Reign of Brayshaw (Brayshaw High) - Meagan Brandy Page 0,79
to watch everything that follows?”
She’s quiet a minute before she slowly shifts on the seat, twisting her body to face me. “What do you mean, everything that follows?”
My brows pull in and I look to her.
“Raven...” She shakes her head. “You just burned the Graven Estate to the ground. You took control. You found out things you never knew, things that could change—”
“Change what, Victoria?” I glare at her. “And what things did I find out, huh? Because I haven’t shared a fucking word yet, have I?”
Victoria’s jaw ticks.
“What is it you know that you aren’t sharing?”
“I told you,” she forces past clenched teeth. “I existed to uncover the secrets of a man.”
“Yeah, and what did you find out?” I push. “Because as far as I can tell, you’re useless on the info front,” I goad her.
She jumps from the couch. “That’s not fair.”
Bass pushes off the wall, moving closer.
“Isn’t it?” I eye her. “What happened to the loose-lipped girl I sucker-punched at the Bray house?”
“Stop it,” she snaps.
“You’ve been here the longest.” I push to my feet. “You don’t like to ask, don’t wanna seem too interested because then people might have a reason to question you, and you don’t want that.”
“Shut up, Raven.”
“So, like Cap, you use your eyes and your ears. When I first met you, you tried to act like you were different. You wanted me to think you were just another gossip girl when I know now that’s the farthest damn thing from who you are.”
“That means nothing.”
“It means everything. You had a purpose.”
She shakes her head, her blonde hair falling from her messy ponytail.
“You led me to that binder. You told me about the boys’ backstory on purpose because you wanted me to take it.”
“It didn’t belong in that house where anyone could find it and—” She cuts herself off.
“And... what? Use it against them?” I nod. “’Cause I agree. You wanted it to be safe, where it belonged, and you trusted me to make it happen.”
“I didn’t trust you,” she spits, but looks away. “But I wasn’t blind either.”
“You knew I’d give it to them.”
She rubs her lips together, giving an almost unnoticeable nod. She sighs. “Everyone has said it, Raven. You’re not like the others here.” She glares, taking a second before deciding to share more. Her guilty swallow has me confused. “I knew immediately they’d want you. You got on their radar on your own, but I still nudged a little to be sure.”
“The Graven party you insisted I come to, all part of the plan, right?”
She frowns. “I didn’t do this for them. None of it was for their benefit, I was just helping push things along faster.”
“I know. You being loyal to Graven wasn’t even a question in my mind. At all.”
“I would never,” she rushes out. “Ever.”
I nod. “I know, but I was there on purpose, right?”
“Yes.” She eyes me a moment before continuing. “I got you to the party knowing Collins would spot you. I knew he needed to see you, speak to you for his obsession to fully take over.”
“The boys showing up?”
“I tipped them off, made it known a Graven was snooping that night.”
“How’d you get the Graven girl to their party?”
“The guy I was ‘dating?’ He worked for them. He was only a mouse in a lion’s den compared, but still. I casually let it slip that the Brays had a new girl they were locked on and how they were showing her off at their party. I knew they’d send someone. The last thing Collins expected was for you to walk in his house that night. He was sidetracked, pretending not to watch you when his eyes never left you, and forgot to call the girl off. Then the boys showed up.”
“And I made a scene.”
“No.” She shakes her head with a frown. “You paved your way. You showed loyalty to them without hesitation, without knowing they were yours.” She sits again, shifting forward, eyes strong. “You stood for who you saw as the weaker in that moment because you felt it was right. You showed everyone before anyone even knew who you were that you’d stand for people who couldn’t stand for themselves. I hated you before that night, but I hated you even more after it.”
My brows lower. “Why?”
“Because it finally all made sense. Why you were worth more, why your life was different than mine. I knew then I could never be more than you are, and that night you