Chapter 20
CHAPTER TWENTY
Ashton
Echos - Saint
W atching Everleigh break was the highlight of my day. She could pretend to be strong all she wanted, but beneath it all, she was still the same fragile girl she had always been. If she could fuck my brother, then there was nothing stopping me from fucking her little sister. The mere thought of hooking up with Briley had me recoiling. She’d once been considered family to me, even. But I could take one for the team if it meant ruining the girl who had ruined me.
My hands tightened around Bry’s tiny waist. She was so small that my fingers brushed against one another. In my opinion, that just made her feel more childlike to me and was equally as off-putting. Her black hair brushed against the collar of her shirt, and she leaned into me, clearly enjoying this. The horror movie was still playing in the background, courtesy of Jameson. He knew she wouldn’t want to watch it without a cuddle buddy, and no one was going to come to her rescue.
Everleigh ate in silence, a lone tear trickling down the side of her face. Good. She deserved to hurt. This was only the beginning of what I had in store for her. I tried to hold onto the reminder of what she had done and why we were doing this, but the past kept rearing its ugly head, forcing me to remember what we had before all of this. It just made me hate her more.
And that kiss.
Fuck. Why did I do it?
She looked so hot, grabbing me by the hair and standing over me. It was comical actually, considering I was over a foot taller than her. I could have easily fought her off if I wanted to, but curiosity had gotten the better of me, and I wanted to see what she’d do next. And she definitely didn’t disappoint me.
Amber’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. That’s also when I realized that Briley had started grinding up against me. My nose wrinkled in response, but I did nothing to stop it. “I thought we were supposed to be working on our project,” she snapped, repeating the same thing Evie had said earlier. “I didn’t realize this was a fuck party. But there’s three guys and three girls, so we could make it work.” She crossed her arms over her chest and arched a sculpted eyebrow, challenging me.
A part of me actually considered it. But then I realized that I’d be stuck fucking Briley, Jameson would fuck Amber, and that would mean that Everleigh had to fuck Kash. At one point, I was more than willing to share her with them. But that ship has long sailed. After being cheated on, it was the last thing I wanted. And I didn’t want to have sex with Briley.
“I’ll consider it.” I smirked. “If you’re the one riding my dick.”
I felt Everleigh tense beside me, and that just made my comment even sweeter. She didn’t want to watch me fuck anyone. Especially not her sister or best friend. And I’d do it if it hurt her. But could I get past watching her have sex with one of my friends? I’d have to sacrifice my own feelings just to destroy hers. And maybe it would be worth it. If I could prevent myself from tearing Kash to shreds if he laid a finger on her. I’d almost beaten both his and Jameson’s asses after that damn party.
“Hey,” Briley complained. “ I’m your girlfriend.”
“What?” Everleigh and Amber both said in unison.
I ignored them, running my fingers over the back of Briley’s head in a comforting gesture. “You’re also Kash’s girlfriend.”
She was supposed to be Jameson’s, too. But when he found out who I’d chosen for us all to date, he said fuck no and offered to go after Amber instead. He thought going after Briley was too fucked up, regardless of whether she deserved it or not.
“Wait.” Amber frowned. “You’re both dating the same girl.”
I continued to ignore her, thinking back to what I’d just said. If Briley fucked Kash, Amber would expect Jameson to fuck her. That would leave me and Everleigh. My heart started racing at the prospect, but I shut that shit down real fast. This wasn’t a damn orgy fest.
“Yep,” Briley chirped proudly, answering Amber’s question.
Amber shook her head. “You realize that’s fucked up, right? He dated your sister.” She motioned over to me, but her gaze was pinned on the girl in my lap.
“Well…they’re not dating anymore. Plus, Everleigh hates his guts. Why would she care?” She turned to look at her sister, but she was zoned in on the TV, her hands slow as she took tiny nibbles of her pizza. I guess she’d rather subject herself to the horror movie than to what was happening around her.
Amber scoffed. “It doesn’t matter if she hates him. There’s still history there. Are you playing dumb, or are you really that stupid?”
Finally, Evie glanced between her friend and sister, her shoulders coiling tight with tension. “Will you guys stop? I’m not a piece of glass. It’s fine. Briley can do whatever she wants.”
Annoyance flared within me as I watched Everleigh’s features harden back into that impenetrable mask she always wore. Did she truly not give a shit? I saw the tears. Was that because she’d simply been caught off guard and felt betrayed by her sister? If this was all for nothing, I’d just have to up my game. She wouldn’t have kissed me back if she didn’t care at all.
Everleigh placed her plate on the coffee table, scrunching up her nose like it was no longer appealing to her. She cradled her drink between her hands before taking a small sip.
Briley’s hands were wound tight around my neck, and she was grinding against me, like she wanted me to fuck her. She had no care in the world that it was affecting her sister. But that just made it hurt her more, so I wasn’t going to be too bothered by that fact.
Amber stood up, fury emanating from her small body. She turned to Jamie. “Change spots with Everleigh.”
Jameson glanced over at me for approval. I’d been the one who chose our seating arrangements, but it didn’t really matter where she sat. She’d still see what was happening. So, I shrugged in response. Jamie stood, closing the distance between him and his new girl. He pressed his body against hers and captured her lips, making her melt into him instantly.
Unexpectedly, Everleigh tensed from that interaction, too. I was pleased to see a reaction from her, but also confused. Did she have feelings for Jameson? I suppose it didn’t matter. He wasn’t dumb enough to do anything with her. Not after everything that had happened. He hated her just as much as me and Kash did.
Jameson pulled away and approached the couch, looking at the girl beside me like she smelled bad. But all I could smell were cherries. The taste of her kiss still lingered on my tongue, and I hated that I wanted to do it again.
Everleigh rose, avoiding eye contact with all of us as she made her way over to the armchair. She sat down and Amber climbed onto her lap like they were long-time lovers. I had to do something about their friendship. I just didn’t know what. As long as Evie had someone in her corner, she would never be as broken as I needed her to be by the end of all this. I wanted her completely alone and destroyed. She didn’t even deserve to have friends. Heat spread through my veins, causing me to tremble from the sudden onslaught of rage. But Briley just took that as a sign of me reacting to her, so she started feathering kisses up the side of my neck again.
“You should eat,” Amber whispered, trying to keep us from hearing it, but the room was so quiet that we could still hear everything.
“I lost my appetite. I’ll just eat when I get home.”
Amber looked like she was going to argue with her about it, but thought better of it and nodded instead, drawing her lips into a tight line.
The movie was loud in the background as the main character screamed. Everleigh buried her face in Amber’s side, wrapping her arms around her waist. I rolled my eyes. That was why I wanted her sitting alone. So that she had no one to hide behind. It was amateur, though. Scaring Everleigh wasn’t on par with the bigger plans I’d been cooking up, but it would have still been satisfying.
We did end up working on our project for about an hour and then Everleigh and Amber left. I allowed Briley to stay with me for a while to get under Evie’s skin, but then I drove her home. The state of their neighborhood had my lips parting in shock. It was on the Northside and looked like the perfect town for shady dealings and crime. The grass was overgrown and the house they stayed in was in shambles. One bad storm and it would all probably crumble.
The next day at school, I grabbed a flyer about some party to recruit initiates. I had no interest in the fraternity. I’d enjoy having the house to ourselves, but it would serve our greater purpose, so I’d stomach it if that’s what it took. I snapped a picture of the flyer and sent it to Jameson and Kash before stuffing the paper in my bag.
Briley clung to me at every opportunity, and as much as I didn’t want her touching me, I wanted to get under Everleigh’s skin more. The word traveled fast about my last name and who I was, so girls flocked to me, despite me having a girlfriend . In turn, it made Briley more popular, too. Which she seemed to be milking up. She was so different from her older sister and not in a good way. Briley enjoyed being the center of attention, enjoyed people trying to impress her.
My fingers curled around Bry’s as we entered the cafeteria, her voice was high-pitched as she talked about something I wasn’t even paying attention to. My focus was on Everleigh who was seated by Lucas when an idea struck me suddenly.
Once we reached Kash and Jameson who had Amber tucked beneath his arm, they glanced at me. “I need to speak with you two privately outside,” I said.
They exchanged looks but were shuffling out of the table regardless. I motioned for Briley to take a seat, not needing her to follow me. She had been proven quite useful so far, so I’d probably keep her around for a bit. What we knew so far was that Everleigh was the only one who had a vehicle in their family, she had a job, she was on scholarship here, and she had resumed somewhat of a motherly role. But Briley was pretty vague in that aspect, so I didn’t know what that meant exactly.
I led the way out into the parking lot, checking my surroundings to make sure no one was nearby. “I have an idea.” I smirked, knowing that it was one that would cut Everleigh deep.
“What is it?” Kash asked skeptically. “I mean…shouldn’t we give her a break? She just found out about you and her sister, and then Jameson and Amber. We don’t want to do everything too quickly. Right?”
Jameson nodded in agreement with him. “Yeah. Plus, her mom just died a few days ago. I’m all for hurting her after what she did, but I think we should wait to strike again.”
I scoffed in response, my patience dwindling. “She doesn’t deserve a break. If you’ve gone too soft, I’m sure I could find others to help me.”
The thought of including strangers in on this didn’t appeal to me nearly as much. It wouldn’t have the same effect, but if that’s what I had to do, then I’d do it. I was tired of waiting. Sure, seeing me with her sister hurt. But beyond that, it had just been piddly shit. I wanted to keep striking when she least expected it. I wanted to turn her world completely upside down. Fuck her. She didn’t deserve any peace.
“We’re not being soft,” Kash retorted. “I’m just saying that what you’re planning could send her on a downward spiral. And not in the way you want. It could end up catastrophically. People can only take so much at one time.”
I bit my lip as I mulled that over. He was right and it just pissed me off even more. “Fine,” I relented, my shoulders dropping in defeat. “Plus, I need her on Friday anyways. I’m taking her to my mom’s whether she likes it or not.”
Jameson reeled back, not expecting that at all. “Why?”
“My mom wants to have a family dinner with me and my brother’s new family. Apparently, he has a baby now. But I’m making Everleigh go, too.” If I had to suffer through it, I wouldn’t be doing it alone. Plus, it would get under Dakota’s skin which just sweetened the deal. It would be easier to get her to go with me if I wasn’t actively destroying her life. Hell, she’d probably still refuse. But I knew I could convince her somehow. Even if she had no idea where the hell we were going until we got there.
I’d give Everleigh the rest of the week to calm down some before doing anything major. I still had a few small tricks up my sleeve that would do some damage, too. So, I’d stick with those and then attack her full force on Monday.
“Is that a good idea?” Kash questioned. “It might just backfire and piss you off even more.”
It probably would. But that was a good thing. I needed to stay pissed, that way I wouldn’t feel guilty about all of the things I planned on doing to her. Not that I would, but just in case.
“What is your deal, Rivera?” I snapped, annoyance flaring within me. “Are you suddenly starting to grow a conscience?”
He rolled his eyes. “No, Banks . I’m just wondering how far you intend on taking this.”
“Until I’m satisfied.” I shrugged. “You were all for it a few weeks ago. Did seeing her cry make you feel bad?” I taunted. “That’s just the tip of the fucking iceberg.”
“No,” he growled, his hands curling into fists at his sides.
“You seem to have forgotten what she did to me. She fucking cheated on me with my own brother.”
Kash narrowed his eyes at me. “Three years ago. She did that shit three years ago. You’re acting like it just happened. And while hurting her for it is appealing, I don’t think we need to hit her so strongly. That entire situation still doesn’t make sense to me.” He sighed, running his hands through his dirty blonde hair. “Have you even talked to her about it?”
My body was vibrating with rage with how fast the tables had turned. What the fuck was happening right now? “There’s nothing to talk about,” I gritted out. “I know what I walked in on.”
He nodded in response, a stitch forming between his brows as he thought about it more. “It’s just weird that she didn’t want to fuck me or Jameson despite having the permission to and went after someone she knew would be completely off-limits—someone she barely even knew. It just doesn’t add up. That’s all.”
As usual, he was right. She’d never shown any interest in Dakota. I’d been completely blindsided by her betrayal, which just made it worse. It happened completely out of left field. It was something that had kept me up on a number of occasions. But Briley said that’s the day she found out that her mom was sick. So maybe she just acted recklessly out of pain. But that didn’t make it better. She knew I was coming. She’d fucking texted me and told me she was heading to my house. Had she wanted me to walk in on that?
It didn’t matter.
None of it did. She still fucked me over in the end, regardless of why she did it. I couldn’t expect my two friends to hold the same amount of hatred for her as I did. They weren’t the ones on the receiving end. Not in the way I had been. I knew they’d do what they had to. She still hurt them in a way, and they’d have my back regardless. Even if they were questioning my methods, they wouldn’t back down. I could at least count on them for that , if anything.
“It doesn’t matter anymore,” I said simply. “It wasn’t like he’d forced himself on her.”
If he had, I never would have faulted Everleigh for it. I would have destroyed my brother completely, rather than just delivering a few blows to his face. But that’s not what had happened. There was no point in drawing up hypotheticals.
Jameson nodded. “That’s true. We’ll do whatever you need of us.” He glanced over at Kash who nodded in response to that, albeit a bit reluctantly.
“Good.”
Out of the two of them, I’d expected Jameson to be the one to develop a guilty conscience. He’d been closer with Evie and shared parts of himself with her that I’m sure he hasn’t shared with us. So, I was a bit surprised to find that it was Kash who was faltering. He could be more twisted than me at times. Maybe going after her sister was a low blow, even for him, though. But he would still do what he had to. Even if he felt some kind of way about it.
Our phones all went off in synchronization, and I had no doubt that it had to do with that stupid Facebook group we were all in. Jameson pulled his phone out first and clicked in the notification, his eyebrows furrowing.
“Something you want to tell us, asshole?” he demanded, directing a glare at me.
My stomach twisted as I fished out my cell and countered his movements. There was a video at the top of the feed. The caption already told me what was in that video, though. Everleigh can’t seem to stay out of the spotlight, it seems. Hope her boyfriend doesn’t mind. #Cheatingwhore #PDA #Gettingitonwithmrbillionaire.
I clicked on the video and turned the volume up. The camera shifted for a moment, making it difficult to see, but when Everleigh stepped out into the light, everything was visible. Whoever had taken this one had been extremely close to us. Probably lurking right around the building of the girls locker room.
We argued back and forth for a moment, our words pretty clear for the viewers. Unlike the last one they’d taken of Everleigh and Lucas. They’d been standing further away at that point. Someone had to be following her around. They wouldn’t randomly just capture these things, not at the times they’d been taken.
My hand slipped down her shirt in the video, and I pinched her nipple, making her yelp while my other hand was firm around her throat. Kash and Jameson were watching from their own devices, their expressions unreadable.
Kash laughed when she kneed me in the dick, making me buckle to my knees on the hard ground. They were still sore from that incident. She threaded her fingers through my hair and told me not to touch her again right before she spat in my face.
“Damn,” Jameson commented, glancing over at Kash. “That was hot.”
I swallowed thickly, knowing exactly what was about to happen. I doubted they’d be as invested in the video then. When she moved to walk away, I grabbed her, pulling her into my lap. My lips crashed against hers and you could see her struggling to get away from me. I had to admit, it looked pretty fucked up on my end—almost like I was forcing myself on her. Finally, she slackened against me and kissed me back.
The video ended moments later.
I pocketed my phone again, trying to push out the warring emotions I’d felt when her lips were on mine.
“What kind of game are you playing at?” Kash snapped. “Did Everleigh even know you were dating Briley at that point?”
I ran a hand up the back of my neck. “No,” I admitted. “But it wasn’t like I expected to kiss her. It just happened. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“That’s going to cause all sorts of issues, dude,” Jameson cut in. “Her sister is going to be pissed. Lucas is probably going to start a fight with her, and if she hasn’t told Amber about it…” he trailed off, shaking his head.
“Good.” I shrugged. “I really don’t give a fuck.”
I was more concerned about Everleigh being stalked than about her being interrogated. That just meant they were doing part of the work for me, and I wouldn’t complain about small favors.
“Ashton.” Kash gave me a pointed look. “I thought we agreed to give her a break.”
“We did. I’m not the one who posted that video, and the kiss happened last night. Nothing I can really do about it now.”
He mulled that over for a second, but realized I was right. He blew out a breath, his jaw ticking with frustration. Was he…jealous? No. He never liked Everleigh like that. He’d agreed to fuck her because she was hot and had a nice body. That was where his attraction ended for her. They’d be as close as platonic friends could be without crossing any major lines. Her relationship with Jamie had bordered on something else entirely.
“You know what?” Jameson said thoughtfully. “Fuck it. We came here to make her life hell. Who cares if she’s a little heartbroken. That’s the fucking point. So, yeah. We’ll give her a break to mourn her mom and to adjust to Ashton’s new relationship. But this is the final break she gets.”
A grin stretched across my face at the sound of that and I nodded. Kash didn’t seem as eager, though.
“You’re right.” He sighed. “Maybe I was going a little soft. But I’m in.” He sounded more confident this time, so I had no reason to doubt him.
Their reassurance lit another fire deep inside me. One more potent this time. They just confirmed what I already knew. That they weren’t backing down regardless of how they felt about it. They might not always agree with my methods, but that was fine. They wouldn’t stop me, and they wouldn’t bow out, either.