do what we want.”
“And why does that suddenly include worrying about me?”
“Maybe because there’s a lot of bad stuff that happens here,” Noah whispered.
I shivered but kept my face straight.
“Or is it because I slept with Easton and you’re jealous?” I whispered back.
“Boom!” Easton yelled. “Told you motherfuckers she would remember it.”
“That’s not true,” Noah said. His eyes went wide. “It’s a fucking lie.”
“How would I know?” I asked. “How would you know?”
“I had her in the backseat of my car,” Easton said.
“Shut up,” Xavier said.
“I sat on the middle seat and she rode me…,” Easton said, making motions with his hands, lifting and lowering the air.
It was all a lie and I felt like I was going to blush.
He really had this fantasy of me and him all worked out in his mind.
Noah’s lip started to curl.
“Screaming my name as she came,” Easton said.
Noah let out a growl.
Then he turned and jumped at Easton.
Noah hit Easton, and Easton went down to the ground.
“Fuck,” Xavier yelled.
“You piece of shit,” Easton growled.
There was a look in Easton’s eyes that made me feel icy cold.
He kicked his feet to get away from Noah and then got to his feet.
He put up his fists and Noah rolled up the sleeves of his shirt.
“This isn’t happening,” Xavier said.
“He’s a liar,” Noah said. He pointed at Easton. “You never fucked her. You never touched her. You’re trying to fuck with her head.”
“Really?” Xavier asked. “You want to go there?”
I gasped.
My face turned red.
“Stay out of it, Xavier,” Noah said.
Noah was cracking.
Talon was right about this…
I slowly covered my mouth.
“You want to let this happen?” Easton asked.
“Just tell her the truth,” Noah said.
“She doesn’t remember anything,” Easton yelled.
“You didn’t fuck her that night,” Noah said. “You never got your hands on her.”
“Why does it matter?” I called out.
Noah looked back at me. He was enraged. He looked scary, off balance.
“Because it does,” Noah said.
“You’re just jealous,” Easton said to Noah.
Xavier got between them again and he looked at me.
“You really don’t remember?” Xavier asked.
“What?” I asked.
Noah turned his head. “You and I were the ones hanging out, Winter.”
My heart leapt up into my throat.
What?
Easton made his move and grabbed Noah by the shirt. Now it was the three of them getting tangled up. Pushing and shoving and yelling like idiots at each other.
There was no way in hell Noah and I were anything.
I would have remembered it.
That was the whole point of this thing I was doing.
I remembered.
They thought I didn’t remember.
I stood there and their voices became echoes as I stared at the ground and tried to think really hard.
I could see myself spying on them at Xavier’s shop. Hearing their conversation about wanting something to happen to me. They wanted me to be silenced. I must have pissed them off about something. Probably Evie and Darcy too.
We all hated each other here.
Everyone wanted to hurt everyone.
It shouldn’t have been a shock that Noah, Easton, and Xavier did what they did.
That was who they were.
Who they would always be.
Unless…
I took a deep breath and lifted my gaze.
Noah and Easton were finally separated.
Easton walked away, running a hand through his hair. Then he lit up another cigarette.
Xavier stood in place, keeping his eyes on both Noah and Easton.
Noah moved away a few steps but refused to look at me.
I grabbed for the door and went back into the building.
There were a few seconds when I felt like the walls were collapsing in on me.
I started to walk. Then I picked up speed.
I needed another exit.
I needed to get into Tank Two.
I needed to distance myself from Noah, Easton, and Xavier.
And BFH.
I could remember everything…
But what if I actually couldn’t?
Chapter 19
break, bitch
I went home and sat alone on the deck.
I stared out to the ocean and took deep breaths.
My body was as relaxed as it could have possibly been.
Slowly, I shut my eyes and went back to the night of the accident.
The memories were so clear in my head.
I could feel everything I felt that night.
I was angry.
And a little bit scared.
I was driving really fast, trying to get home.
The castle was going to protect me.
Except when I tried to turn the wheel on Tank, it wouldn’t move.
I knew I was in big trouble and tried to save myself.
Which mostly worked.
I took another breath and went back even more.
My memory started to dance around.
I saw myself at my tenth birthday party.
The biggest party of my life.
The smile on Dad’s face when he showed me the backyard after