to your house and burning it to the ground with you inside of it. Otherwise, we have no qualms with you, just your pedophile neighbor. Something to think about.” Oscar chucks the empty spray cans into the saddlebag, closes it, and pulls the key from his pocket.
We climb onto the bike together and take off.
Oscar offers me the first small kindness he's ever granted by pretending he doesn't see me cry.
“How did it go today?” Vic asks, standing outside the front door to Aaron's place, his big arms crossed over his broad chest. His ebon eyes track my every movement, taking me in, absorbing me. We just stare at each other, and it becomes obvious that fighting this attraction between us isn't going to work. I can't just stand here and pretend like I don't want to forgive him for the things he's done.
“Why did you send us together?” I ask him as Oscar pauses beside me. He smells like cinnamon, something I never expected from him. That's a warm, homey sort of smell, and Oscar Montauk is anything but warm and homey. “You know how we feel about each other.”
Victor just stares down at me, chewing on a piece of gum, and looking at me like he'd very much like to throw me against the wall and ravage me. I almost wish he would. I just … it's only been a week since the Halloween party. One week since I saw the video. Since Vic told me he was the only one who wanted me to be a part of Havoc. One fucking week since he told me that the Kali thing was more for my ‘benefit’ than hers.
“We're family, Bernadette,” Vic says, looking up and away, and appearing far more regal than he has any right to. “The two of you are going to have to deal with your shit sometime, don't you think?” He pauses for a moment and then looks back at me.
It's impossible to miss the double meaning in his words.
“Why did Aaron dump me?” I ask him, tilting my head to one side. Maybe today isn't the best day to broach this subject, especially considering I've already picked a metaphorical scab and find myself bleeding a red as violent as the color of that spray paint. “When he joined Havoc, I mean. Why dump me? Clearly, you guys are okay with dating. Hael dated Brittany. So what the hell is up with that?”
Vic exhales and leans his head back against the side of the house as Oscar stands silently just behind and to the right of me.
“Not everything is my fault, you know?” Victor starts, closing his eyes.
“Yes, it is,” I retort, crossing my arms under my breasts and wishing Oscar wasn't standing so close or listening so intently. “You're the boss, Vic. All the positives and negatives of that apply to you. So it is your fault. Aaron joined Havoc; I lost him.” My nostrils flare as I stare at Vic, waiting for an explanation that I know is only going to make my shitty day worse, rather than better. “Why? Why couldn't you just let him have me.”
“Everything comes at a price, even joining Havoc.” Vic turns back to me and opens his eyes. “You know that, Bernadette.”
“So, Aaron's price was to dump me?” I ask, my hands curving into fists. The front door opens and there he is, the man in question, watching me from gold-green eyes.
“Bern,” he starts, resting a hand against the doorjamb. “Let's go for a walk, okay?”
“Victor isn't getting out of this!” I shout, losing my shit for a second. The last few months have given me a lot to take in. I act so badass on the outside, but buried deep down, there's a broken little girl crying her shattered heart out. That doesn't make me weak, though. No, instead it makes me stronger. I have to remember that. If you're just steel through and through, you'll sink. “He gets final say in the price. You didn't want Aaron to have me if you couldn't, is that it?”
“Bernadette,” Aaron repeats, reaching out to take my arm. His fingers burn where he touches me, but I don't pull away. Instead, I turn to look at him, wondering how many more secrets I can take before I start to lose it. “Let me get my shoes on and we'll walk and talk, okay?”
I tear my arm away from him and turn toward the quiet street instead, moving through