Devil Incarnate (Boys of Preston Prep #4) - Angel Lawson Page 0,125

“Let’s go.”

I fumble with my bag and follow him out of the dealership and into the parking lot. I can’t decide what I’d regret more; the offer I’m about to make, or seeing that look on his face and not making any effort to wipe it away.

In the end, it’s an easy choice to dig into my purse. “Listen, I have a credit card for emergencies. It has ten grand on there. I’m sure my parents won’t notice right away if I use it. Let’s go back in, okay? We can pay for a month of the car. I’m sure by then something will give—you and your dad, the club, whatever.” I reach for him, but he shrugs me off.

“Forget it,” he says when he reaches my car. “Just drop me off at the club.”

I eye him suspiciously. In the past, Heston has done one thing in particular to raise money. Gamble. I can only assume that would violate his probation. “Heston…”

His eyes snap up to mine, glossy and lost. A piece of glitter flashes in this eyebrow. “Can you just take a break from looking down on me and not argue? For once?”

“I didn’t mean—!”

“What did I say before? I take care of my own shit.”

At his dark-eyed glower, I deflate, unlocking the car. This isn’t something I can smooth over in the parking lot of a car dealership. “Fine. I’ll drop you at the club.”

The ride is silent. I feel bad, even though I know I shouldn’t. None of this is my fault. All of this is the consequences of his own behavior, and yet…

Seeing him like this doesn’t give me any satisfaction. It makes my skin feel like it’s not right. If Heston is one thing, it’s consistent. I don’t like this rash, diminished side of him. Everything feels wrong and just a little tilted. It’s giving me vertigo.

“Do you want me to come in with you?” I ask when I reach Underworld’s parking lot.

“No.” He gets out but then leans back down, not meeting my eyes as he taps the hood of my car. “Thanks for trying.”

He slams the door and walks away. I wait for a moment, wondering if I should follow him anyway, but ultimately let him go. Heston is not my problem. He’s a fuck-buddy. My nemesis. He doesn’t need me to save him any more than I need him to save me.

The first thing I do the next morning is find Micha and drag him away from his sister. “The pranks are done,” I tell him, brooking no argument.

Micha brooks one anyway. “So what if he found out? Like I said, he can’t touch me. Plus, I’m just getting started.” There’s a glint of excitement in his eyes when he adds, “Your glitter bomb was amazing. Public humiliation? It’s the perfect revenge, isn’t it? So now I’m really liking the food dye in his swim cap idea, but I was thinking maybe something more permanent. Hot pink?”

“Micha,” I snap, willing him to understand. “It’s over. Let it go.”

He looks me up and down. “What’s your problem?”

“All this stuff you’re doing—that we’re doing—it’s gone too far.” Shaking my head, I voice a more rational worry than me not liking the sight of Heston so beaten down. “You’re pushing him, and I don’t like how close to the edge he is. He’s going to do something stupid.”

Micha argues, “Heston always does something stupid.”

“Not like this.” Heston is normally a very calculated sort of asshole, but right now, he’s frayed and unpredictable. “Just cool it, okay? He gets the point. You wanted to make him miserable, and you did. Job done. Mission accomplished. Take a bow, you beautiful jerk.”

Micha groans, crossing his arms in so sulky a gesture that, for a moment, lends me this flash of clarity that he and Heston are probably more alike than he’d admit. “It was getting so good!” He gives me a hopeful look. “You really think I made him miserable?”

“Oh, definitely. You had him on the ropes.” I pat his arm. “And look, I know Heston is…well, Heston. But weren’t you sort of getting along with him? Didn’t he stand up for you to Jase and Gus? Maybe it’s time to just…” I flap my hand in an anxious gesture. “Let him be the change we all want to see in the world. Give him a chance.”

Micha looks offended at the implication. “Get along? We watched two episodes of Lakevale together, and that thing with Gus and Jase