Burn Before Reading(86)

Mr. Blackthorn’s shock wore off, and he started chuckling. “Oh, Miss Cruz. It’s a pity we can’t be friends. You’re the first person to have the courage to tell me off in such vibrant language in, well, ever.”

“I don’t care about courage,” I snapped. “I don’t care if you have ‘evidence’. The only thing I’ve done wrong is agree to your stupid plan!”

He smiled. “And what plan was that?”

“Spying!” I threw my arms up. “Spying on your sons and reporting all the shit they do back to you! You – You made me pretend to become friends with them. You told me all of their quirks and ways to get on their good side just so you could know what they were doing! Newsflash – it isn’t that bad! They’re just kids! They’re kids who lost their mom, and they’re a little fucked up, but we’re all fucked up, okay? They don’t deserve a dad who’s an awful, manipulative asshole!”

“So you admit it,” Mr. Blackthorn said coolly. “That you were only pretending to be their friend to save your own sorry little scholarship?”

I grit my teeth so hard I swear I heard them crack. “Of course I do! Yes! I did it! I admit it! Unlike you, I own up to my mistakes!”

Mr. Blackthorn smiled at someone over my shoulder. “Ah, boys. There you are. It’s good to see Kristin managed to get you all here. She had to…embellish the truth, as you can see. Miss Cruz is perfectly fine – I’m not holding her hostage. In fact, she was just about to leave, wasn’t she?”

I was stone. Steel. I felt like all the blood in my body had turned to ice. Slowly, agonizingly slowly, I turned my head over my shoulder to see Burn, Wolf, and Fitz standing there. They’d heard everything. Mr. Blackthorn made sure of it – he tricked me into saying it all in front of them. Burn’s eyes were deader than I’d ever seen them, devoid of all emotion. Fitz looked like he was going to be sick, his face white with shock. Wolf’s expression burned into me, dark and furious, like a midnight blaze.

Mr. Blackthorn set me up.

“Guys, listen to me,” I frantically scrabbled for words. “I didn’t mean any of that –“

“Oh, but you did.” Mr. Blackthorn said smugly. I ignored my burning rage towards him – I couldn’t let the brothers leave thinking the wrong thing.

“You faked it,” Burn said simply.

“It started out as spying, okay?” I pleaded. “But the more I got to know you guys, the more I liked you. I really, really liked you. All of you. Nothing about that was fake.”

Fitz dashed out of the restaurant, his face twisted.

“Fitz!” I called, and moved to go after him, but Burn’s huge arm flung across my chest, stopping me. He looked down at me, more soulless than a puppet.

“No. He isn’t your problem, anymore. None of us are.”

“Burn – Burn, I swear to you –“

He let go before I could finish, turning and walking out after Fitz. Disgust clawed at my every organ. I’d ruined it. I’d ruined everything – I turned to Wolf, and he loomed over me, his posture determined to be imperious and regal and above it all, but his face said otherwise. His face said he hated me, but he hated the wound I’d inflicted on him more.

“You let me believe - ” He said. “ - for a single moment, that I was normal.”

“Wolf –“

“All this time,” He interrupted me, snarling. “All the kindness you showed me – was because you wanted to keep your scholarship.”

“You were the one,” I managed. “You were the one who put it in jeopardy in the first place!”

“I told you – because I was scared,” He lashed out.

“Scared of what?” I shouted. “Of me? I don’t understand – why are you so scared of me, Wolf? What have I done to make you so afraid? You have to tell me! I can’t read your mind!”

“And now you’ll never have to try,” He said. He turned on his heel, and pushed out of the doors. I was going to throw up.

I couldn’t let it end like this.

I dashed out after them, into the parking lot. I was just in time to see Wolf get in Burn’s convertible. I blocked the driveway with my body, the headlights blaring into me. I couldn’t see their faces at all.

“Please!” I shouted. “Please, guys. Just hear me out –“

Burn laid on the horn, and wouldn’t let up. I tried to talk over it, but it was so loud. They couldn’t hear me, even if I did apologize. Hot tears prickled my eyes. Even if it was useless, even if they couldn’t hear me, I couldn’t let it end like this. They had to know how I really felt, even if they never spoke to me again.

“I was alone,” I shouted, the horn blaring me out. “Before I met you guys, I was alone! Completely! I wasn’t….I wasn’t happy, okay? And then I met you three, and – “

I inhaled, my lungs burning.

“I still wasn’t happy! But little by little –“

Burn held the horn down even louder, if that was possible. I had to scream, but it drowned in its own sound.

“I like you!” I declared. “I like all three of you – Fitz, you’re the only person in the world who’s got better jokes than I do! Burn, you’re the nicest person I’ve ever met! And Wolf –“