Violence (Antihero Inferno #3) - Lily White Page 0,145
about with him. Something nobody has told Ezra. Not the full story, at least.
“Is your dad still calling you?”
“Yeah,” he answers, rubbing at the back of his neck. “Shane told Ezra about that, but not all of the other stuff.”
“He saw me at William’s house.”
His eyes snap to mine. “Ezra?”
I nod. “It’s why he was so mad at the cabin. Why he did what he did. I haven’t had a chance to tell you.”
“Fuck, Red. That would have explained a lot. I thought he pulled that stunt just to hurt you.”
A thread of anger snaps through me, and I realize I still haven’t fully forgiven Ezra for what he did.
It’ll take months of groveling for him to escape that.
Actions always speak louder than words with me, and starting a fistfight with Damon is not a good start.
“So what did you tell him about why you were over there?”
“I lied and said I was trying to find out what happened with you two on the weekends you were gone. I don’t think he believed me, but he’s dropped it for now.”
Damon knows his twin better than anybody, and what he says next is absolutely true.
“He’ll bring it up again. Will you keep lying?”
My stomach clenches, a sinking feeling taking over.
“What choice do I have?”
“Damn it.” He shifts his position to lay flat on his back.
With his eyes staring up at the ceiling, Damon exhales loudly, his chest rising and falling with breath.
“It doesn’t matter. You don’t have to go over there again, and maybe Ezra will be too focused on finally being with you to worry about it.”
I grow quiet, my thoughts racing through everything that’s been done.
“Do you think it will work?”
“It has to.”
He rolls his head over the mattress to look at me, and I wonder when the day will come that pain doesn’t flicker behind his eyes when they meet mine.
It’s probably best I don’t touch him, but I can’t help reaching over to cup my palm against his cheek.
Like Ezra, he leans into the touch, a silent communication between all of us that I’m standing with them.
I’m here, that touch says. No matter what.
“What about Tanner and Gabe?” I ask, knowing that if they suspect something is going on, they’ll blow up.
I’m still not entirely sure what they’re after, but I know it has a lot to do with Luca and Ivy’s dads. I’ve just been too tied up with Ezra and Damon to pay attention.
“As long as they don’t find out, they won’t tear us a new asshole for what we’ve done. We all have our battles to fight. And what we’re doing won’t get in the way of what they’re after.”
We both grow quiet, our eyes dancing together for several minutes.
“I love you,” I say without thinking that maybe I should keep it to myself.
More pain flashes in his expression.
“Just not like you love Ezra.”
Until now, I never knew how to accurately describe the difference in how I felt. Love versus being in love is one thing, but when it comes to Ezra, what I feel is so much more than that.
“I belong to him,” I say, hoping Damon will understand what that means.
He chuckles.
“He belongs to you. Always has. He told me you know about the bet.”
Another thread of anger stabs through me. “Yes. And I’m not happy about it.”
Silence and then, “Would it make you feel better to know that he wanted to talk to you long before Mason gave him that opening? The only reason Ezra jumped at the chance was because it gave him an excuse to chase you.” He shrugs and grins. “I mean, you were the virgin princess after all. Who wouldn’t want to tap that?”
My jaw drops and I smack his shoulder. “That’s fucked up.”
“I’m only joking.” His playfulness is shining through, and it calms my aching heart. “Kind of,” he adds with a wink.
I hear the door creak open a few seconds before a deep voice filters through the room.
“There better be a damn good reason you both are on the bed. And it better not be for the usual reason.”
Turning, I lock eyes with Ezra. Damon folds his arms beneath his head and answers, “We were just about to have our last goodbye fuck. Did you want to join us?”
Ezra’s eyes narrow on his brother, but I can’t seem to care. I’m too busy being thoroughly pissed off to see that Ezra’s face is worse than Damon’s.