The Peer and the Puppet (When Rivals Play, #1) (50)
“Maybe I just don’t want her to be happy.”
“I’m having a hard time believing you’re that selfish.”
“You don’t know me well.”
“But I have good instincts.” It was the only thing keeping me from crossing the line with his cousin. If I strayed too close, Ever would find his way into a part of me that was forbidden to him.
He smirked. “Instincts won’t be enough to save you from falling for my cousin.”
Laughter burst from my stomach, though my heart sobbed with despair. “First, I’m making eyes at him, and now I’m falling in love?” I was bent over, wiping tears from my cheeks when Ever spoke from behind me.
“Who’s the lucky guy?”
I straightened up immediately and caught the satisfied look on Jamie’s face. He must have seen Ever coming and set me up. With a look, I promised retribution and turned to face Ever.
“Where’s your girlfriend?”
Jamie stiffened beside me, and Ever’s jaw hardened. I can play, too, boys.
“Four,” Ever warned.
“Shouldn’t you be more concerned about her and less with me?” You could cut the tension with a knife. Jamie’s jealousy was palpable, but it was the emotion in Ever’s eyes that sent a chill down my spine. I knew antagonizing them was a little more than petty, but I was getting sick of them playing me like a fiddle.
“Barbette knows how to behave.”
Jamie’s low growl raised the hairs on the back of my neck.
“Wow, McNamara. She’s your girlfriend, not your pet,” I instigated. I could practically hear the steam blowing from Jamie’s ears.
Ever’s eyes narrowed, and then he was reaching for me, but Jamie’s next words stopped him cold.
“I don’t know what she fucking sees in you.”
In the blink of an eye, Ever’s demeanor shifted from mildly annoyed to ruthless. “No…you don’t, which is why she’s no longer yours.”
I didn’t expect my heart to plummet or bile to rise at seeing Ever so possessive of another. Jamie looked ready to rip Ever apart, yet he shoved his cousin, which was less than he deserved, and stalked away down the beach.
I’d forgotten Ever was standing there as I watched Jamie go until he growled, “Happy with yourself?”
Not really, no. “I’m not the one dating your cousin’s ex.”
Ever fell into step beside me as I walked away.
“Barbette and Jamie chasing each other’s tails for a couple of summers doesn’t make me a traitor.”
I whirled on him, but he was already a few paces away. Jogging, I caught up and swiftly cut him off. “What the hell are you talking about, McNamara?”
“Their so-called relationship happened when we were kids. It was over quicker than it started.” With a bored looked, he moved around me, but I quickly fell into step beside him. I’d worry that someone might mistake this for a romantic stroll on the beach later. It was time I got some answers.
“Why did it end?”
“I don’t know, Four.” He sounded annoyed while avoiding my gaze, which told me he wasn’t being entirely truthful. “They don’t talk about it, and I don’t ask. When those summers ended and Jamie returned home to Boston, they would write to each other, but one day, the letters just stopped.”
“Why did he stop writing her?”
Ever shot me a look and said, “She stopped writing him.”
“Oh.”
“Jamie didn’t waste time hopping on a train to Blackwood Keep to find out why.” He smiled faintly at the memory. “My aunt and uncle were furious when they discovered their fourteen-year-old had snuck away to travel two-hundred miles alone.”
“So what happened?”
“Jamie got his answer, and Barbette went home with a bruised knee and scraped hands. The next day, her parents showed up at our house and demanded that Jamie stay away from her.”
“And did he?”
“He didn’t have a choice. A few months later, Jamie’s father moved his career and his family to Scotland. Jamie visited before he left. Probably to make up with her but…”
“By then, you and Barbie were an item.”
He looked at me quizzically.
“Tyra told me.”
“You shouldn’t believe everything someone tells you.”
“It’s not as if I could ask you.” I clutched his jacket a little tighter when the wind blew. “So, why are you going steady with your cousin’s ex?”
He stopped short and tapped the side of his forehead as if the question was trivial. “Has it ever occurred to you that I might just be into her?”
“No…and that’s the problem, my dear prince. You don’t touch her, you don’t kiss her, you don’t look at her like…”
“Like what?” he snapped.
Like you look at me. I shoved the truth down and locked it away as he shifted closer with cruel eyes.
“Why do you care anyway? I’m blackmailing you to keep your mouth shut, yet you’re worried about my love life?”
Yeah, my priorities were really screwed, but I had my reason, and it followed me into my dreams. I cleared my throat, erasing the vulnerability from my voice. Now if only I could do the same for my heart. “I care because of those kisses you stole a month ago. I never imagined my first kiss would be with a boy who belonged to someone else.”