Jaden (Jaded #3)(15)

I felt a burning at the corners of my eyes. I flinched, refusing to let anything he said get to me.

He continued, “Your mother and I tried to be there for you. We did. In the beginning. Then you started sneaking out, skipping school, doing only God knows what. Drinking. Did you ever do drugs? I’d be surprised if you hadn’t. You were having sex—I don’t even want to know when.” He turned to Bryce. “I know it was you. You were the main guy with her, and I don’t want to think about all the others that must’ve been between her legs—”

Bryce punched him. It happened so fast.

Neil was spilling those hateful words, each one of them was a blow to me, and I was struggling to keep my composure and then BAM!—he was down. Bryce stood above him. His hand still in a fist, and he was shaking, staring down. A vein bulged out from the side of his neck.

My dad looked bewildered. He cradled a hand to the side of his face and looked up. “Bryce?” It was like his best friend had stabbed him in the back.

I started laughing. This whole thing was hilarious.

Everyone looked at me. Beth had paled when my dad started talking, and she yelped when Bryce hit him, but now she moaned and moved farther into the background. That’s when I knew she was made of weak sauce. She wasn’t going to hack it, whatever was going to happen with all of this.

“You’re laughing?” My dad pushed himself back up until he was standing.

Bryce moved back, now just a few inches in front of me. A set expression filtered over his face. Cold. Stony face. He was showing his alliance to me. Corrigan had a similar expression, and he moved to the other side of me. All three of us were in line now. As I registered their show of loyalty, their strength surged through me, mixing with mine, and I was comforted again with just having them there. That’s what I needed to be able to take the fight back to whoever was trying to destroy my life.

“Sheldon?”

I shook my head, sending a scathing glance at Beth. She swallowed nervously before looking away. Then I said, quietly, “Do you have any idea what’s going to happen?” I was talking to both of them, Beth and Neil.

My dad frowned. He was still cradling the side of his face and cast a wary glance to Bryce. “Yes, Sheldon. I am very aware of what’s going to happen. You might go to prison. That’s what. And you’re laughing.”

I shook my head. “No, Dad.”

He quieted instantly.

I couldn’t remember the last time I called him that term. My nostrils flared. It’d be the last time, too. I wanted his attention, and I got it. “No, Neil. This isn’t going to end with me going to prison. You’re a fool if you think that. No. This is going to end bloody. I’ll never get to that part because whoever framed me wants to torture me. Hell, they already have been. My car’s brakes were cut. They still don’t know who did that, then Grace’s death. It’s all connected. I’ve already endured one stalker. He killed two of my friends, but this is worse. This person, whoever it is, wants to hurt me. They’re taunting me, making me go on the defensive. No.” I clipped my head to the side. “This person wants me to die, slowly and painfully.”

“How do you know this?”

A hollow sensation filled my chest. It was burying deeper and deeper, making a void as it went. I jerked a shoulder up. “Because it’s what I would’ve done. If I wanted to mess with someone and really mess with their mind, I’d frame them, too.” It was genius, in a way.

Neil scoffed, “Don’t tell me you’re impressed with them?”

“No, no.” But I was, in a sick way. “It just confirms I have to find out who’s doing this to me.” I glanced at Corrigan. He still needed permission to leave. “Do whatever you need to do to make sure Corrigan can get leave and come back safely. Please.”

Neil sighed. He sounded defeated. “Sheldon, I don’t—”

“Let him, Neil.” I was putting my foot down. “This is my life, my future. He’s my best friend. Let him go and do what he needs. It’s the least you can do.”

His jaw clenched. I knew he didn’t want to, but then he looked away, and I also knew we had won. This was a small battle, one of so many to come, but a relieved sensation covered that void in my chest. It wouldn’t last, but it was small and fleeting.

I grinned at Corrigan, who nodded at me.

Our plan was a go.

Corrigan left that afternoon.

CHAPTER SIX

Corrigan was gone all day, and Neil and Beth had retired to bed after supper that night or dinner as Beth called it. She liked to sound more sophisticated than the rest of us. Because I could be sophisticated, too, I took a bunch of her wine outside. Bryce joined me on the patio with two large glasses, and without a word being spoken between the two of us, I filled them both to the top. Leaning back, we clicked our glasses together and sipped, still not talking.

I enjoyed this.

Having him here. Drinking wine with him. Feeling the old comfortable silence between us. It was like this with Corrigan too, but when they were together, even though they both were playing nice, an underlying tension was always there.

“What’s wrong?”

I glanced at him. “Huh?” God, he was beautiful in the moonlight. I’d forgotten how much at times.

“You sighed.”

“I did?”