Loyalty and Lies

by L A Cotton

  I had found nothing out about the accident that killed Jackson’s dad. It was like it never happened, which only raised my suspicions even more. There were definite pieces of the puzzle missing.

  “You feel like Dante’s tonight? It’s just the girls and me. Tyson is having a guys’ night. I think Paul is giving him a hard time now that you’re officially off the market.” Elena's comment pulled me from my thoughts and my head whipped up, creasing with confusion. “You haven’t said anything to the guys, have you?” I glared at her, already knowing her answer.

  Elena’s cheeks turned a deep shade of red, and I had my answer. “Hmm, I may have dropped something. Just to stop Paul from going on and on about you… sorry.”

  I groaned, pinching the bridge of my nose with my fingers. This was not good. “Elena! It’s nothing to do with anyone else,” I scolded.

  She pouted, giving me her big Latina eyes, and said, “I’m sorry, okay? He’s like a dog with a freaking bone, always going on about you. I thought it might shut him up. I’ll make it up to you. Drinks on me tonight. Please?”

  If Elena was staying in our room, I wouldn’t be able to see Jackson anyway, and I hadn’t been out with her for weeks. I had been a shitty friend, and she had been nothing but there for me. “Fine,” I murmured, regretting the words as soon as they left my mouth.

  ~

  “Didn’t expect to see you here,” Talia sneered as I shuffled into the booth next to Elena.

  “Nice to see you, too.” I shot her an over-the-top smile and turned my attention to Cassie and Lydia. “Hey.”

  They both smiled, before returning to their usual eye-fucking of pretty much every guy in the place.

  “No Jarrod tonight, T?”

  “For God’s sake, Lydia, of course, he wouldn’t come here. It’s a Fallen hangout.”

  Lydia blushed, casting her eyes downward, but Cassie shot to her defense. “What’s got you all strung out?”

  “This fucking thing with Kyler. He didn’t want me and threw me to the curb like all the other girls they fuck and chuck. But now that I’ve gone public with Jarrod, he decides to act all bothered. Well, screw him. Screw all of them. They’ll get what’s coming to them. Braiden Donohue and his sad little minions.”

  The venom in Talia’s voice shocked me a little. She had always been such a Fallen groupie. Well, until Kyler publicly ditched her for another Barbie wannabe.

  Lydia draped her arm around Talia’s shoulder, obviously forgetting Talia's treatment of her only minutes earlier. “Come on, T. Jarrod is way hotter and you guys have a history. It’s like destiny or something. Kyler is a total jerk. They all are. I heard Travis filmed Sarah Cressle giving him head and shared it with the rest of the team. She hasn’t left her dorm for like a whole week.”

  “I don’t get it,” Elena said bluntly. “Everyone knows their reputation, knows the kind of shit they get up to, but most girls jump at the chance to spread their legs for them. It’s just plain dumb, if you ask me. No offense, T.”

  Talia shrugged dismissively. “None taken. Like I said, they’ll get theirs.”

  Which was exactly why my stomach felt like a washer. Jackson was one of them. A Fallen. Any payback from Reibeckitt would come down on him, too.

  “Hey, you okay, chica?” Elena nudged my ribs, and I smiled at her. “Yeah, I’m fine.”

  Elena settled back into the conversation, and I let my thoughts drift. I was on edge, anxious about what I had been learning about the Donohues, so when my purse vibrated in my lap, relief spread through me. There was only one person it could be.

  “I’m just going to pee,” I said to the girls, before hurrying out of the booth. I made a beeline for the restrooms, locking myself in the first unoccupied stall.

  Can’t you escape back to your dorm? I need to see you. J x

  I hit out a quick reply and headed back to the booth.

  “Everything okay? You don’t look so good,” Cassie asked.

  I gripped my stomach for effect. “Actually, I’m not feeling so good. I’m going to grab a cab back to campus. You guys have fun, though.”

  Elena raised an eyebrow at me, and I forced a smile, trying my best to look sick. “I’ll see you back later, yeah?”

  She nodded, but I could see the suspicion in her eyes. I didn't hang around for her inevitable questions.

  Once outside, I hailed the first cab I saw and climbed in. My body tingled with anticipation at seeing Jackson. It had only been two nights, but I missed him. My body missed him. I had become addicted and Jackson was my drug.

  The cab dropped me as near as he could, and I all but ran to McGinley and up the flight of stairs to my dorm room. When I turned the key and stepped inside, my heart stopped.

  There was a soft flicker of light from the tea lights lining my desk, a single red rose lying on my pillow. And Jackson—standing casually against the wardrobe in his slim fit jeans and molded white shirt. My eyes soaked him up, causing my throat to go dry. At that moment, it was hard to believe he was here. And he was mine.

  “Hi.” He stalked toward me, causing my heart to thud with each step.

  “Hi, yourself.” I looked up at him through my hazy eyes.

  Dipping his head, Jackson swiped my lips with his tongue and groaned. “Fuck, I’ve missed you.” He wasted no time in picking me and throwing me on the bed, and I let out a squeal as I collided with the soft mattress and the rose tangled in my hair.

  “How long do we have?”

  Heat spread over my face. I still wasn’t used to Jackson’s bluntness. “Long enough.”

  “Good.” He covered my body with his, and I let myself get lost in the feel of his weight bearing down on me.

  His lips brushed my lips, tracing along my jaw and collarbone, and I moaned as his fingers mirrored the pattern on my stomach. Pulling back, he grabbed the hem of my blouse and yanked it over my head, before doing the same to his shirt. Our skin melded together.

  I walked my fingers along his defined torso, down to the waistband of his jeans, hooking them into his belt loop and clamping him to me. “I missed you. Jackson, I-”

  If Jackson hadn’t been pinning me to the bed, I was sure I would have ended up in a startled heap on the floor, as the door flew open to reveal Elena standing gaping in the doorway. “You.” She pointed a finger a Jackson and her eyes almost bugged out. “And Ana? But, but you’re a Fal-”

  Jackson jumped up off me, grabbed his shirt, and pulled it back on before moving toward a frozen Elena. He extended his hand, but she didn't move. Shock was written all over her. “Jackson Pierce. Nice to meet you.”

  “Huh-huh, Elena, Elena Marks.”

  I pulled the comforter around me, unable to move, watching Elena at a loss for words. It was a first—probably the last, and I had to stifle a laugh when Jackson tugged her into the room so he could close the door. Elena still didn’t move. She just stood, mouth open, looking from me to Jackson and back again.

  Jackson came back to me, nudging me over and joining me on the bed, amusement sparkling in his eyes. I had to admit seeing Elena at a loss for words was something, but now she knew, and that was something else entirely.

  “Do you think she’s okay?” he whispered into my hair, causing my body to react, and I had to inch away from him to give me space to try to calm down. To douse the fire raging through me.

  “Ana?” Elena’s voice was quivering. “Do-do you know that’s Jackson Pierce. The Jackson Pierce?”

  Jackson let out a gruff laugh and I poked his ribs, scowling at him, before turning back to Elena. “I didn’t, not when we first met. He was just Jackson to me.”

  “And you know who he’s best friends with?” She was ignoring Jackson now, focused solely on me.

  I nodded, and Jackson wrapped an arm around me. As if Elena needed any more confirmation.

  “So, what are you two? Like fuck buddies or is it serious?” It was like she had snapped out of her state of shock—feisty Elena was back in the room.

  Jac
kson muttered something under his breath and looked at me, waiting for my answer. When I didn’t say anything, he groaned. “It seems Ana has a problem with commitment, so maybe you could try talking some sense into her.”

  Elena clapped her hands together and shrieked. “Wait until Tyson hears about this, he is going to shit a brick.”

  Both our heads snapped up, and I cried out, “Elena, you can’t breathe a word about this to anyone. Not even Ty.”

  A perplexed look washed over her face and she said, “Why not? This is freaking great. Second to Braiden, your boy Pierce has celebrity status in this place.”

  Jackson dropped a kiss onto my head and stood. He hid it well, but I could tell Elena's words had hit a nerve. “And on that note, I think I’ll leave you two lovely ladies for a little catching up time.” He looked back at me and smiled his tingle-inducing smile. “I’ll text you.”

  We both watched as he climbed through a small gap in the window and disappeared down the side of the emergency stairwell.

  Once he was fully out of sight, Elena wasted no time. “Spill. I want every last detail. You’ve been holding out on me, chica.”

  ~

  Elena let herself fall back into her cushions and sighed, “Wow, I want your life.”

  “Trust me, you don’t.”

  “Shit, sorry. I didn’t think. Me and my big mouth. I just meant that you’re in the middle of some kind of mafia family drama. You can’t deny that it’s a little hot.”

  I had spent the last hour telling Elena everything. How I met Jackson, discovering who he was, my run-ins with Braiden, Briony, and Chad. Every last detail. I had even showed her my research on the Donohues.

  “So, Jackson thinks Braiden will lose his shit if he finds out about you?”

  I sipped my juice carton, trying to quench my dry throat. I was all talked out. “I haven’t quite worked that out. Jackson makes it sound like a brother rivalry kind of deal, but I think there’s more to it.”

  She nodded, her wide eyes hungry for more details. “Like what?”

  “I don’t know. That maybe it isn’t about who gets the girl, but about not having Jackson distracted, or around people who ask questions? An outsider?” I threw an arm over my eyes, exhausted. “Hmm, who knows? All I know is it’s getting harder to keep it a secret, and that crazy bitch, Briony, knows. I can see it in her eyes. It’s got to be why she’s sending the notes, right?”

  “Makes sense.” Elena shuffled on her bed. “And this Chad guy is stalking you?”

  “I wouldn’t say stalking, but he’s around. Watching me. He was waiting outside two of my classes last week. I managed to avoid him, but it has to be more than coincidence.”

  “Should we tell someone?”

  “We?” My voice came out higher than intended, but this was exactly what I had wanted to avoid—dragging Elena into my mess.

  “Chica, if you think for one second that I’m letting you handle this alone, you’re more foolish than I thought.”

  I had to smile at my roommate, wondering how I got so lucky to end up paired with her. “Maybe if I just ignore them, they’ll drop it?”

  Elena pursed her lips, forcing a half smile. Yeah, she didn’t think that would happen for one second—and neither did I.

  ~

  Over the next week, Elena was like my own personal bodyguard. It was too much—I was used to my own space, but she insisted on chaperoning me to class, from class, to and from the dorm, and to the cafeteria. I knew it was killing her not to tell Tyson, and more than once I had to kick her under the table at lunch to prevent her from slipping up.

  “If it isn’t my two favorite girls.” Paul opened his arms out, but Elena and I split up, rounding him on each side. “Girls, was there any need?” He laughed, shaking his head, as we took our seats at the table.

  “Hi, baby. Miss me?” Elena pressed her lips to Tyson’s cheek. I was used to their over-the-top PDA now, but it didn’t stop me from feeling jealous that they could be together like that in public.

  “You know I did.” Tyson grabbed her face and planted his lips on hers, and just like that, they were lost in each other.

  I felt Paul’s eyes watching me, and when I peeked up through my lashes, he was looking over the table at me, a somber expression on his face. But there was something else in his eyes. Worry? Concern? The recognition sent me into a panic. Does he know about Jackson? He couldn’t know, not unless Elena had slipped, and I knew she wouldn’t. Not even for Tyson. His lips curled up in a half smile, but even that looked forced. Elena was right—he had it bad—and I dropped my eyes, not wanting to deal with him right now. He was a good guy, a friend, but that was it. I had never given him cause to think otherwise.

  I tried to ignore Paul, stuffing my mouth with some kind of disgusting Jell-O. Elena and Tyson were still wrapped up in each other, and Nate and Jamie were goofing around with their cellphones. Seven hours, only seven more hours. The day couldn’t pass quick enough; it was always the same when I knew that Jackson was coming over. He had only managed to get over once, at the beginning of the week, and I was desperate to see him. Desperate to wrap myself in his arms and feel him close.

  I was so lost in my thoughts of being with Jackson that I hadn’t noticed the dead silence that fell over the room, and when I looked up, my eyes found him immediately. Jackson stood poised next to Braiden, the whole team behind them, in their usual jerseys. Only this time, Briony was standing on the other side of Braiden, and my heart leaped into my mouth. What was going on? My first thought was that they knew—that they had somehow discovered our secret, but then I realized Jackson wouldn’t be standing there with them… would he?

  “Uh-oh,” Paul mumbled under his breath, only sending my heart further into overtime.

  Braiden scanned the room, his eyes falling on an empty table to the side of us. The panic sweeping through my body intensified as he nodded to the table and the team started toward it. I was sure people could hear my heart pounding in my chest. It was a little disorientating, and my eyes fluttered shut as I tried to calm my racing pulse.

  The whole room watched them, only hushed whispers and the sound of their footsteps lingering in the air. I was seated directly in their path, and each and every one of them would have to pass my chair to get to the table. Elena’s eyes met mine, boring into me, asking me if I was okay. Was I? It was not like I could do anything now. And I still didn’t know what they were here for. My lips pulled into a thin smile, trying my best to reassure her.

  One by one, the team moved behind my chair. I didn’t turn around for fear of what I might see, but then I felt him. Jackson lingered for just a second, and I was sure I felt his hand sweep across my hair as it hung loosely down my back. Shivers vibrated through me, and I had to fight back the urge to look at him. Elena caught my line of sight again and lifted her chin slightly indicating that I should turn around.

  When I did, I released the breath I hadn’t realized that I had been holding. The team was gathered around the table. Chad’s eyes gazed in my direction, a smirk painted on his face. Jackson was standing slightly in front of him, and when he noticed my alarm, he turned his head slightly to see what I was looking at. Shit. This wasn’t good. He turned back and searched my eyes, questioning me. My eyes shifted to Braiden and Briony; thankfully, she was commanding her brother’s attention, enough that they didn’t notice my exchange with Jackson.

  Braiden nodded at Briony, leaped up on the bench, and then moved to the table. I risked looking at Jackson again, and he looked pissed. His jaw was taut, and he was subtly shaking his head. I knew then that he disagreed with whatever Braiden was plotting.

  “CFA! How are you doing?”

  Noise exploded in every corner of the room. People cheered and clapped, some chanting, “Braiden, Braiden.”

  Braiden held out his hands, waving at the room to quiet. “At the beginning of the year, I told you that we would bring home the championship, and with only a few games to go, it looks like a sure thing.�
�

  The crowd erupted again, and this time most of the team joined in, chanting, “Fallen, Fallen,” until nearly everyone in the room was calling it out. I looked over at Elena, and she sat with a bemused look on her face. Tyson wasn’t chanting, either, but Paul, Nate, and Jamie were all cheering along like brainwashed idiots.

  “Anyway, the reason we’re here. You guys come out to every game, support us, wear our colors… we wanted to give something back. Call it our way of saying thank you. Dead Man’s Cove, next Saturday night, prepare to party… Fallen style.” Braiden’s words sent people into a frenzy, the noise deafening. Chairs rattled, fists pounded the table, and the team pumped their fists in the air continuing to chant, “Fallen.”

  Over the noise, Paul shouted, “How can you guys not love this shit?” The look of wonderment in his eyes confirmed that he didn’t know about Jackson and me, or I doubted he would have been so easily swept up in it all.

  Jackson wasn’t participating in the crazy. He was tense, whispering something in Braiden’s ear and wearing a look that I had become all too familiar with. For whatever reason, Jackson didn’t think the party was a good idea, but Braiden straightened up and shut Jackson down with just a look, before he wrapped his arm around Briony and pulled them toward the rest of the team. The conversation was over.

  Sensing me watching him, Jackson looked up and his eyes locked on mine. He didn’t need to say a word.

  Something was going down… and it wasn’t good.

  Chapter 20

  “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

  I combed out my hair, letting it hang loosely over my shoulders, and said, “If you think that I’m going to be the only CFA student not there, you’re even more loco than I thought.”

  Elena stuck her tongue out at me, her voice singing, “You wouldn’t be the only person. I wouldn’t be there, either, because I would be here with you. And don’t ever say loco again… it doesn’t suit you.”

  My nose scrunched and I laughed as I zipped up my jacket and pulled on my gloves. It was going to be a cold night and there was no way that I was going to drink after the last time.