”

“Oh, yeah. It runs deep. They’ve been in rehab so many times… it’s crazy stuff. Easton and his parents do not get along at all. His parents can’t stay away from alcohol and pills. His father cheats all the time. His mother does too. It’s wild. Easton is probably the easiest one to break. But.... he’s dangerous. Maybe more than the others.”

“Interesting,” I said.

“So, what if you stay back here and let them go alone?” Gia asked. “They’ll worry about you the entire time. You can have time to finish out your plotting…”

“They won’t go without me,” I said. “And that’ll cause bigger problems.”

“Then let it happen.”

That was a good point.

If I stayed home and it made them argue and fight and caused family issues…

I bit my lip.

I kind of wanted to go. I wanted to wear a dress and feel beautiful around them. I wanted their attention. I wanted them to look at me the way they did when they kissed me.

It would make hurting them even better.

Are you sure about that, Winter? Is that all you’re after?

“Also, someone is following me, Gia,” I said. “For real.”

“Then go to the cops, Winter.”

“I did.”

“And…?”

“You’re going to think I’m crazy,” I said.

“Crazy? You mean like faking losing your memory kind of crazy?”

I laughed. “Yeah.”

“So…?”

“I talked to a detective and he was shady,” I said. “As I drove to the police station, someone followed me. They hurried into the police station before me and then left. Then this detective showed