Chapter 20 Ash
The drive back to school was quiet. Red spent the time staring out the window, and Ava looked down at her hands in sadness for most of it.
Jett was staring straight ahead, seemingly indifferent, but I knew my cousin.
I saw the tension as he flexed and unflexed his fist. Jett was going to blow, and I wasn’t sure we would get Red back if both twins went off on her today.
“Do you need into the apartment?” I asked her as we entered under the large arch that declared you were at Cardinal Saints College.
“Tonight or in general?” she quipped back, her voice heavy with scorn, and I saw my cousin clench his jaw when his girlfriend gave a small sigh.
“Tonight. Ava already picked up some of your stuff,” I told her with a hard warning glare at her in the rearview.
“Well then, I guess that’s alright then,” she snarked at me.
Biting back my own retort, I saw Ava shake her head and look out over the grounds.
“Why don’t you stop being a bitch and realize we’re all in this together,” Jett suddenly snapped.
And there went our chance of making this work.
“Excuse me?” Red looked shocked, and I saw Ava drop her head into her hands. “I’m what now?”
Jett turned swiftly in the front seat and pierced her with his glare.
Having been on the end of that glare many a time, I understood why Red flinched.
“You’re being a bitch,” he spoke clearly and calmly, which was misleading because I knew Jett was a long way from calm.
“My best friend is in trouble, real trouble, and all you care about is how it inconveniences you. You resent Ava’s new friendships and relationships, and I’m going to make this very clear and simple for you . . . too fucking bad.”
“Jett,” Ava’s reprimand was low but angry.
“No, she needs to hear it. She’s being selfish.
She’s been selfish ever since I met her, and you’re too loyal to hear it.
” Jett returned his hard look to Red. “You get stage fright? Fuck off. You’re the most self-centered person I’ve ever met, and I grew up with a twin who’s emotionally handicapped. ”
It was not the right time or place for my snort of laughter, but it was reactive to a tense situation.
Jett was not to be deterred. “You left Ava that night of the party; you leave her every time you’re out together.
When you’re in the same apartment, you lock your bedroom door and practice and leave her again.
She is always alone even when she is with you.
And now, Ava has relationships that don’t need you — she does not need you — and you just can’t fucking handle that. ”
“Jett!” Ava’s cry was louder as she stared at him in astonishment.
“You left your best friend to walk home when she was too hammered to stay upright because you’d hooked up with some random guy. You’re fucking lucky it was me Ava met. If Derrick had got what he wanted, how would you feel? Guilty? Do you even know what that means?”
Red was white with shock or anger, I wasn’t sure. “I didn’t know she was—”
“You didn’t know because you didn’t care.” Jett was fury beside me. “Every party I’ve ever seen you at, every time in the bar, you never know where she is. You never spend your time with her, because beside Ava, you’re not the center of attention.”
“Jett, seriously, that’s enough,” Ava’s voice was hard.
“And you know why you don’t spend time with her? Because you knew and we’ve proven it, she doesn’t need you. Ava is amazing, and her friendship with Quinn is something you hate. You think I’m possessive? I’m not possessive, I just spend the time with her that she deserves.”
“Could you stop?” Ava shouted at him.
“No.” His hard stare at Red didn’t waver. “My best friend is in trouble, my girlfriend could be vulnerable, my whole entire focus is on keeping them safe, but Ava, being the perfect person she is, made us include you. No one wanted you involved. No one wanted you. And you know it.”
“Are you done?” Red asked quietly.
“With you? Definitely.”
“I think we’ve all heard enough,” I said in the quiet of the car. They hadn’t noticed that we were outside the football house. “We’re here.”
Jett turned in his seat and, in one swift motion, was out of the car. I saw Red relax slightly before Ava’s car door opened, and my cousin’s hand extended toward her.
“I’m staying with Mia,” Ava said softly. “You need to look after your best friend, and I need to look after mine.”
The whole car shook with the force with which he closed the door.
I waited, facing forward, but my eyes were on the redhead in the back seat. Hazel eyes met mine, and I saw the pain there.
“I’ll take you to the admin building,” I said softly.
“Thank you.” Ava’s voice was a whisper, and I made the short drive to the main building.
I had the things from the apartment that Ava had picked up earlier and two bags of shopping in the trunk. As the girls got out, I saw the uneasiness between the two of them.
“C’mon, I can make this move along quicker.”
In the admin building, I pulled the Santo legacy rank and got them in a room within half an hour.
I looked around the suite: a couch, a desk, a TV.
Off to the side was an archway that led to twin beds and a closet.
A door in the bedroom led to an adjacent bathroom.
Neither girl looked at me or each other as they stood in the middle of the small suite.
Ironically, it was almost the same size as their apartment — they just didn’t have a kitchen.
“Tensions are high,” I said to them, and Ava nodded once before she locked herself in the bathroom.
“You okay?” I asked Red.
I almost thought she didn’t hear me, but then she looked up at me, and I saw the hurt again. I crossed the room quickly, and she was in my arms as I hugged her close.
“I don’t leave her intentionally,” she whispered. “She just never follows.”
The thought that Ava was a follower of any kind made me chuckle. The girl was so incredibly independent that it was a wonder she consented to being in a relationship with Jett.
“Do you think I’m selfish?” she whispered against my chest.
“Honestly? I don’t know you well enough,” I told her, and felt her stiffen. “But Ava does, and she’s really fucking loyal, so I’m going to trust her judgment.”
Red stepped back as she rubbed her nose. “Well, her current loyalties leave a lot to be desired,” she said.
Looking over to the bathroom door, I pulled my phone out of my pocket. “I give him ten more minutes,” I said gruffly.
“You give him too much credit.” Red dropped onto the sofa. “He’ll already be downstairs.”
She was probably right. This was a shitshow, and I wasn’t sure how to fix it. My mediation skills were usually between my cousins, not girls.
“Okay, I can fix this.” Crossing the room, I knocked on the bathroom door. “Yo, little slugger,” I called through the door. “Come out.”
I heard Ava’s reluctant laugh, and then the door opened. She looked past me at Red warily.
“Okay, we have about ten minutes before one or both twins come through the door,” I told her diplomatically. Ava looked like she was going to object. “Ava, trust me, you aren’t getting away from him. He’s in protective mode; the guy will sleep in here if you don’t leave.”
“You make him sound like a crazy person,” Ava mumbled as she shoved her hands in her jean pockets.
“Because he is,” I told her honestly, and I heard Red agree. “Now, you two need to take — wait, how long have you known each other?”
“Since we were four,” Red spoke from the couch.
“Right, one shit fit from Jett isn’t going to fuck you up now, is it?
” I looked between the two of them. I focused on Red, my hand gesturing to Ava.
“She cried when you were singing, she was so proud of you. And you,” I turned to Ava, “she let me redecorate your home so you would be safe and not worry about her.”
“I knew it wa—” Red was on her feet.
“Shush, we can fight another time. You have enough people against you just now. Park this fight with me when you have more energy and allies.” I looked between them. “Girls . . . don’t let me down, you know I’m right. Now, let’s have a hot threesome and move on.”
My joke worked, and they both started laughing as I waggled my eyebrows.
“I don’t mean to always leave you,” Red spoke up.
“I don’t mean to wander off,” Ava admitted. “I know I’ve dived deep into this with Jett, and it’s strange, but he’s . . .”
“The love of your life, I know.” Red smiled before she frowned again. “And I really hate what’s happening to Quinn, but I’m not going back to that house,” she added with a stubborn glare my way.
“We know, we didn’t expect a miracle. Well, Gray did, but he’s not thinking too clearly right now,” I said as I observed the two beds in the bedroom. “I’m never going to fit in there.”
“Why would you need to fit?” Red asked me curiously. When she saw my face, she groaned. “Seriously? You can’t stay with me.”
“Yes, I can. I needed Ava to make admin think you were both here. Her job’s done. Jett will be outside . . .” I checked my phone and saw his message.
Jett: Is it done?
Me: Yup
“So, hug, kiss, tongues are fine if you must, and then Red, you can tell me about your set today while I find the game.”
Red was staring at me in confusion. “You planned this?”
“No, that’s ridiculous, that makes me a genius or something.” I grinned at her. “I just adapted to the current situation.”
“I want to hear about the set too,” Ava said as she crossed the room and sat beside Red.
“Psycho is outside,” Red reminded her.
“Yeah, well, my boyfriend is most likely the love of my life like you said, but he was a dick to you, so he can wait.”
Both girls looked at me expectantly. This was their line in the sand. Alright then. “Fine, I’ll tell him.” Making my way down the large staircase, I found Jett sitting on a chair at the entrance.
“She ready?”
“You need to apologize to them both.”
Jett stared at me and then shook his head. “Not happening.”
“Why is everyone so against this girl?” I wondered out loud.
“I don’t like her,” Jett said stubbornly.
“You don’t like anyone,” I reasoned.
“Gray doesn’t like her.”
“Gray likes fewer people than you do. He puts the A in antisocial.” Scratching my jaw, I looked at him. “She isn’t going to go anywhere. Your girl is loyal, and she just showed you that. You ask her to choose, you lose.”
Jett’s look was sharp before he cursed loudly and started to pace. “Ava is mine.”
“Ava is nineteen, she can think for herself,” I reminded him.
“I’m not apologizing. I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”
“And I actually think Red heard that, but the way you said it . . . Well.” I shrugged as I looked up the stairs. “It wasn’t cool.”
“You’re full of shit,” he scoffed. “You don’t give a fuck if she’s here or not. You’re only interested in the fact wherever she is means you don’t need to be seeing my twin and Quinn together.”
So? What if it did? Was it a crime? No.
“We’re all a little broken; you just need to know what causes more cracks and what shatters you completely.”
Jett looked up the stairs. “Gray going to cause you to shatter, cousin?”
“No,” I answered. “But right now, I don’t need any more cracks.”
Jett nodded as he listened to me. “I agree. Okay, so we do it this way.”
“We do it this way, and both you and Gray leave her the hell alone.” I saw his doubtful expression. “Her temper matches her hair color. She isn’t a pushover, and I have to live with her until this is over, so please, if not for her or Ava, do it for me.”
“Fine.” Jett resumed his seat, his legs stretching out in front of him. “Want to talk football?”
“Always,” I answered as I took a seat beside him.
“Gray thinks his hand is healing better than we thought, so we may get him back for the championship game.”
My brow furrowed as I remembered yesterday’s game. “If we get there,” I said under my breath.
“We’ll get there.” Jett sounded so confident that I almost believed him. “Kentucky will lose, they will, and then it’s us and Alabama. Again.”
“Again,” I echoed grimly.
“But this time, we’ll have Gray.” Jett leaned forward eagerly as he spoke, and as always, I was caught up in his energy. “With Gray, we can beat them.”
“Let’s focus on the game on Saturday first,” I cautioned him. “But yeah.” I grinned as we shared a look. “We can beat them if we have Gray back.”
As the two of us sat and spoke about football and the upcoming games, Ava eventually came down the stairs. She looked happier than when I left her, and Jett was on his feet at the foot of the stairs, waiting for her before she reached the floor.
“You okay?” he asked her as he reached out for her.
“You’re a major dick,” she greeted him.
“I know, but you know you love me anyway,” he said as he wrapped his arms around her. “She treats you badly,” he defended himself.
“She doesn’t. You’ve seen a snippet into our lives that’s been filled with drink-spiking, Quinn’s troubles, and absolute change.
My best friend, listen to me,” she warned him when he was about to interrupt her, “my best friend is not who you painted her as, either you or your brother. Do you trust me?” she asked him, and he nodded.
“Then trust me and be nicer to my friend.”
I was holding my breath, and I didn’t even know why.
“I’m sorry.”
Fuck, she really did own his balls. My mouth had to be hanging open, because when he hugged his girl, little fearless Ava gave me a triumphant wink over his shoulder, and I had to stop myself from laughing out loud.
When they broke apart, I schooled my features, and as Ava passed me, she hugged me briefly. “She’s all yours.”
That dark inner thing poked its head up again inside of me. Mine. What was happening to me? I wasn’t my cousins; I didn’t claim women. “Do you think I can get store credit if I was to return her?” I asked seriously.