Rage and Ruin by Jennifer L. Armentrout Page 0,121

over as soon as he’d died. His soul would’ve been stripped and he would’ve been...

Oh God.

“I didn’t know,” I whispered. “I don’t know anything about these people—”

“These people are my friends,” he said, and I sucked in a sharp breath. “And why would anyone tell you? You didn’t ask who Stacey lost, even though I mentioned it.”

I jerked back. “I didn’t think you’d want me to ask.”

“Yeah, and I wonder why you thought that.”

My mouth dropped open. “That’s bullshit. I tried to ask you the night we talked on the couch, and you told me there were a lot of things I didn’t know.”

“You were asking about Stacey being at my place before. You weren’t asking about her. You were asking about us. Big difference there.”

A prickly sensation swept across my skin as his pupils shrank back to their normal size. I didn’t know how to respond to that. I felt like I’d belly flopped over a line.

“I didn’t tell you about meeting with her because I didn’t think it would be something you’d want to hear. Maybe I was wrong. No. I was wrong. I should’ve said I was meeting her among the other stuff I needed to do today. Hindsight is twenty-twenty.” He glared at me. “Stacey is my friend, and I haven’t been a very good friend to her of late. That was what today was supposed to be. That’s what the other day was about. Nothing else. Nothing more. No matter what she and I used to do or not do.”

My face started to sting. “You don’t owe me an explanation—”

“Apparently I do. So, here’s what you need to know. Stacey thought she was telling the boy she knew for years that she loved him, but she wasn’t. She never got to tell Sam,” he said, causing me to flinch. “And that boy was in Hell until Layla freed him. Stacey knew that, once we realized what we were dealing with wasn’t Sam. There wasn’t a damn thing she could do, so, yes, hearing that he was there hit her hard.

“And after what happened between us, I cannot believe you’re questioning me,” he continued. “You don’t want anything serious between us, so it shouldn’t matter what the Hell I was doing with her or with anyone. You made your choice.”

“Choice?” I barked out a harsh laugh. “You have no idea, so please, keep standing there, making me feel bad when you’re the one who chose not to tell me about Stacey. And what nerve of you?” I stepped toward him. Anger and frustration was a tumultuous storm in me and the emotions got the best of me. “I had no choice. I had to draw a line, because if whatever was going on between us became more than something physical, I have no idea what would happen to you. It’s forbidden, so I drew a line at kissing, because it does make things mean more to me. You tore me down for that, making me feel like I was using you like Layla did. You projected your baggage all over me, but you brought Stacey to that ice cream parlor. I know what that place is. It’s the one your father took you to. It’s important to you, and never once have you even considered taking me there.”

“It’s a damn ice cream shop, Trinity.”

“Oh, don’t you dare try to play it off as if that place means nothing to you. If it was anyone else? Sure. I know better. You get to think I’m terrible for excluding you from something you find important, but you can do it to me?”

A muscle ticked in his jaw as he looked away.

“I guess you’re resisting saying it’s not the same?”

“Just like you not telling me about Sam is not the same?” he shot back. “Or when you refuse to tell me the truth when I know you’re not okay? Or when I know you’re not telling me the whole story about things?”

“Oh my God.” I shook my head, and I don’t know why I admitted what I did next. It was like the situation was spiraling out of control and I followed right along with it. “You know what, I have lied. That day in the park? I wasn’t out roaming around. I’d gone to see the coven of witches with Roth.”

His gaze sharpened on me.

“He wanted me to help get Bambi back, and I thought it would be a good chance to try to get more information out