Chapter 32
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
Ashton
Aryia - Twisted Love
I ’d stupidly let my mom talk me into visiting again. It wouldn’t have been so bad if Dakota wasn’t also here. Astrid was rocking the baby between her arms, staring at the small child with love and adoration. It was around seven in the evening, and I really just wanted to go home and sleep. Soccer practice was extensive and then we had the whole mess with Everleigh, Briley, and Lucas.
Dad and Dakota were laughing about something, and it had me gritting my teeth. Logically, I knew he was their son. They loved him unconditionally as they loved me, but it still pissed me the hell off.
I was seated in the armchair across the room while they took up the couch. The last time I was here, Everleigh was in my lap, and it had been a decent distraction. As much as having her here pissed me off, not having her here pissed me off even more.
I didn’t even know what they were talking about. But Dakota’s words sliced through my internal thoughts, pulling me back to reality.
“I know.” He chuckled. “He’s an idiot. Pics or it didn’t happen, right?” All I knew was that they were talking about work related bullshit, but his words cut through something deep within me. I just didn’t understand why.
Mom shook her head in amusement, clinging onto every word my brother said. I bit the inside of my cheek, ready to get this visit over with. I mostly just showed up because I felt bad for my mom. Her husband worked all the time, and both her kids were moved out of the house. She was probably lonely.
Annoyance surged through me. I didn’t want to be here. I didn’t want to see his face. The fact that Astrid knew what he did and still stuck by his side after he cheated on her with an underaged girl, spoke volumes. They fucking deserved each other.
I shoved myself to my feet abruptly, anger simmering beneath my skin. My mom glanced over at me with concern flickering across her face.
“Is everything alright?” she asked, capturing the attention of everyone else in the room.
I swallowed past the lump in my throat. “Yeah. I’m just tired. I had a long day at school. I’ll swing by next week for dinner.”
A frown tugged at her lips, but if she wanted to say something against it, she didn’t. “Oh, okay.”
I sighed, crossing the living room in a few long strides. I dropped a kiss to the top of her head in reassurance.
“Dinner will be at your brother’s next week,” she said once I pulled away.
My jaw tightened, but I jerked my head in a nod of confirmation. I wasn’t even sure I’d be attending. It felt like my mom was trying to force me and Dakota together again.
I blew out a breath and made my way outside. The sun had slipped behind the trees, casting a dark hue over the yard. The chilly weather had goosebumps prickling along my skin, reminding me that fall was fast approaching. Good thing we had an indoor swimming pool at the frat house, otherwise we’d all be freezing our tits off.
My shoes scuffed along the pathway as I navigated my way to my Challenger and slipped inside the driver’s seat. The leather was cool against my skin, erupting a series of chills.
My intention was to go straight home after visiting my parents, so when I found myself cruising down Everleigh’s street, I was a little surprised to say the least. My mind was on autopilot. No matter how much I tried, I couldn’t get her out of my head. I hit the brakes a little harder than necessary, causing my vehicle to jerk to a sudden stop. There was a car I didn’t recognize sitting beside the curb of her house. Whoever it was, they came from money. The new edition Lambo was proof of that. My gaze snagged on the vehicle in her driveway, and I immediately sensed there would be drama brewing. Lucas was here, and by the looks of it, he was already inside.
Everleigh was walking through her yard, wearing nothing but a black robe. The material barely covered her ass, and a surge of anger flared up inside of me. Who was in the fucking Lamborghini? I tried to get a good look, but it was dark out and his windows were tinted.
The shadows of the darkened road hid me from view, but I could see every part of her front yard from where that asshole’s headlights lit up the area.
As soon as this piece of shit that Everleigh had been fucking moved, I’d pull up. But he didn’t seem to be in much of a hurry. Silence stretched around me like a thick blanket of ice. My breathing was uneven as jealousy coursed through my veins. Was this the bastard Kash and Jamie were talking about? The dickwad who had lingerie delivered to her in the middle of class.
Shouting sounded from inside the house, followed by Everleigh’s scream. Panic jolted through my chest and my hand was on my door handle before I could even think about it. But the asshole with the sports car beat me to it, climbing out of his vehicle wearing a dark suit. His back was to me, but there was something vaguely familiar about him. He slammed the door of his car and hurried through her yard before slipping into the house.
My gaze darted back to his car, and it was almost too fucking easy. I stepped out onto the pavement, keeping to the shadows as I hurried to his vehicle and grabbed the handle. I jerked the front door open and slipped inside. There was a briefcase in the backseat, but not much else. I started rummaging through his center console, my eyes snagging on a black leather wallet. A grin hooked the corners of my mouth. Idiot. Taking the object in my hands, I flipped it open, allowing my gaze to roam over his ID.
My eyes widened in surprise as I took in the name.
Dallas Fisher. Male. Age twenty-eight.
I’ve met him before. Jameson’s dad cheated on his mom with Dallas’s mom. Needless to say, they weren’t the best of friends. What was he doing with Everleigh of all people? How the hell did they even cross paths?
I blew out a breath, shoving his wallet back into the center console before stepping out of the vehicle. Shouting punctured the air, indicating that there was indeed drama happening from within the house. Lucas clearly couldn’t take a fucking hint. Only a few hours ago, he’d been caught screwing Briley—his girlfriend’s little sister, and thought it would be a good fucking idea to show up here unannounced.
I made my way through the yard and up the front steps of the worn-down porch. I didn’t bother knocking, opting to push through the door instead. Everleigh looked over at me in alarm, her hand clutching the side of her face. On the floor, Lucas was sprawled out with Dallas hovering above him. This was like the fourth time that asshole has gotten beaten up this week. At least he was persistent.
“What the hell is going on here?” I snapped, letting the door fall closed behind me.
Dallas looked over, his eyes widening a fraction when he recognized me. Blood coated his hands, and he simply reached into the front pocket of his suit and wiped them off with a handkerchief, like that was meant to help. It was fucking blood .
“Nothing,” Everleigh answered. “Why are you here?”
I was hoping to avoid that question, since I had no logical explanation for it. I could simply ignore her. But she was a stubborn little bitch sometimes.
Lucas scrambled to his feet, wiping at the blood pouring from his nose. It was a wonder how it hadn’t managed to break yet. The dude could clearly take a hit. He kept getting his ass handed to him and kept coming back for more.
“I was in the neighborhood.” I shrugged, tearing my gaze away from the blonde version of Ned Flanders. Fucking loser.
She narrowed her eyes at me, keeping her hand firmly pressed to cheek. “You were just…chilling on the north side?” she asked skeptically.
“Does it really matter why I’m here?” I demanded. “What the hell is going on?” I waved a hand around the room for emphasis. I wasn’t answering any more of her questions until someone answered mine.
Dallas apparently decided that was his cue and took off across the living room, only stopping when he reached the door. He glanced at Everleigh over his shoulder with an unreadable expression imprinted into his features. “Don’t forget what we talked about.” Turning to me, he gave me a slight nod of acknowledgement before slipping through the front door.
“Asshole,” she muttered under her breath, glaring at the empty spot he’d just been standing in.
I sighed in exasperation. Was nobody going to fill me in? Turning to Lucas, I narrowed my eyes. “What happened?”
His eyes widened comically, and he opened and closed his mouth a number of times before words finally spilled from his lips. “I just came here to talk man, I swear.” He glanced over at Eve who shifted uncomfortably on the balls of her feet, giving away her anxiousness. “Things escalated.”
Everleigh scoffed. “Escalated? You fucking hit me, asshole.”
My entire body went rigid. I’ve had a long fucking day and didn’t want to put up with this asshole, but I’d beat his ass again if need be. Not that it would do any good; it certainly hasn’t done much so far. I could probably kill him. Kash’s grandparents owned a pig farm in the south. The mere thought of having this piece of shit die at my hand was more appealing than it probably should have been. I’d never killed anyone in my life, but he hit Everleigh. It didn’t matter how pissed off at her I was, or how much I loathed her very existence, I’d never lift a fucking hand to her.
Only pussy ass bitch boys would do something like that. If she didn’t want to speak to him, it was his own damn fault. Against my better judgment, I reined in my temper. It wasn’t like I could do much about it now. But maybe he could be of use.
“Has he ever done that before?” I asked, glancing over at Eve.
She shook her head. “It just happened so fast, it barely even registered.”
I turned to Lucas. “Will it happen again?”
“No,” he blurted out with wide eyes. “I didn’t even mean to.” He blew out a breath, tearing his hands through his hair and getting blood in the light strands. “I reacted without thinking. I’m sorry, Everleigh. Truly. Please, believe that. I just wanted to talk to you and try working this out, but you were so dismissive…” he trailed off.
I had no reason to suspect he’d do it again. They weren’t together anymore. She needed to keep her house locked when she wasn’t home. What the hell was she thinking? “Everleigh is off limits to you,” I said slowly. “If I catch you talking to her, trying to talk to her, or doing anything that might make her uncomfortable, I’ll do more than beat your face in. I’ll obliterate you until there’s nothing left for the cops to find. With that being said, once I’m done with her, I’ll have her hand-delivered to you directly, and you can do whatever you want with her.”
Everleigh’s eyes snapped to mine in shock, like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing. But I didn’t give a shit. She wasn’t mine and I owed her no protection. I just didn’t need this douchebag getting in my way.
“And when will that be?” Lucas asked cautiously.
“Soon. I only need her for a little while longer. After that, she’s dead to me.”
It was finally Saturday, which meant getting ready for the pool party tonight. Jameson and Kash were on liquor duty, leaving me to take care of the less fun things, like decorating. I didn’t understand the point of decorating. Everyone was going to be too drunk to give a shit about any of the decorations. Hell, they probably wouldn’t even remember where they were by the end of the night. We’d already taken care of most of the dust that had formed near the corners of the ceiling and fans. As well as the vents, furniture, and other places it had built over time. The frat house was quickly coming together.
My muscles strained as I worked to push the large pool table near the front of the loft where it belonged. I probably should have waited for the guys to get back so they could help with this part, but fuck it. We could use the dining table downstairs for beer pong. The thought was an appealing one. All the girls would be naked, so their tits would be jiggling whenever they moved to toss a ball into one of the cups, or when they played pool even. Most people would probably stick to the actual pool, though. That’s what they were coming here for, after all.
The table was loud against the wooden floor, scraping against it as I shoved the table into its rightful place.
Once satisfied with its new positioning, I released a breath and popped my back before jogging down the steps. I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and guzzled a decent amount before returning it. I think a break was in order.
Just as I was entering the living room, the front door swung open and Jameson and Kash staggered inside with bags in either hand.
Jameson glanced around with his lips drawn tight. “Did you even do anything?” he asked, moving toward the kitchen to set up the drinks.
I rolled my eyes, opting to join them by the center island. Jamie placed a bag on the counter and worked to remove the bottles from within it. “No,” I retorted dryly. “I’ve just been standing here the entire time waiting on you to get back.”
Kash snorted in amusement. “Looks that way.”
“Asshole. You were gone for less than thirty minutes.” I didn’t bother telling them what all I have done, because they could simply just go look for themselves. Plus, they were getting on my damn nerves.
I huffed out a breath when neither of them bothered to reply. Instead, they worked on setting all the hard liquor on the counter and placing the cold ones in the fridge.
“Are we using an ice chest?” Jameson asked, motioning to the Jello shots within Kash’s hands. “It’ll be annoying having to go to and from the pool room for drinks.”
I nodded in agreement. “I think there’s one in the basement, actually.”
“Thank fuck,” Kash murmured. “I did not want to go back to the store.”
I rolled my eyes and ventured back into the living room, dropping down on the couch. There were still a few more hours before guests would be showing up, and I fully intended on relishing the last bit of free time I had left.
Once the guys had the alcohol all put up, they joined me in the main room and took the other seats available on the couch. Jameson passed me a beer and I quickly popped the top off before bringing it to my lips. The bitter substance slid down my throat with ease. My mind has been a mess with everything that took place last night, and I still haven’t filled them in on it.
“Have you spoken to Amber?” Kash asked, cutting through the silence along with my inner turmoil.
Jameson tightened his jaw and shot me a glare, like it was my fault he cheated on her. I didn’t even think he gave a shit about her, but maybe I was wrong. “Nope. She’s been ignoring all my texts and calls. I’m pretty sure she blocked me on everything.” He took a drink from his own beer and settled back into the cushions. “Anytime we pass one another in the hallway, she acts like she doesn’t see me.”
“Maybe it’s for the best,” I offered. “You didn’t seem that into her to begin with. At least now, you don’t have to pretend.”
Jameson scoffed, glaring down at his drink. “Like you are?” he countered.
Confusion jolted through me at his response, and I racked my brain for what he might have been insinuating. “What?” I asked dumbly.
“Like you are,” he repeated, turning to face me. “You keep pretending to hate Everleigh, but anyone with eyes can see that’s not the fucking case. Either you’re lying to us about what this is, or you’re lying to yourself.” He shook his head in exasperation. “I’m done with this scheming bullshit. It’s not doing anyone any good. It’s a goddamn fixation. You need help, Ash.”
I bristled at that. He just told me I needed to see a fucking shrink. Huffing out a breath, I took a long swig of my drink before touching that comment. “You sure about that?” I asked cooly.
Kash shifted uncomfortably, seeming to be torn on who to side with. “I think James is right. We’ve already done a decent amount of damage.”
I ignored him, my attention still pinned on Jameson, who was now looking at me with furrowed eyebrows. He jerked a reluctant nod, like he was afraid I might lash out. “Then you’ll be perfectly fine with who Everleigh has been fucking,” I hedged with condescension threaded throughout my tone.
I wasn’t the only one pretending. Jameson has had it bad for her for years, and that clearly hasn’t changed. He was a fucking hypocrite.
“What are you not telling us?” Kash demanded.
A small smile tugged at my lips, but it was far from amusing. In fact, I was pissed. “On the way back from visiting my parents, I drove by her house.” I paused, waiting for that part to sink in before continuing. “Dallas Fisher was there.”
Something dark flashed across Jameson’s face, his head reeling while he processed that information. Despite their parents’ affair, and it being Dallas’s fault or Jameson’s, Jamie still held a grudge against him for it. “You’re sure they were fucking?” he asked hesitantly, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.
I released a humorless laugh. “She was walking from his car, wearing nothing but a skimpy little robe.”
Kash furrowed his eyebrows. “The lingerie was probably beneath it,” he added. “Daddy D stands for Dallas.” He was talking more to himself at this point as the puzzle pieces clicked together. He grimaced. “Who the fuck calls themselves Daddy ?”
I snorted a laugh, wondering the same thing. Were women actually into that? Everleigh could be one kinky bitch, but I never imagined that she’d be into the whole ‘daddy kink’ thing.
Our phones all rang out in synchronization, cutting off any further words we might have had about the topic. I groaned, knowing it was going to be something in that damn group.
Whipping out my cell, I clicked in on the notification, skimming over the photo. It was pretty mild with all things considered. It was a photo taken of Everleigh right after she caught Lucas and Briley together. Jameson was holding her against him, staring down at her like she was the only thing that mattered.
“Looks like the stalker is getting lazy,” Kash surmised.
I nodded in agreement, looking over the caption.
Is she working her way through Banks’ friend group? Are they ‘all’ fucking her? #LittleMissWhore #SoccerCaptainUpToNoGood #EverleighKnight #JamesonDecker
Jameson rolled his eyes. “Anonymous as always,” he unhelpfully pointed out, like we couldn’t see that for ourselves.
As long as this asshole didn’t post anything regarding Lucas getting his face smashed in, I didn’t give a shit. Whoever this person was, they seemed more concerned with Everleigh than anything else. It seemed pretty tame, all things considered. Just photos and videos as far as I knew. But I suppose only time would tell.
The party was in full swing by the time I managed to make it down the stairs. All of the girls were naked, dancing around the living room as they awaited their orders.
If I was being honest, I wasn’t feeling it. There was just something so dull about it that I couldn’t quite put my finger on. My gaze drifted through the room, skittering over the assortment of people occupying it.
Kash was leaning against the wall with a beer in his hand, his eyes barely skating over the women before he rolled them and took a large swig. Clearly, I wasn’t the only one. The sooner we could get this shit taken care of, the better.
I was about to make a beeline for the kitchen when a very naked Briley stepped in my path—tiny tits and all.
Jesus’ fuck. This girl couldn’t take a hint.
“Hey, Ash.” She smiled up at me with big brown eyes. They were similar to her sister’s but not quite.
“What are you doing here?” I demanded.
Her smile faltered momentarily before she drew her lips into a thin line, trying to fake a persona for anyone who dared to look this way. “I-I just wanted to speak to you.”
Annoyance skittered down my spine. “I have nothing to say to you. Either go bother someone else or get the fuck out of my house.”
Her lips parted in surprise, but she stumbled back a step. “Sorry,” she mumbled. “I’ll leave you alone.” She turned on her heels and hurriedly made her way through the several bodies blocking her path.
Even though I’d just stepped into the living room, the urge to head back to my bed and burrow beneath my comforter was strong. I glanced over at Kash who raised an eyebrow once our gazes clashed.
Sighing, I turned and moved in the direction of the stairs. Fuck this shit. None of this appealed to me in the slightest. And it was all because of her . Everleigh fucking Knight. The girl I couldn’t get out of my head even if I tried.