Violence (Antihero Inferno #3) - Lily White Page 0,65

diner, and Damon takes way too long giving her a hug.

I lean against the van watching them, not surprised when Emily pulls away from him and gives me only a weak wave in goodbye before walking to her car.

A muscle in my jaw jumps to watch her leave, thoughts and memories spinning and colliding in my head.

Anger races through me that she treats Damon better, that they have an easy friendship when it’s a struggle for me to act reasonably human around her.

But then again, Emily never broke a promise to Damon.

He has no reason to be angry at her, and she has no reason to feel guilty around him.

What Damon doesn’t know is that Emily was never supposed to be his at all.

She was supposed to be mine.

But she couldn’t trust me enough to give me that.

She never believed in me, and she never gave me the chance to try.

I think it’s her lack of faith in me that stings the most, a silent message spelled out when she left that I was never good enough, never strong enough, to keep her.

Damon doesn’t say a word until we’re back on the road and almost to Priest’s shop to pick up the Jeep.

“What did she mean by six weeks?”

I don’t look at him.

“That’s how much time I asked her to give us to try this friendship thing out.”

“Try?”

Pulling the van into its spot at the shop, I throw it in park and kill the engine. The back of my head rolls so I can eye Damon.

“You were a little handsy with her, don’t you think?”

He grins.

“Can you blame me? She’s Red. We’ve always been handsy.”

“She’s off limits,” I remind him. “For both of us. That’s the only way this shit is going to work.”

Anger rolls behind his eyes, and I know his temper is about to snap.

“Yeah, well it doesn’t help when you keep fighting with her. And if you think I didn’t notice that shit, you’re blind. What the fuck was your problem tonight?”

It’s not like I can tell him I was constantly three seconds away from ripping his head off for even looking at her.

Instead, I tuck that shit down and try not to think that I need to end this problem before it goes too far.

“I’m still pissed that she deserted us.”

“Get the fuck over it, Ezra. Just give her another chance.”

He doesn’t give me time to respond before letting himself out of the van and marching to the Jeep. We spend the rest of the ride home quietly seething.

As soon as we’re inside the house, he runs upstairs. I lean against the front door wondering what the hell I’m going to do about this.

Already, Damon and I are fighting. No, it hasn’t gone to fists yet, but it’s gone there before.

This is bad.

This is bad.

This is bad.

But still I find myself leaving the house again and jumping in the Jeep. I haul ass out of our driveway without thinking about where I’m going and why I’m doing it.

I just know I need something.

Someone.

Some woman.

A fucking firestorm that burns me and blinds me all at the same time.

We haven’t tried this thing for a full twenty-four hours yet, and I’m already snapping my leash and losing my fucking mind.

Emily

I’m in trouble.

More than the twins realize.

More than my friends realize.

More than I want to admit.

Being around Damon and Ezra tonight was harder than I’d imagined it would be, the thoughts inside my head fighting to free themselves from my tongue, but I had to keep swallowing them back.

I have to stay quiet.

By the time I get home, I’m broken.

Fucking defeated.

So torn and twisted that I can barely keep my eyes open as I walk inside the house and through a crowd of people.

Dylan’s having another party, and I don’t have the energy to bitch about it or care.

All I want is to crawl in bed and forget the pain of the past, the complications of the present and the fear I have for the future.

A few of his friends catcall me as I pass, the hallway filled with kids and pot smoke. I have no idea where Dylan even is in all of this mess.

Letting myself into my room, I’m thankful for thick walls that mute most of the noise, the shadows welcoming me as I walk across the room to strip off my jeans, shirt and bra.

Grabbing a thin sleep shirt from a drawer in my credenza, I tug it on and drop my weight onto the