Page 6 of Wicked Minds
I tell her about my mom marrying Bertram. About going to live with Grayson. I tell her about the crush I had on him as a teenager. Those early happy days in that house. Then I confide in her how it all changed. The days that grew steadily darker until they ended in a positive pregnancy test.
I show her pictures of Aurora and explain why I’m at Halston.
And then, I explain to her what happened after I left Lux that first night of winter break. Of the past eleven days spent inside their house.
I pour out all my fury, my heartache, my confusion, and because she’s an amazing friend, she listens to it all. We coo over baby photos, and she holds me while I cry. Then, before sheheads home, she leaves me with words that remain in my head for the rest of the night…
If those boys want your forgiveness, Riley, then they better get on their knees and grovel.
2
GRAYSON
“We fucked up. You. Me… Logan. Wereallyfucked up.”
I stare at my best friend, slumped in the living room armchair and looking as defeated as he did the day he was cut from the football team. Shit has been falling apart for days between the three of us.
All because ofher.
Intuitively, I know this is her doing, too, and it takes me a moment of staring at Royce to put the pieces together.
Royce is a brick fucking wall. Nothing gets to him because he doesn’t allow himself to give enough of a crap about anything toletit get to him.
Except, somehow, Riley has wriggled her way in.
Shehas gotten to him.
Practically vibrating with anger, my voice is threaded with steel as I step into the room. “What did you do?”
He doesn’t respond, and my ears strain to listen for any sounds elsewhere in the house. Nothing. Only silence greets me. Logan is likely still at his parents’, but any time I’m not around, Riley has made herself at home. If Royce was here, she wouldn’t be holed up in her room—like she’ssupposedto be.
“What did you do, Royce?” I bark louder.
The asshole doesn’t even twitch.
“Where is Riley?”
I’m already turning to storm down the hall in search of her when he states in a deadened tone, “She’s gone. I took her home.” Slowly, my head swivels to face him, teeth grinding. His eyes lift to mine. Glacial. Deadly. “She should never have been here.”
“You took herhome?” Where his anger is ice cold, mine is boiling hot, coursing through my veins like lava and leaving a scorched path in its wake. My hands shake as I fist them at my sides. My restraint a twig on the verge of snapping. “You had no fucking right!” I yell, pointing a reproachful finger at him.
He jumps out of the chair, feet planted wide and muscles straining as he stares me down. “No, Grayson.Youhad no right.Wehad no right.” He shakes his head, his face set into a hard mask. “I was so wrapped up in my shit and wanting vengeance for what was done tomethat I took it out on the wrong girl.” Eyes piercing mine, “Wetook it out on the wrong person.”
I scoff, unable to believe what I’m hearing from Royce, of all people. “She manipulated you. I don’t know how, but she’s filled your head with nonsense. That bitch is nothing but a conniving liar. A master manipulator. A narcissist?—”
“Stop.” His deep bellow slices through the air, drawing battle lines between us.
The urge to track Riley down and strangle her is overwhelming, but I have to know, “What the hell did she do to bring you to her side?” It’s the one thing I can’t work out. Logan, I can understand. He’s led by his heart and readily handed it over to her, willing to be yanked along on that leash, but Royce… “You’re not Logan. You’re too cynical to believe the best in people, so what the hell did she do?”
I’d almost wonder if she blackmailed him into it, or something nefarious like that. But, no, Royce wouldn’t allow another person—especially a woman, to put him in a compromising position again. Not to mention, he wouldn’t be sitting here looking so torn up over everything we’d done during the break if she’d coerced him into letting her go.
Somehow the she-devil has managed to get the man usually incapable of giving a damn to honestly give a shit about her. It’s the only thing that makes sense, buthow?
Lips pursed, Royce stares at me. I can see the wheels turning behind his eyes, and for a brief moment, I think he’s going to clue me in. Explain it to me.
However, in the next second, his features shudder and he cuts his gaze away. I know whatever he was contemplating saying, he’s decided to keep to himself. Fine. Whatever. Not like I actually care how she achieved it.
“This is fucking bullshit!” I yell at him, flipping the coffee table in my anger.That goddamn fucking bitch!Royce doesn’t so much as blink at my outrage. He simply stands and watches as I heave in burning breaths and glare at him like I’ve never seen him before. “You’remyfriend!”
