Page 120 of Liars

These were my parents. They deserved better. They deserved justice, and I had my first lead. I couldn’t go about my day and pretend life was fine. I was sick of being afraid—of being watched—of being alone.

The police were definitely more equipped to uncover the truth, but it was taking way longer than I had the patience for.

Not that I thought it would be easy. Between Raine, Kreed, Maddox, Mason, and Evan, I didn’t have a minute alone. It was like I had my own personal entourage.

ButI had an idea. A loose plan.

The big championship game was happening Friday night. The perfect chance to escape and see Rusty, my father’s business partner. This might be my only opportunity to talk with him and get answers to some of my questions. I still had Evan to contend with, but one guard was better than four Corvos…I thought.

I found Poppy between classes. She was on board without knowing all the details. All she cared about was I needed help and, in doing so, it would piss off Kreed. Her friendship meant a lot to me, and I didn’t know what I would have done if we hadn’t met that first day.

The week dragged on. After our last kiss in the car, it seemed as if Kreed avoided me more than usual, but I didn’t have the time to dwell on it, my head so full of detailing Friday night. Kreed’s avoidance worked in my favor, giving me time to plan and look for plot holes. Until I caught a glimpse of him, I couldn’t deny my attraction. Whether I liked it or not, I found him impossible to resist.

Maddox would barely look at me since he found Kreed and me kissing in the school parking lot. It might have been in my head, but I swore Raine kept trying to find ways for Kreed and me to be in the same room, which neither of us wanted. And Mason constantly looked as if he was carrying a secret, one he was desperate to share.

But keeping my distance was my best strategy. It gave the four of them less opportunity to notice something was up. As much as I would like to say I honed my skills to lie flawlessly, it just wasn’t true.

By some grace of God, I made it to Friday without creating a lick of suspicion. As grateful as I was, there was also this kernel of disappointment in Kreed. He’d been eerily good at reading me. Either the Raven Crew’s devious ways were rubbing off on me, or Kreed just wasn’t paying close attention to me.

I didn’t have time to analyze why that hurt.

The house buzzed with an electric energy I’d never felt before. I’d never been a big football watcher, but it was difficult not to get swept up in the excitement when every single person in the house was feeling it except maybe Kreed.

Maddox and Mason were bouncing off the walls, hyped up on adrenaline and anticipation. They cracked jokes at the dinner table, playfully shoving each other while scarfing down protein-packed meals, their excitement practically vibrating off them.

Raine smirked, encouraging the twins’ mischievous behavior.

Kreed, on the other hand, was stone. Or smoke. Or something equally unreachable. He sipped his drink like nothing in the world could touch him, that veil of cold composure drawn tight across his face. While his brothers fed off the game-day hype, he just absorbed it in silence, like he was already locked in, already playing the game in his head.

I did my best to act like everything was normal. As if I planned to sit in the stands with Poppy tonight, cheering them on like everyone else. But in reality, I had a completely different plan.

I refused to let myself dwell on how pissed Kreed would be when I wasn’t in the stands. I had bigger ghosts to chase—answers buried in the wreckage of my parents’ past. This was bigger than football, bigger than Kreed’s anger, bigger than whatever tangled mess of emotions was between us.

Maddox shoved his chair back with a loud scrape, flashing a cocky grin at Kreed. “Hope you’re ready, big bro. You choke under the pressure, and I’m taking over your spot as QB.”

Kreed didn’t even glance up from his coffee. “You’d have to make a pass first.”

Mason snorted as Maddox flipped Kreed off.

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my bag, feeling the weight of the night ahead pressing down on me. By the time they realized I was gone, it would be too late. The Crew would be too busy on the field to think about me for once.

Thank God.

I touched the scar on my shoulder. It still ached once in a while, and that pang traveled directly to my heart. As afraid as I was to find the answers I sought, I had to do this for my parents…and for me. I would never be able to move on with my future if I couldn’t complete the final chapter in my parents’ book of life.

Glancing at my reflection in the mirror one last time, I checked my appearance, making sure I nailed my part.

Dressed in Public school colors with black jeans and a maroon hoodie I borrowed from Mason, my long platinum hair was half up in a pair of space buns, messy waves flowing over my shoulders. I’d added heavier makeup to my eyes, lining them thickly with black liner, making the icy blue of my eyes pop.Taking that same pencil, I detailed the corner of my cheeks with the white lines of a football. It was the most school spirit Public would get from me.

It was hard not to think about my old school. For the first time in years, Public wasn’t going against the academy in the championship game. During his time at the academy, my cousin had taken the trophy all four years.

The selfish part of me was disappointed Public wasn’t playing the academy. That would have been a game I considered staying to watch. It was probably better that they weren’t competing against each other, but it would have been an easy excuse to see Carson and Kenny.

Satisfied, I stood and grabbed my phone, shoving it into my back pocket. I headed toward the door, swinging it open as three quick honks beeped outside.

That would be Poppy.

I rushed down the stairs, Evan waiting for me at the bottom. My silent shadow said nothing but stood stick straight, waiting to follow me out of the house. Kreed, Mason, and Maddox had left a few hours ago to warm up or whatever jocks did before a game. I honestly didn’t want to know. What happened in the locker room should stay in the locker room.

---