Never His Girl (Kings of Cypress Prep #2) - Rachel Jonas Page 0,60
dad,” she clarifies, wiping more tears half a second before she reaches for her own phone, putting it on speaker while it rings.
Late as it is, whoever she’s called picks up on the second ring.
“What’s wrong? You good?” someone answers in a mild panic. Someone I’m ninety-nine percent sure is fucking Ricky Ruiz.
Breathing deep, I beat a spike of rage into submission, convincing myself that’s all I feel when it comes to him and Southside.
But that’s a lie. Anything involving the two of them interacting makes me want to level this entire city, and jealousy is one of the few emotions that packs that kind of power. I feel it bone-deep, and I fucking hate it.
“Everything’s fine,” Southside says back, sniffling a little. “Sorry to call so late. Were you busy?”
“Always, but it can wait if you need something.”
I take another deep breath. Fucking eager asshole…
“You crying?”
When he asks, Southside’s posture straightens as if he can see her and she doesn’t want him to know she’s upset.
“No, I um… I just need a small favor,” she says. “I know we were in kind of a weird, limbo period this past spring, but do you remember what your birthday present was this year?”
Ruiz laughs into the phone. “It’d be kinda hard to forget. Yeah, I remember.”
“Good,” Southside replies. “This is gonna sound really strange, but would you mind telling me what it was? Out loud, please.”
He laughs again. “Damn, you’re putting me on the spot. One sec. I’m around people.” There’s a short pause and then less background noise. “You gonna tell me what this is about?”
“I will,” she promises. “But I just really need you to tell me.”
My brow tenses because I think I’m starting to understand where this conversation is headed. And if I’m honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to hear it.
Ruiz sighs and then gives Southside what she asked for. “All right. Well, it started with that pic you sent, but turned into a hell of a lot more by the end of the night.”
“Okay, that’s all I needed,” she quickly cuts in, letting her eyes slam shut.
It hits me hard and fast that, when she said he’d been the last, I stupidly assumed the sex stopped a while ago. Now, I know they fucked at least as recently as this dickhead’s birthday.
In spring.
Nice.
Add this to the list of reasons I want to kill his ass.
“Now, you gonna tell me why you called at almost one in the morning to ask a question you already knew the answer to?”
Southside takes a breath, then stares at the ceiling. “It’s hard to explain and I almost feel stupid even asking you this, but… you didn’t share that pic with anyone, did you? I mean, bearing in mind that I would hunt you down and kill you if you did.”
Another laugh on the other end. “You honestly think I’d show my boys something like that?”
“Just answer the question, please,” she replies.
Ruiz sighs. “I’m not fond of sharing you, period. So, no, I didn’t share that shit,” he answers, making my teeth grit together. “Someone say otherwise?”
“Not exactly, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”
“I’ll be out for a while if you need me to stop over,” he offers.
“Okay, call you tomorrow.”
She hangs up then and I hate how crazy it drives me that they’re still so close. Hate that I can hear how devoted he still is to her, even over the phone. Fucking dick thinks he’s marked his territory for life.
“This doesn’t make sense,” Southside says, breaking into my thoughts.
“Isn’t there a chance he could be lying?”
She peers over at me then, anger still brimming over in her stare, shaking her head. “No. Not Ricky.”
This guy some kind of saint or something? She said that as if it’s not even a possibility that he’d lie to her.
“I’ve known him since we were kids, and he doesn’t lie. Not to me,” she goes on, singing this guy’s fucking praises. “If he says he didn’t share it, he didn’t share it. Bottom line.”
“Okay, I get it.”
I fight what I feel next—inadequate, knowing I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to having Southside’s trust. That’s on me, but it doesn’t mean I have to fucking like it.
“Haven’t you at least asked your dad about it?” she asks next, whipping her head toward me.
“That’s… complicated.”
“Well, uncomplicate it,” she says sternly. “This fucker has a nude pic of me, and I need to know why.”