Broken Trust: A Dark High School Romance(33)

“You’ve forgiven him then?” Evan asked gently, and I didn’t play dumb pretending I didn’t know what he was talking about.

Shaking my head, I looked to my hands and my ratty, chewed nails. “No. Not even close.”

“Good,” he replied, surprising me into looking up at him. “We all betrayed your trust, Spare. We all pretended you were one of us, when all along we knew Delta would pull something like what they did. But Beck…” he broke off with a grimace, running a hand through his hair. “He went too far. He shouldn’t have gotten in so deep with you, not when there were so many secrets between you both.”

I gave a sarcastic sort of laugh. “Never thought I’d see the day one of you disagreed with his actions. You all seem to worship the ground he walks on.”

He shook his head and flicked the TV off. “We’re loyal to the death, but it doesn’t mean we’re sheep. He fucked up, and he knows it, but if it makes any difference I’ve never seen him like this before.”

The whole subject was making me uncomfortable. No, I hadn’t forgiven Beck. It was sort of his fault I’d become a killer, for fuck’s sake. But in the same vein, he’d saved me this morning and possibly killed at least one of my attackers. Now he was facing Delta’s wrath over it so … yeah. Uncomfortable.

Complicated.

“I should go to bed,” I muttered, pushing up from the couch and tossing my empty pizza box on the table. “Do you mind staying?”

Evan gave me a quick smile and grabbed a throw blanket from the back of the couch. “Totally fine. I’ll stay until the boys get back, but I’m sure it won’t be long.”

“Cool.” I rubbed at my arms as I made my way toward my bedroom, but paused when he called out my name.

“He probably doesn’t deserve you, Riley,” Evan said quietly. “But you’re exactly what he needs.”

If that wasn’t the kick in the gut I didn’t need right before I tried to get some sleep.

I just shook my head without answering, because what could I say. Beck and I were two disasters constantly drawn together through some fucked up attraction. But it wasn’t like the disaster in us canceled each other out when we got close. Instead it intensified and created a fucking hell of a storm. We knew it. But we still couldn’t walk away.

After peeing and then brushing my teeth, I crawled into bed and pulled the covers tightly around me. Today had been up there with one of the worst of my life, although it hadn’t made the top two, which spoke of how fucked up the last three months had been.

Shit. It was my eighteenth birthday next week. The point where I thought I would be able to run away and forget Catherine Debitch and this shitshow she had dragged me into.

What a naive fool I’d been.

They had me. I was going nowhere.

“Go to sleep, Spare!” Evan yelled from the couch. “I can hear you thinking from over here.”

“Fuck you, Evan,” I shouted back, rolling to my side and pulling the pillow over my head.

He chuckled but was smart enough not to make the sort of remark Jasper would.

I tried my best to empty my mind. To forget everything and get the sleep my shook up body needed, but I couldn’t shut it down. Mostly I was worried about Beck.

After two hours of tossing and turning, I finally reached for my phone.

Me: Are you okay?

I desperately wanted to call him. To hear his voice and judge for myself; it was so easy to lie over text. But I also didn’t want him to think that I cared too much.

The phone was clutched in both hands as I stared down with desperation. I never even noticed Evan perched in the doorway, not until my phone buzzed and he wandered closer, leaning over to read the text.

Beck: I’m fine, baby. I’ll be back in ten minutes.

My heart squeezed in my chest. It actually hurt, and I almost coughed to try and relieve the pain. My fingers were moving before my brain caught up.

Me: Don’t call me that. Please. Just don’t. I just needed to know you were not going to get into trouble for me. Don’t come back here. Evan can stay, or I’ll be on my own.

My finger hovered over the button to send it, when Evan cleared his throat. “That won’t stop him, you know. If anything, you’re just waving a red flag at a bull by pushing him away so hard.”

I paused, my eyes lifting to meet his. “What are you saying? I should stop trying to reject him? You think Beck just likes the chase?”

Evan shook his head. “Fuck no. If you were any other chick, your attitude would have fucked him off long ago, and he would have lost your number in a split second. But like I said, I’ve never seen Beck like this. Not ever. I think you might be the first thing he’s ever wanted to fight for, Riles. He’s not scared off by challenges. Your anger does not scare him either.”

I threw my hands up and the phone went flying off the side of the bed. “What can I do then? I’m not playing around. I’m so fucking angry and broken up by what he did. What you all did, but most of the blame is with Beck. He fucked me knowing that he was going to betray me. The rest of you don’t have to wear that.”

Evan almost preened. “I knew you couldn’t stay mad at me for long. No one could hate Trunks.” His gaze turned thoughtful. “I am a little pissed that Jasper won the bet, though.”