Wicked Princess - Ashley Jade Page 0,26

tray of food away. “I guess I’m just hoping you’ll give me a chance to show you the new Bianca, because I could really use a friend.”

Chapter 14

“You were quiet on the car ride home,” Jace notes as we walk through the front door. “How was class?”

“Oh, you know…fine.”

Given Jace and Cole are overprotective enough already, I’m definitely not going to tell him about Stone DaSilva.

My heart does a little flip. Despite only promising to help me for one day, he walked me to my classes and ate lunch with me again today.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t enjoy our time together.

Or that he wasn’t impossibly cute.

Angling my crutches on the staircase, I proceed the long hobble up to my room.

“Woah,” Cole calls out as he passes me on the staircase. “Where’s the fire?”

Shit. “No fire.” I fake a yawn. “I’m just tired.”

And by tired, I mean I want to go upstairs and do a little digging.

Which reminds me.

“Jace?”

“Yeah?”

“Were you able to fix my laptop?”

Evidently, it has some kind of virus. Fortunately, computers are Jace’s specialty and he’s fixing it for me.

He shakes his head. “Not yet. Still working on it.”

Damn.

“I should have it back to you by the end of the night, though.”

“Thanks.”

With that, I continue my long-winded journey up the stairs.

I breathe a sigh of relief the moment I enter my room…but the moment is short-lived because I hear a knock on my door.

I open it, intending to demand that my brothers give me some space, but to my surprise it’s Sawyer on the other side.

“Hi.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Hi.”

“Want to hang out?” Sawyer gestures to the plate of brownies she’s holding. “I come bearing gifts.”

Yeah, she did. And they smell fantastic.

“With an offer like that, how can I say no?” I gesture for her to come inside. “Come on in.”

After leaning my crutches against my nightstand, I plop down on my bed and gesture for the plate of goodies.

I know Jace and Cole said I was a health food nut before the accident, but I just don’t understand how anyone can live without chocolate.

Sawyer hands it over. “They have chocolate chips in them.”

It’s like music to my ears. “You’re a goddess.”

Laughing, Sawyer sits down on my bed. “So, make any new friends yet?”

I freeze, debating whether or not I should tell her about Stone. I know we were friends before, but this whole thing is so new to me.

Plus, there’s the fact that my family apparently ruined his brother’s life and all.

God, I’m so sick of all this drama.

“Um…kind of.”

She studies my face. “Kind of?”

Good Lord, it’s like she can see right through me.

“Okay, fine. It’s a boy,” I blurt out. “Quit drilling me, lady.”

Her lips twitch. “No pressure to spill, I promise.” Her smile is genuine. “For what it’s worth, I’m happy for you.”

“Don’t be.” I sigh heavily. “He’s amazing and awesome, and nice when he wants to be, but he has a crazy ex-girlfriend named Mercedes who wants to kick my ass every time she sees me.” I crinkle my nose. “Oh, and apparently Jace and Cole hate him, so the chances of us being anything more than frenemies is non-existent.”

I love my brothers, but sometimes they ruin everything.

Confusion spreads across her face. “Why in the world would Jace and Cole hate him?”

I pick at my brownie. “I’m not sure, but it has something to do with his brother.” I inwardly groan. “Evidently, we ruined his life which isn’t fair because Stone is—”

“Stone?” Sawyer all but squeaks out. “Stone DaSilva?”

I nearly choke on my food. “You know him?”

She gets off the bed and begins pacing. “Well, yeah, He…uh…he’s a dishwasher, busboy, and part-time hostess at Cluck You.”

Small world. “Then you know how cute and awesome he is.”

He’s also a hard worker from the sounds of it.

“Sure.”

A smile touches my lips. Given they’re co-workers, I can ask her a bunch of questions about him.

Her pacing picks up speed. “Dammit, of all the things.”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she’s privy to something I’m not.

“Sawyer?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s going on?”

She stops pacing and looks at me. “Did you say Jace and Cole ruined his brother’s life?”

“Yeah. That’s what Stone said.”

She flinches. “Yeah, that’s not…” She holds up a finger. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

I eye her warily as she heads for the door. “Okay.”

A moment later she returns with an equally confused Dylan in tow. “What’s going on?”

Placing a finger over her lips, Sawyer closes the door. “Houston, we have a problem.”

Dylan looks