Chapter 29 EvanAnn
EvanAnn
We walk in together and head to the basement. Cam waits upstairs for Mia to get here. Damon holds my hand and doesn’t let go. It’s a risk, but the likelihood of our parents actually being here is low.
Besides, I need him. I need them all.
When we get to the rec room, he sits down on the couch and pulls me onto his lap. Hawk sits next us and puts his hand on my knee.
“What did he say?” Hawk asks.
I shake my head. “I don’t know. I froze a few times. Mia invited him to the party tonight.”
That’s what stuck with me. Him coming tonight. That, and he really hates Damon. Did Jackson see him take me into his arms? Why didn’t I wait to make sure he was gone? But the relief was so intense to have all them with me.
“I asked why he was at the game, but he had a good excuse.” I shrug and tell them the other things he said that sounded like the texts.
Damon runs his hand over my arm. “You don’t leave our sight tonight.”
I swallow and lean my head against Damon’s shoulder. I don’t pull away when I hear Cam and Mia on the stairs. Just a few more minutes and I’ll be warm enough to be without him. To pretend I don’t need them.
“Oh,” Mia says as she comes down. “Is everything all right?”
I breathe in Damon’s earthy scent. I don’t want to act like I’m not theirs. Like the guys are just Damon’s friends and I happen to live here. No more pretending. Damon squeezes me against him, like he’s not going to let me move even if I want to.
“Sit down, Mia.” Hawk gestures to the chair across from the couch. Cam comes to my other side and sits. He rests his hand on my back, and I can fucking breathe. How did I breathe before them?
Mia sits and looks at the four of us. “So this is more than fucking I guess?”
“I don’t know if you’re playing a game here.” Damon tightens his hand on my hip. “But don’t fuck our girl over or we’ll make your year hell.”
“Fair.” Mia lifts her eyebrow and leans back in the chair.
“You don’t know me, but I’ve been around guys scarier than you and they did make my year hell.
I’m not looking for that kind of treatment here.
I’m getting my diploma and getting as far away from this area as possible.
I was serious when I said Evan is exactly the kind of friend I need this year.
She’s smart and driven. I didn’t know she was going to end up in a reverse harem situation. ”
“Reverse harem?” I ask.
Mia winks. “I’ll give you some books. Very educational.”
Hawk sits forward. “If we trust you and you stab us in the back, you’ll find out those guys weren’t shit compared to what we’ll do to you.”
Mia takes in a breath. “I take it we’re all on the Chase is a dick train?”
She looks over all of us, but we don’t say anything. She nods.
“Are you going to let me in on the plan? Because normally I’d just be looking for someone to fuck at the party, but if you need my help, I doubt I’m going to find much to entertain me at Chase’s house.”
Cam glances at Damon, and Damon gives him a nod. We’re willing to trust Mia for this. It might bite us in the ass. But there are so many moving parts that could break, having someone else in the know might not be a bad thing.
“This summer Damon was struck in a hit and run.”
I cup Damon’s scar on his jaw, and he turns and presses his lips to my palm. His blue eyes meet mine and hold. I could lose myself in him.
Cam continues, “Chase was getting head from some blond at the time and didn’t see us. But there’s no way he didn’t know he hit someone and see the bike go down.”
“Fuck.” Mia glances at us, but I don’t look away from Damon.
Hawk sighs. “We thought Evan was the girl. What better way to get back at a guy than take his girl. Especially when everyone knew she was a good girl.”
My gaze flicks to Hawk. What? They came at me accusing me of being a whore.
“Ruin the good girl.” Damon’s voice brings me back to him. I search his blue eyes trying to see the truth. “Show everyone how wrong they were about her.”
My breath catches. I didn’t give in until I knew Chase was cheating, but what if I had before that? When did the plan change? Because Damon still blackmailed me, but I was good with whatever they wanted. I gave in so easily, proving to them I was the whore they wanted me to be.
“So you set about seducing Evan thinking she’d be the key to getting back at Chase?
” Mia taps her fingers against each other.
“It’s not a bad plan, but why stay with him?
I’m sorry, but even I figured out the guy wasn’t exactly boyfriend material.
He hit on me pretty quickly after I got here.
But in the interest of full disclosure, I met Chase when I interviewed at Anteros.
It was brief, but he definitely was interested.
I didn’t have time to fuck around, but promised him if I got in that we could. ”
Mia cocks her head, waiting for my reaction. Her expression remains flat.
“Did you fuck him?” I ask. My stomach churns, wondering if she’s already betrayed me and would I recognize if she lies to me about it?
“Fuck, no.” Mia sits up straight. “I may be a bitch and quite proudly a slut, but I’m not about to break girl code. You don’t fuck your friend’s boyfriend. I mean, I did years ago, but I’m trying to be better.”
It doesn’t really matter to me if she fucked Chase, but if she has, I won’t be her friend. I’ll be friendly like other students. That arm’s length friendship we all seem to have in the theater department, because you never know who you’ll work with in the future.
“Chase fucks everything that moves, and you want us to believe you didn’t tap that?” Cam raises an eyebrow. “You would have fucked any of us if we gave you the chance.”
Mia laughs and puts her hand on her chest. “Slut. You see this body. Who wouldn’t want to show it off and do what it does best?” She winks, but turns back to me. “Believe me or not. I didn’t cheat with your boyfriend. Did he offer? Yes.”
Damon’s hand tightens on me. But I don’t have any emotions when it comes to Chase’s cheating, besides anger in him using me. No, the only time I felt the bite of jealousy is with the Devil’s trio.
Her face is serious when she continues. “I didn’t want to hurt you.
I’ve had friends blame me for their guys hitting on me.
I’m a flirt and can’t stop it if I try. I’m not looking to stir trouble here.
Standing up to Olivia is just fun, but fucking your boyfriend…
?” She sighs. “I just want to be your friend and fuck as many guys with six-pack abs as I can before I head off to Hollywood. My motives are really fucking simple. I didn’t want to lose you as a friend because you decided to stay with your scuzzy boyfriend.
And didn’t want to lose you for telling you he was scuzzy. ”
“I didn’t trust you because I’ve had friends who betrayed me before.
Taking the guy I said I had a crush on.” I inhale.
“Having to smile while they kissed the guy they knew I wanted.” I exhale.
“Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to tell you about the Devil’s trio.
Or that I was moving here. I didn’t want you to use me to get to them. ”
Mia laughs sharply. “I’m not going to say I wouldn’t take advantage when you had a boyfriend and they were single, but all I want is for you to be happy.
If that meant you trying to get back with Chase, I would accept it, if that’s what you wanted, but encourage you to leave him.
I’m still trying to find my footing at this school. ”
“Jackson might be stalking me,” I blurt out.
“Evan,” Damon growls like I’ve overstepped.
I turn and meet his eyes. “She needs to know so she doesn’t accidentally let him back into my life.”
“The guy gives me the creeps, but sometimes that can be hot in sex.” Mia shrugs. “He doesn’t ask me about you, but he knows we’re new friends. I thought he was obsessing about me.” She gives me a wry smile. “Oh, well, there’s a lot more guys in hockey that I haven’t gotten to yet.”
“An unknown number started sending some texts after we saw him at the football game. The texts might be from someone else, but there were a few things he said today that made me think he wants me to know it’s him.” I shiver, and Cam rubs my back.
Damon shifts me to lay back against him, draping his arms around my waist. Hawk rests his hand on my knee. Their touch helps center me.
“Okay, so inviting him tonight was a bad move.” Mia gets her phone out. “I can just text him.”
“Has he been texting you?” Hawk asks. He holds out his hand, and she unlocks her phone and hands it to him.
“Not really. I was surprised he showed up today.” Mia leans back in the chair and crosses her legs.
“He was super interested at the football game. And then asked if he could give me his number. I sent him a quick message at the party to ask if he was coming, and he never responded. Then he showed up today, and I meant to ask to make sure his number was correct in my phone.”
“Could be one of his burner numbers.” Hawk glances my way. “What are the numbers he used to reach you?”
I unlock my phone and hand it to him. He compares the two unknown numbers with the one on Mia’s phone. He shakes his head.
“Not a match.” He hands our phones back.
“So that may or may not be his number.” Mia shakes her head. “What a dick.”
“Tonight’s party isn’t going to be a quaint little get together like Chase is planning.” Cam rubs my knee. “He’s going to get a few hundred more people at his house. We need people posting to social media during the party. Spread the word as much as you can.”
Mia nods. “No problem. What else do you guys have planned?”
Cam looks at Damon. A look passes between the two of them.
“Chase will get in trouble because he’s not supposed to throw a party. We have some plans to help put Olivia in her place.” Cam squeezes my leg.
“Can’t stand that bitch.” Mia nods like this is exactly what they should be doing.
“Annie shouldn’t be left alone with Chase.” Hawk takes my hand. “We don’t trust him. With us circling, he’s getting more desperate to hold onto her. But if Jackson shows, we need to know right away. Some of what he texted is threatening. He’s not to get his hands on her.”
“If he shows up again, I’ll give him the cold shoulder.
” Mia leans forward and meets my eyes. “I’m sorry I talked you up to him.
I just wanted you to realize there are other options than Chase.
You seemed so determined to stay with him, and I couldn’t understand why.
Though I get it now.” Her eyes drop to Damon’s hands wrapped around me.
She smirks. “I know you aren’t like me. It’s one of the things that attracted me to you.
I figured if I went with someone better than me for a friend, someone who took the time to fix a stranger’s tie, maybe some of that might rub off on me.
Or I would, at least, have a drama-free senior year. ”
“That ship has sailed.” I shake my head. “Sorry, normally I’m completely drama-free. Except when we’re on stage.”
Mia laughs. “So, are we working on our history assignment? Because I need a good grade in this class.”
“Yes,” I say as Damon helps me stand. “I need to go grab my books.”
I start toward the stairs and then hesitate. She’s trying and I want to try too. Maybe I can let Mia in a little more.
“Do you want to see my room?” I ask Mia.
She smiles like I offered her a Golden Globe. “Sure.”