Fallen Stars and Broken Dreams - C.C. Masters Page 0,95

from me?”

Maverik hesitated and really looked at me. I had a sense that this was the real Maverik that he kept hidden behind his cool façade, but that just made me angrier. I was so tired of him playing hot and cold with me.

“I’m done with the games, Maverik,” I warned him. “Either start being real with me or get out of my life.”

“We all have choices to make,” he said quietly.

His eyes searched mine, but I wasn’t willing to back off. He stepped over a line when he messed with Ryan.

“And I’m telling you to make one right now,” I retorted. “I’ve had enough of your shit.”

“If you want to me on my team, you need to play by my rules,” Maverik told me with a tilt to his strong jaw.

“If I want to be on your team?” I asked incredulously. “You’re the one who just admitted to bribing my best friend with a duffel bag of money!”

Maverik’s brow furrowed. “Best friend? When did you break up?”

“We were never together!” I exploded. “Ryan is gay and in love with a guy at our school.”

Maverik’s face relaxed, and I saw a hint of a smile.

“Really?” I asked. “You’re smiling right now?”

Maverik sighed. “Not for the reason you think.”

“I think you’re an asshole who has a serious god complex,” I said angrily. “And I changed my mind. You don’t get a choice. I want you out.”

“You’re alone right now,” Maverik said softly. “Everyone you trust will eventually betray you. You won’t have any choice but to come to me.”

“Fuck you,” I spat out.

I expected to see him mocking me, but instead, he just looked sad. As messed up as it was, I think Maverik was telling me the truth as he saw it. Maybe everyone had betrayed him in his life, and maybe that’s why he was so cold and cruel all the time, but that wasn’t me. Yes, I lost my grandmother, the only family that mattered. Then, I was ripped away from my best friend, who Maverik claimed sold me out for a duffel of money. However, I wasn’t going to crawl to Maverik if he was the last person on earth. I’d rather be completely alone.

I didn’t even care when Maverik left the room. I just stared at the wall.

My babushka raised me harshly because she didn’t want me to turn out like Nina. It worked, because Nina and I were complete opposites, but I wasn’t blind to my own faults. I strived for perfection because I associated it with affection. I had a fucked up view of what love looked like, and I ignored a lot of the bad in people that I cared about. Was it because I was so desperate to be loved? Or was it because my babushka’s love had always come wrapped in critiques and criticism?

Maybe it was naïve, but I didn’t believe Ryan would betray me. I knew Maverik was a manipulative asshole, and I knew Ryan had supported me through everything in the last ten years. A twinge of doubt shot through me when I realized that if Maverik wanted me out of here, then he should be pushing me towards Ryan instead of driving a wedge between us. What did Maverik have to gain from destroying my trust in the only person who I would move back to NY for?

I picked up my phone and stared at the screen for a moment before texting Ryan.

Me: Call me. ASAP.

I got back up to my feet and brushed myself off. Ryan would call me and explain everything. I’m sure that Maverik had either tricked or threatened him into talking, because Ryan would never betray my trust. But why didn’t Ryan call me the moment after Maverik left him alone? Why didn’t he warn me?

I froze when I realized that Maverik had never explained why he asked about the guy outside the office. Did Maverik just suspect he had mafia ties? Or did he have tangible evidence? If he questioned Ryan so long ago, why wait until now to bring it up? Just what had Ryan told him?

I picked up my things slowly and decided to head back to the safety that my room offered. My phone vibrated with an incoming text, but it was Abby sending me pics of cute shoes. It looked like Ryan was going to keep avoiding me. I dialed his number, but it just went straight to voicemail as if he had his phone off. I gritted my