The Second Move: Rogues of Everly Prep Book Two

by Wendi Wilson

  “What if there was a way to make Theo pay for what he’s done, but also make him admit he has feelings for you and wants you back?”

  “What did you have in mind?” he asked, his features lighting up with excitement.

  I smiled, knowing I’d made the right decision. I wanted him to be happy, and Theo made him happy. Most of the time. It was my job as Josh’s best friend to make sure Theo appreciated him and never took him for granted again.

  “Are there any other gay guys at Everly Prep?”

  “What?”

  “You heard me. Are there?”

  “Only one who’s open about it,” he murmured.

  “Who is it?” I asked.

  He nodded his head over my left shoulder, saying “See that guy in the white polo shirt?”

  I turned to look, seeing a muscular, clean-cut boy with thick-rimmed Buddy Holly glasses. I turned back to Josh.

  “He’s cute,” I said.

  “Yeah, and about as entertaining as a wet towel. Those glasses might make him look smart, but he’s a meathead who only likes to talk about sports while he gets drunk on cheap beer.”

  “Are you sure he’s gay?” I asked, raising both eyebrows.

  “Oh, yeah. He’s been open about his sexuality since he hit puberty and tried to hook up with me several times after I came out. So not my type,” he said, grimacing.

  “Okay, hear me out,” I said, ignoring his skeptical look. “You should ask him out.”

  “I am not going out with Henderson James.”

  “Joshua’s going out with Henderson James?” Simone asked, sliding into the seat next to me.

  “No,” Josh said.

  “Yes,” I replied at the same time.

  “Silky black hair, good skin, sexy glasses. I could dig it,” Simone said, obviously teasing Josh.

  “All with the IQ of a slug,” Josh countered.

  “Just listen to me, Josh,” I said, and his shoulders drooped as he motioned for me to continue. “If you pretend to have a public relationship with Henderson, it would make…you-know-who jealous.”

  I almost said Theo’s name in front of Simone. While we were becoming good friends with her, I wasn’t sure if Josh was ready to divulge all his secrets.

  “You mean Theo Davenport?” she asked sweetly, keeping her eyes on the fry she was dipping in ketchup.

  Josh and I stared at her with gaping mouths, and she shrugged, meeting Josh’s eye.

  “I’m pretty observant, I don’t have many friends to distract me from taking everything in. The longing gazes you two have sent each other over the last year have been hot enough to set the school on fire.”

  “And you didn’t tell anyone?” Josh asked, horrified he’d been so transparent.

  “Who would I tell?” Simone asked. “Besides, it had nothing to do with me, and I’m not one for idle gossip. If you two want to do the tortured-lost-love thing, that’s your business.”

  My lips curved up into a big smile as Simone turned her attention to me. “I think I love you, Simone Carlisle.”

  Simone laughed and chucked a fry at me.

  “It was only a matter of time,” she said, heaving a dramatic sigh.

  “Anyway,” I said, rolling my eyes before refocusing on Josh. “If you pretend to date Henderson, it will have an effect on Theo. He’ll be miserable, seeing you in public with another guy. Witnessing firsthand what he could have had with you if he hadn’t been such a fucking wuss. He’ll wallow in self-hatred for a while—which will be his punishment for what he did to me—then, he’ll make the decision that will show you what kind of man he is. He’ll either fight for the right to be the one next to you, or he’ll slink away into the shadows. Either way, you’ll be free, Josh. No more secrets. No more lies. No more wondering what could have been.”

  “Chaz is right,” Simone said, reaching across the table to lay a hand on Josh’s arm. “If Theo fights for you, then you get to decide if he deserves another chance. But if he bows out rather than chasing his own happiness, you’ll know he’s not worthy of you, and you can move on.”

  “He’d have to be with me, publicly,” Josh muttered, meeting my eyes again. “I refuse to be his dirty little secret anymore.”

  “That’s my boy,” I said, giving him an encouraging smile.

  “But that would mean coming out to his parents, and I don’t know if he’ll ever do that. Even for me.”

  “Do you think it would be worth putting up with Henderson James for a few weeks to find out?” I countered. “To get some resolution while helping me with Chaz’s Reign of Terror?”

  “That one is terrible,” Josh laughed, then sobered. “Okay, I’m in. Let’s do it.”

  “Yes,” I whispered, pumping a fist in the air. Then I leaned low over the table to speak in a conspiratorial tone, saying “Don’t go making Henderson fall in love with you, now.”

  “How could he not?” Josh retorted, waving a hand over his chest and abs.

  I laughed, repeating “That’s my boy.”

  Josh rose from his chair, catching Henderson’s attention and waving him over.

  “No time like the present,” he mumbled, resuming his seat.

  “What’s up, guys?” Henderson asked, stopping next to our table.

  “Hey,” Josh said, using a sultry tone I‘d never heard from him before. “Do you want to sit with us?”

  Josh patted the chair next to him and Henderson’s face lit up with undisguised pleasure. He slid into the seat with a nod, angling his body toward Josh in a way that spoke volumes. He was very interested in my best friend.

  It made sense, since he and Josh were apparently the only two openly gay guys in school. Pickings were slim, unless Henderson was dating someone in secret or someone who didn’t attend Everly Prep. It didn’t seem like it, though, with the way he was flirting with Josh.

  Maybe this subterfuge was a good thing. Maybe Josh could find happiness with someone other than Theo, and really start to move on. Hope coursed through me as I thought about Josh finding love without all the complications that came with Theo Davenport…then Henderson opened his mouth.

  “Dude, I got so fucking drunk last night. Me and my old man were watching basketball, and the Lakers got their goddamned asses kicked by the fucking Jazz. The Jazz! Can you fucking believe it?”

  I tried to cover my grimace with a supportive smile as the word vomit poured from Henderson’s mouth. I fully admitted I cursed like a sailor, but how many fucks can a person use to color their vocabulary before they start to sound like an idiot? Apparently, three was my limit.

  Josh, bless him, nodded and managed to keep an interested expression on his face. He glanced at me from the corner of his eye, and I could see the future in their mossy green depths—Josh was forming a plan to murder me while making it look like an accident. I was sure of it.

  “Sorry,” I mouthed, but he just shook his head and turned his full attention back to Henderson.

  If I couldn’t see the attraction on that boy’s face, I’d swear he was a beer-drinking, sports-watching, skirt-chasing Neanderthal. After another half-hour of listening to him, I decided I was only wrong about the skirt part.

  I was going to have to buy Josh a very thoughtful, very big, very expensive gift when this was all over.

  I looked around the dining hall, and my mouth nearly dropped open as my eyes landed on the Rogues’ table. Theo was staring back, his eyes glued on Josh and Henderson, his mouth pressed into a thin line. His skin looked pale and a little green, and I could see the pain in his light green eyes even from where I sat.

  Running a hand through his platinum hair, he leapt from his chair and strode from the room. I watched him until he disappeared, then turned my gaze back to Theo’s friends. Mason was staring at the table in front of him. Seth had his nose buried in his phone. Cooper was watching me with soulful eyes, and I held his gaze for a moment before snarling and turning away.

  Theo deserved the pain he was feeling. They all did. I refused to
feel guilty about it.

  And if I kept telling myself that, maybe it would eventually feel like the truth.

  13

  How cute are we?

  My eyes darted from my phone screen to Josh, who was seated across the room with Theo as we all worked on our presentations. My best friend had what looked like a secret smile on his lips as he gazed longingly at his phone.

  He was really selling it. His text included a selfie of him and Henderson, heads tilted together as they grinned for the camera.

  My gaze shifted to Theo, who was surreptitiously stealing glances at the screen of Josh’s phone, his expression growing darker by the moment. He growled something at Josh, who appeared startled and slid the device back into his pocket.

  When Theo turned his attention back to the papers in front of him, Josh looked over and shot me a wink. I chuckled softly, giving him a thumbs-up from beneath my desk.

  Our plan was working. Theo was obviously bothered by Josh’s budding relationship with Henderson, and it had only been an hour. I had a feeling it wouldn’t take much to push him over the edge.

  “What do you think about this?”

  Mason’s voice snapped me out of my thoughts, and I turned my attention to his tablet. He’d begun translating Shakespeare’s verbiage into more modern terms, and I needed to check his work.

  “Let me see,” I purred as I slid the tablet closer, making a show of biting my bottom lip.

  His breath hitched, and I could see a muscle ticking in his jaw. A small thrill jolted through me, and I fought to retain my composure. He couldn’t hide it. Mason Bellamy wanted me and that was the God’s honest truth.

  I pretended to read everything he’d typed out as my mind whirled in circles over his reaction and my reaction to it.

  Mason shouldn’t want me. He’d used me, abused my emotions, set me up for a fall, and never batted an eye. I expected disdainful taunts. Even anger that I’d foiled their big plan and turned the tables on them, getting them suspended for half a day.

  The thought of that measly punishment brought my anger back. I fed it and cultivated it until it overpowered any unwanted emotions attempting to take up residence in my heart. I refused to be flattered by Mason’s desire. I would not fall victim to my own trap.

  Mason Bellamy was not worthy of me, and I would repeat that over and over in my head until my heart and my body believed it to be so.

  I focused on the words for real and read them before meeting his eyes.

  “Looks good,” I said, sliding the device back to him. “What are your thoughts on wearing costumes?”

  “Costumes?” he asked, his brow furrowing, and I nodded.

  “Yeah. I think it would give our presentation a solid boost if we dress the part. I’m sure we could find some Italian Renaissance clothing online, or even specific Romeo and Juliet costumes.”

  “Okay,” he said, nodding despite the tremor of doubt in his voice.

  I didn’t blame him—the clothing options for men from that period were a little on the feminine side. Tight leggings that would perfectly outline his bulge, puffy sleeves, and a feathered cap didn’t seem like something Mason would be caught dead in, so I gave him a bright smile to reward him for agreeing to it. His breathing did that little hitch thing again, and I squeezed my thighs together in response as heat flooded through me.

  Mason Bellamy is not worthy of me.

  I silently repeated the mantra until my blood cooled, and pretended to look up clothing options online. It was an act, though, because I’d already found and ordered mine. The color was perfect, the same shade of green as my eyes. The waist was cinched and the neckline square, so it would show off the upper curves of my breasts. Every inch of the costume was designed to entice Juliet’s Romeo. I bought it without a second thought and crossed my fingers that Mason would agree to the idea of dressing the part.

  Now that he had, I was a little too excited for him to see me in it. All in the name of revenge, of course.

  “Do you want to come over and practice this afternoon?” he asked, and I found myself nodding eagerly.

  He smiled as we agreed on a time, and the bell rang to signal the end of class. As everyone gathered their things, I caught Josh’s eye and jerked my head toward the door. He nodded, and I headed in that direction, but Jasper’s hand snaked out and caught my elbow as I tried to pass.

  “How’s everything going, Chaz?” he asked, his words light despite the underlying meaning I knew they held.

  “Everything is fine,” I assured him, keeping my tone just as light. “Mason and I have finished the written part, and we’re starting to plan out the actual presentation today.”

  “No problems?” he murmured low enough so none of the student shuffling through the door would hear.

  “Nope,” I replied. “Everything is going perfectly.”

  My voice inadvertently dropped an octave on that last word, making it sound ominous enough for Jasper to flinch in response.

  “Just be careful, Chaz,” he warned.

  “I always am,” I sassed, then spun around to leave.

  What I’d said wasn’t exactly true, though. I wasn’t being careful when I fell in with the Rogues, letting their charm woo me into a false sense of security. I wasn’t careful when I began to think of Seth as a brother who would always have my back. And I wasn’t careful when I slept with Mason, giving him a little piece of my heart along with my body.

  But things were different, now. No matter how much I wanted those lies to be reality, to turn back time and make it so they’d never betrayed me, it wasn’t possible. And despite my brief moments of lust for Mason or compassion for the others, I wasn’t going to forget what brought us all to this point.

  And I wasn’t going to forgive. Not yet. Not without some serious groveling and amends, which none of them seemed to be willing to give.

  So instead, they’d be experiencing Operation Chaz Sticks it to the Man.

  I met Josh in the hall and suggested the new name of our schemes to him, but he shot me down.

  “Nope. Not quite right.”

  “Theo appears to be taking the bait,” I said, changing the subject as we headed toward the gym.

  “So it seems,” he mused, unable to keep his lips from twitching up. “After he saw that picture of me and Henderson, he was cranky and grumbly the rest of class.”

  “Impressive,” I said, arching a brow as I nodded my head.

  Theo was always so stoic, getting any reaction out of him felt like a win. According to Josh, Theo had been so different when they were together. Open and talkative, witty, affectionate—but only in the shadows, of course.

  It made me wonder if his emo attitude had anything to do with losing Josh. Then again, faking he was straight and enduring Isla’s company probably had a lot to do with it.

  Thinking of Isla reminded me of why I wanted to talk to Josh.

  “I need to find a way to separate Isla and Amelia from Charlotte. Do you have any ideas?”

  “Well, if this were a teen movie, you could conference them in while calling Charlotte and get her to say something nasty while she doesn’t know they’re listening,” he offered.

  “Way to be helpful, Josh,” I snarked.

  “You’re welcome, Queen,” he sassed back, and I dug my elbow into his side.

  “You’re lucky I love you.”

  “I know I am,” he agreed, shooting me a wink as we split up to head into our separate locker rooms.

  “Isla is such a fucking bitch.”

  I whipped out my phone, fighting the feeling of ick at filming in the girls’ locker room. This was just too good to pass up. Charlotte and Amelia stood in front of the large mirror, fluffing their hair and touching up their lip gloss—fully clothed, thankfully. I hid around the corner and pressed record after focusing my phone’s camera on the two girls.

  “She thinks she’s hot shit because she’s dating Theo,” Amelia growled in response.

  “Bullshit,” Charlotte resp
onded. “Everyone knows he’s only with her by default. Mason is with me, and Seth is with you, so that leaves either Theo or Cooper. Cooper would never give her tiny tits the time of day, but Theo doesn’t seem to care that she’s so flat-chested.”

  “Or that she’s an air-headed bimbo who’d fuck anything with a dick,” Amelia added, and they both laughed before turning to head my way.

  I ducked into the nearest stall, hiding behind the curtain until they passed by.

  This was too perfect. I’d wished for something to break that trio up, and walked in on that conversation like I had a fucking fairy godmother waving a sparkly wand over my blessed blonde head. I saved the video to the cloud before quickly changing into my gym clothes and hurrying to join class.

  I’d hold onto the footage until I found something to break Amelia and Charlotte apart, then release it all at once. Their threesome would implode, and I would kick back and watch the fireworks.

  No regrets. No recriminations. No mercy.

  14

  I pulled my Chevelle into Mason’s driveway, grinning as the sound of her motor echoed off the outer walls of the huge house. She roared with power even while pulling to stop, and I loved it. I still couldn’t believe she was mine.

  My good mood dimmed as I stepped out of the car and swung the door closed behind me. It was time to get back to work. To make Mason fall for me—for real, this time—while keeping my walls firmly in place.

  I also really wanted a good grade on this project.

  I headed around back to the pool house and knocked on the door. Mason’s voice rang out, calling for me to enter, so I took a deep breath, turned the handle and walked inside. My eyes rounded in surprise as I took in the changes to the main room.

  The furniture had been pushed aside, and a pallet of fluffy blankets was situated in the center of the room. Mason was bent over, straightening one corner. A swath of skin on his back was bared as his shirt rode up, and I cursed internally as my mouth started to water.