But his interpretation of the bruise on my wrist, mixed with Dex’s attitude, led him to spill the Brandon secret everywhere. It ’ s the lesser of two evil secrets, G. I had to chant that in my head on repeat.
Ember cleared her throat. “I’ve known CJ a long time—”
“Not as long as I have.”
Ember rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ve known him long enough to know that he basically doesn’t give a shit about anyone. Except you.”
I cleared my throat to keep the vice at bay. “Yeah, so?”
My eyes burned like hell, but I wasn’t about to give in to tears. CJ betrayed my trust.
Before she could respond, a loud knock rattled the door.
“Ember, you in there? It’s Bo ... and Regan.”
“Can they come in?” Ember tucked some hair behind her ear.
I shrugged. “I guess. I’ve got to get back to work anyway.” I started for the door, but Ember held up her arm.
“Just wait until we can be sure he’s gone, okay?”
I conceded, leaning back against the door. This was the wrong kind of attention. All wrong. It could have been worse, though. I had to repeat that in my head. Some secrets were so deep I could hardly feel their roots in my veins when I was in mixed company.
That’s a lie. They were always there. The secrets. Snacking on my soul.
Ember slowly slid the chain out of place and let her arm fall loosely at her side as she stepped back. “Is he gone?” She looked between Bo and Regan as she re-latched the door behind them.
“He is,” Regan answered. “I double checked with Lissa. His friends dragged him out. He was pretty drunk.”
“That doesn’t matter, Regan,” Ember snapped.
Bo hesitantly placed his hands on her shoulders, lifting a finger to her chin when she wouldn’t look at him right away. “He knows, Ember. He was just saying...”
“Sorry.” She sighed. “Where’s CJ?”
Regan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “My car. The sooner I get him home, the better.”
I stared at Regan’s tattered Converses. Old, not purchased that way. “No one called the cops, right?”
His weight shifted to his left foot. “Right. If you don’t want to be alone tonight, you can come stay—”
“No.”
“Georgia,” Bo spoke in the same nursery rhyme volume Ember had pestered me with since she followed me back here, “Lissa said for us to tell you that you can go home for the night. Use the back door...”
“What?” I looked around at three apparently concerned faces. “Like I’m a refugee? Christ, nothing happened .”
Ember opened her mouth to speak.
“No,” I stopped her. “Nothing happened. Dex is gone. And, I intend to finish out the rest of my shift so I can earn my money. Some of us don’t have rich parents who put us up in North Cove.” I brushed past her for the door.
“No,” she scoffed in the most irritatingly sarcastic exhale, “some of us are forced to live in La Jolla instead.”
I stopped in my tracks, my hand resting on the doorknob as I exhaled slowly through my nose. I scanned three sets of eyes before resting on Ember’s perfectly green irises.
“It must get tiring, huh? Strutting around like you know everything?” With the tension in the room dialed all the way to Exit , I did just that, finally getting to slam the door behind me.
As I wiped down the tables at the end of my shift, anger seeped into every muscle of my body. Thankfully, Lissa and the rest of the staff left me the hell alone so I could finish out my shift without hassle. But I was still pissed at CJ and intended to track him down to tell him just that.
“Night, Liss,” I called over my shoulder as I adjusted the straps on my backpack.
“Night, girl. You good?” She tried to sound casual, but CJ’s outburst clearly had her shaken.
“Yep.” My tone was clipped as I pulled the thick wooden door open and walked into the starlit night.
My heart pole-vaulted into my throat at the sight of a broad shadow leaning against my car.
“It’s just me, G.” CJ’s voice
Ember cleared her throat. “I’ve known CJ a long time—”
“Not as long as I have.”
Ember rolled her eyes. “Whatever. I’ve known him long enough to know that he basically doesn’t give a shit about anyone. Except you.”
I cleared my throat to keep the vice at bay. “Yeah, so?”
My eyes burned like hell, but I wasn’t about to give in to tears. CJ betrayed my trust.
Before she could respond, a loud knock rattled the door.
“Ember, you in there? It’s Bo ... and Regan.”
“Can they come in?” Ember tucked some hair behind her ear.
I shrugged. “I guess. I’ve got to get back to work anyway.” I started for the door, but Ember held up her arm.
“Just wait until we can be sure he’s gone, okay?”
I conceded, leaning back against the door. This was the wrong kind of attention. All wrong. It could have been worse, though. I had to repeat that in my head. Some secrets were so deep I could hardly feel their roots in my veins when I was in mixed company.
That’s a lie. They were always there. The secrets. Snacking on my soul.
Ember slowly slid the chain out of place and let her arm fall loosely at her side as she stepped back. “Is he gone?” She looked between Bo and Regan as she re-latched the door behind them.
“He is,” Regan answered. “I double checked with Lissa. His friends dragged him out. He was pretty drunk.”
“That doesn’t matter, Regan,” Ember snapped.
Bo hesitantly placed his hands on her shoulders, lifting a finger to her chin when she wouldn’t look at him right away. “He knows, Ember. He was just saying...”
“Sorry.” She sighed. “Where’s CJ?”
Regan stuffed his hands in his pockets. “My car. The sooner I get him home, the better.”
I stared at Regan’s tattered Converses. Old, not purchased that way. “No one called the cops, right?”
His weight shifted to his left foot. “Right. If you don’t want to be alone tonight, you can come stay—”
“No.”
“Georgia,” Bo spoke in the same nursery rhyme volume Ember had pestered me with since she followed me back here, “Lissa said for us to tell you that you can go home for the night. Use the back door...”
“What?” I looked around at three apparently concerned faces. “Like I’m a refugee? Christ, nothing happened .”
Ember opened her mouth to speak.
“No,” I stopped her. “Nothing happened. Dex is gone. And, I intend to finish out the rest of my shift so I can earn my money. Some of us don’t have rich parents who put us up in North Cove.” I brushed past her for the door.
“No,” she scoffed in the most irritatingly sarcastic exhale, “some of us are forced to live in La Jolla instead.”
I stopped in my tracks, my hand resting on the doorknob as I exhaled slowly through my nose. I scanned three sets of eyes before resting on Ember’s perfectly green irises.
“It must get tiring, huh? Strutting around like you know everything?” With the tension in the room dialed all the way to Exit , I did just that, finally getting to slam the door behind me.
As I wiped down the tables at the end of my shift, anger seeped into every muscle of my body. Thankfully, Lissa and the rest of the staff left me the hell alone so I could finish out my shift without hassle. But I was still pissed at CJ and intended to track him down to tell him just that.
“Night, Liss,” I called over my shoulder as I adjusted the straps on my backpack.
“Night, girl. You good?” She tried to sound casual, but CJ’s outburst clearly had her shaken.
“Yep.” My tone was clipped as I pulled the thick wooden door open and walked into the starlit night.
My heart pole-vaulted into my throat at the sight of a broad shadow leaning against my car.
“It’s just me, G.” CJ’s voice
Similar Books
