Chapter 35
Chapter
Thirty-Five
Salem
A faint sliver of sunlight has crested the horizon when I finally find them in some random neighborhood.
Huck’s sitting on the tailgate with his arms crossed. Even from this distance, I can tell that his jaw is clenched tight. Arya’s on the curb a few feet away, elbows on her knees. Makeup streaks down her face, running from red and puffy eyes.
Neither of them speaks when I get out of the car. “Want to tell me what the hell happened?”
Arya doesn’t even blink, just stares down at her shoes.
“She won't talk to me,” Huck mutters, sliding off the truck. “Maybe you'll have better luck. I'm heading back.”
We trade keys and I realize a moment too late what he’s going to find when he opens the door to his Audi. Dark eyes swing toward me in outrage. “Is that a condom in the cup holder? Why the fuck is it glowing?”
“Sorry. I'll pay to have the seats cleaned.”
His nostrils flare wide. “And the paint buffed. And waxed. And my goddamn oil changed!” His voice vanishes as he slides into the driver seat.
Waving my hand dismissively, I drop onto the curb next to my friend. “Yeah, yeah. Whatever you say.”
“There's rice in the subwoofer!”
I wait until his taillights disappear around the corner before daring speak. “So. Talk to me.”
Arya still doesn’t look up. She plucks at a thread on her skirt, lips pulled tight. “Do I have to?”
“I'd really like it if you did.”
She lets out a shaky breath as fresh tears track down her cheeks. “I was pissed at Christian. I don’t even know why exactly. I guess… he started getting all weird and possessive, and I didn't like it. Just because I enjoy being bossed around in bed doesn't mean it applies to everything.”
My brows jump high. “So you slept with Devon?”
“It wasn’t planned, okay? It just happened. He said some shit about me being my own person and not letting Christian control me. It felt right. We had a good thing going. Christian's never had an issue with sharing before, but suddenly Dev is off limits? I don't get it.”
Oh.
Oh, shit.
The realization hits me like a sucker punch to the chest, her words still hanging in the air.
I rest back onto my hands as it all falls into place.
Every tense silence these past few weeks, every time Christian avoided eye contact with Devon.
The way he looked gutted tonight, not just angry. That man was betrayed.
But it wasn’t about Arya.
It was about Devon.
Arya continues on with a sniffle. “I know he cares about me, but I've had enough. Devon is my friend, too.”
“Did Christian say why he wanted to end things with Dev?”
“Some bullshit story about bro code,” she huffs. “Devon is your ex and also slept with Logan or whatever. There was something about Xed, too. He said it made him a bad friend to keep fucking around, but he knew about you and Xed before this started. I think he was lying.”
Yeah, me too.
Great. Now, who the hell am I supposed to be mad at? What's worse: a physical cheater or an emotional one?
This is all Devon’s fucking fault.
“I don’t think this was about you,” I murmur softly, throwing my arm around her shoulders.
Arya searches my face with trembling lips before nodding resignedly. “I think I knew that. I think… I just wanted to hurt him before he hurt me.”
My chest tightens painfully. “Yeah. I get that.”
Maybe that’s what we’ve all been doing this entire tour—shoving ahead to throw the first punch. Somewhere subconsciously, I did the same thing to Logan. We were never destined for a happy ending, and I had to break his heart before it broke mine to leave him.
“Maybe we're both just better off alone,” I whisper, remembering Logan’s reaction when I told him about the photographer gig.
Arya sighs heavily. “We should just date each other.”
Releasing a snort, I pull her in for a kiss. “I like the lips on your face. The ones between your legs aren't for me.”
“Lavender marriage? We can be sister wives.”
“I'd actually have to get divorced for that to happen.”
She laughs, wiping her runny nose on my flannel sleeve.
I gag and yank it back. We grin at each other, heartbreak momentarily forgotten when she launches herself into my lap and tries to steal another kiss.
She's got me flat on my back with my arms raised in defense the moment my cell starts to ring.
“Get your snotty face away from me,” I growl, yanking my phone out of my pocket. Taylor's contact photo lights up the screen—a selfie of us with his cat Lasagna from high school. Answering the call, I attempt to fend Arya off with my other hand. “Hey, we're heading back soon—”
“Salem.” Tay chokes on a sob, his voice ragged in a way I’ve only heard once in our entire lives—the night Huck almost died.
I bolt upright and shove Arya aside. “What happened?”
He pauses, nothing more than the sound of shaky breath filtering through the speaker. “It’s Logan and Dev. They crashed his bike.”
My stomach drops through the pavement. “What?”
“They were coming back, I think, and… fuck! I don’t know all the details yet, but Huck is Logan’s emergency contact and a cop called from the hospital. It's bad, Sal. Really bad.”
Shooting to my feet, I make a beeline for the truck. “Where are they? What hospital?”
Taylor rattles off the name, but it’s a blur through the sudden ringing in my ears. Every nerve in my body pulls taut.
“We’re on our way.”
“Salem—”
I hang up before he can finish, unable to handle any more words from him. Not right now.
Arya yelps when I double back and haul her into the passenger seat. “What’s going on?”
“They crashed,” I manage, sliding behind the wheel. My shaking hands struggle to get the key in the ignition. “Logan and Devon. They crashed the bike.”
Her mouth pops open as the blood drains from her face. “How?”
I gun the motor and toss her my phone so she can type in the address that Taylor just texted. “I don't know.”
“But they're gonna be okay, right?”
“I don't know, Arya.”
She's silent for a long moment. “They are. They have to be.”
I hope so. God, I fucking hope so.
Please be okay, Logan. Please be okay.