Tell Me Pretty Lies(70)

“Just you guys,” I quip, but my joke falls flat.

“This isn’t fucking funny, Shayne,” Holden snaps.

I draw back, surprised by how upset he seems to be.

“You’re staying here until your mom gets back,” Thayer says.

“What?” I stand, the blanket falling from my lap onto the floor. “No. If you didn’t notice, there’s a giant hole in my living room. I can’t leave it like that. And I need to call my mom.” Something I’m dreading.

“We’ll have your window fixed, but you’re not staying there alone. In fact, you’re not even going to take a piss alone until we figure out who’s behind this.”

“Thayer.” That’s ridiculous.

“This isn’t some prank, Shayne. Someone tried to hurt you. Do you get that? Do you realize what could’ve happened? A couple more seconds and the flames would’ve hit those curtains and your whole house would’ve gone up in flames. With you inside.”

“He’s right,” Holden says, arms folded over his chest. “We already buried one sibling.”

Okay, just punch me in the gut, why don’t you.

“What about your dad?”

“He stays at his apartment in the city. Now that the memorial has passed, he has no reason to come around. And if he does, then fuck him. What’s he going to do?”

“Tell my mom,” I state the obvious.

“Fuck her, too,” Thayer spits. “Let’s not act like either one of them has ever bothered to be around for their kids.”

I want to argue that my mom is there for me in the only way that she can be, that everything she does is to give Grey and me a good life. But it’s not the time. And he does have a point. Regardless of reasoning, they’re largely absent from our lives. We’ve always taken care of ourselves. It’s what we do.

“Fine.” I fall back onto the couch, pulling the blanket over me.

“We’ll take you to grab some shit after school tomorrow,” Thayer says, and then he’s walking toward his room without so much as a goodbye.

“I’ll grab you a pillow,” Holden offers, scratching the back of his neck.

“Thanks.”

He’s only gone for a minute, and I’m already starting to doze off, my head resting against the arm of the couch. It’s as if all the adrenaline wore off, leaving me completely drained. My mind goes crazy trying to process tonight’s events, but my body gives up.

Holden returns, handing me the pillow. He hesitates like he’s going to say something, but reconsiders. “Night.”

“Night,” I say, scooting down and stuffing the pillow under my head.

I don’t know how much time passes when I’m startled awake by someone lifting me off the couch. My heart hammers in my chest as my disoriented brain attempts to wake up.

“It’s me,” Thayer’s deep voice rumbles close to my ear.

I relax instantly, wrapping my arms around his neck, feeling the warmth of his bare chest as he carries me up the stairs and into his bedroom. He sits on the bed before he lies back, bringing me with him. His arm is underneath me, holding me close, my head on his chest, my thigh hitched up over his legs, and I slip back into sleep, feeling far too safe for a girl whose heart is in danger of being broken again.





Shayne



“Shayne.”

Thayer’s voice breaks through my consciousness. My mind slowly comes out of my sleep-induced haze, and I blink up at a ceiling that isn’t mine, feeling warmth next to me. Then it all rushes back to me. The window. The fire. Thayer bringing me up to his room sometime in the middle of the night. “I was hoping it was a dream,” I grumble, rolling over and burying my face into Thayer’s pillow.

He’s still shirtless, lying on his back next to me. “Nope. And you’re going to be late for school. Holden’s in the shower, so unless you want him to find you in my bed…” he trails off, waiting for my response.

I sit up quickly, running my hand through my hair. “I’m up.”

Thayer reaches over to hook his hand behind my knee, pulling me over to straddle his stomach. I brace my hands on his chest as his palms flatten on top of my thighs, his fingers slipping under the hem of my shorts, but they don’t go farther than that. “You good?”

I nod, tucking my hair behind my ear.

“We’re going to find out who did it.”

“I know.”

The sound of footsteps in the hall has me rolling off him. I stand, moving away from the bed just as Holden throws the door open, looking between us with suspicious eyes. His hair is wet and he’s wearing a plain white t-shirt and black sweats that read Stop Looking at My Dick across the crotch.

“You are not wearing those to school.” I laugh.

“Watch me.” He bounces his eyebrows. “Ready to go?”

I look down at my sleep shorts and spaghetti strap crop top. “Do I look like I’m ready?”

Holden claps his hands together. “Well chop-chop, baby sister.”

I move past him, heading downstairs to grab my backpack. I hastily shoved some clothes inside, grabbing the first things I saw before Thayer and Holden dragged me out of my house last night, which happened to be a pair of boyfriend jeans with holes in the knees, and a tight, plain black t-shirt. I top it off with Thayer’s hoodie, spend two minutes in the downstairs bathroom to brush my teeth, and throw my hair into a ponytail. I pause, looking at my tired reflection. My eyes are puffy, and my cheeks are red, but I didn’t bring any makeup, and truthfully, I don’t care enough to try this morning.