Broken Beautiful Hearts(28)

The Twins head for the bonfire. I slow down and let them walk ahead of me. They provide the perfect shield from all the strangers I don’t want to meet.

Christian notices I’m lagging behind. “Come on, Peyton. We want to introduce you to everyone.”

My cousins step aside and make room for me to stand between them. The people hanging out by the bonfire turn in my direction. Their expressions range from mildly curious to way too drunk to care.

“This is our cousin, Peyton. The one who’s staying with us.” Cam sweeps his arm from one side of the group to the other. “Peyton, this is everybody—Grace, Jackson, Tyrell…” He skips April and Madison.

Directly across from me, April stares with her mouth gaping open. “You’ve got to be kidding.”

I flash her an exaggerated smile.

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Christian asks her.

April looks like she’s still processing the whole cousin thing, but she’s trying to make eye contact with Christian.

“Maybe that’s bitch code for ‘nice to meet you,’” I say loudly.

Cam bursts out laughing and April’s expression turns venomous. He ignores her and sits down next to Grace, like they’re friends.

Christian picks up a beer from the six-pack next to April, cracks it open, and takes a swig without looking in her direction. “I heard about what happened. Don’t give my cousin any more shit.”

For a split second, April’s alpha-chick facade slips. She catches herself and springs to her feet. “Is that what she told you?”

Great. Now she thinks I went crying to the Twins.

“If you want to ask me something, I’m standing right here.” I stay calm. It will drive her crazy.

April puts her hands on her hips and glares at me, but it’s Christian’s attention she wants. “Your cousin was the one who was giving me shit,” she says in an annoying high-pitched drawl.

Madison stands and positions herself next to April. The fur on the hood of her coat hits April in the face, and April swats it away.

“It’s true,” Madison says. “We were minding our own business, and she started in on us.”

“For no reason?” Cam asks. “That’s not Peyton’s style.”

The Twins have spent an hour or two with me. They have no idea what is or isn’t my style, but Cam is right.

“This is your fault, Grace.” April redirects her anger at the girl she was torturing in the bathroom.

“Mine?” Grace stares back at her, wide-eyed.

“This whole thing started because I was trying to keep you from making a fool of yourself.”

Grace’s face turns ashen. Her eyes dart to Christian and then to the flames. I know exactly where April is headed with this. She’s going to out this nice girl in front of everyone, including Christian—the guy Grace has a crush on.

“Don’t do it, or I promise you’ll be sorry.” My tone carries a warning, and April knows it’s meant for her.

April narrows her eyes. “That sounds like a threat.”

“Because it is.”

“Don’t do what?” Christian asks.

I look directly at April. “Nothing.”

For a second, I’m not sure which way this standoff will go. Christian’s ex might out Grace to spite me. If she’s smart, she’ll back down.

April flips her auburn waves with a dramatic sweeping motion that had to take practice. “I know what’s really going on.” She turns to Christian. “You were looking for an excuse to end things, so you sent your cousin to pick a fight with me.”

Christian looks confused. “I had already ended things.”

“I don’t believe you,” April says.

“No one sent me to do anything,” I snap. “I’m not a puppet in the show you have going on here.”

Madison puts her arm around April’s shoulders. “This is your fault, Christian Carter.”

Way to switch gears.

Christian snorts. “How do you figure?”

Madison points an acrylic nail at him. “You’re always playing games with April. Could you be a bigger jerk?”

Christian throws up his hands, and beer sloshes out of the can. “What games? We broke up. End of story. Call me whatever you want. I don’t give a crap.”

Madison raises her chin. “That’s because you are a total narcissist.”

I’m impressed. Someone has been watching Dr. Phil.

“That means you’re in love with yourself,” she continues.

Not exactly the meaning of the word.

A black guy in a baseball cap sits up in his lawn chair, trying not to laugh. “I don’t think you can be in love with yourself. You can like yourself a whole lot and all, but—”

“Shut it, Jackson.” Madison puts a hand on her hip. “I watched a whole talk show about it. So don’t tell me.”

I was right about Dr. Phil.

Madison turns back to Christian. “You’re emotionally abusing April, and it’s not right.”

“Abusing her? I wasn’t even talking to her until you started up tonight,” Christian says.

“I’m feeling emotionally abused too,” Jackson mutters.

It’s like I’m watching a bad Saturday Night Live skit, and I can’t change the channel. “I’m taking a walk.”