My lip curled in disgust. “Wow.”
“Yeah, that’s what most of the notebook is. I haven’t seen it, but they’ve talked about it around me. Never in too much detail. But when they realized it was gone, they lost it. That’s when I found out what was in it.”
I shook my head and then a memory hit me.
That was probably the insurance Vivian was talking about.
“When I was packing to leave the Cheer House, Vivian made a comment about how Dakota took something as an insurance policy so the PROs wouldn’t call the police. That must’ve been it.”
“Yeah… they definitely didn’t want that to get out.”
“Is that why they threatened to teach me a lesson?”
He took a sip of his milkshake. “Yeah. But I told them that you were down in the basement with me the whole time and you didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Did they believe you?”
He made a face. “They eventually did. But initially when they were trying to go to the basement to talk to you, I blocked the doorway. They were drunk and I didn’t like what they were saying. But when Trevor came in the kitchen to see what was going on, he noticed his boat was on fire. Everything went to hell from there because they had to call for help.”
“Did you tell the police that?”
“Not about the notebook but about everything else,” he admitted. “I don’t know everything that’s in that shit, but I don’t want to be associated with anything else to do with that whole situation. And if it even had some of the stuff they were talking about in there, this isn’t even close to being over.” He ate the last of his fries. “Do you think Carter could’ve taken the book?”
That thought had never even crossed my mind. I was surprised by the question and even more surprised by how the question stumped me. “I… don’t know. Carter and I hadn’t been friends for a long time so it’s hard for me to say what she would or wouldn’t do. Why do you ask?”
“Because the whole thing doesn’t sit right with me. I haven’t really fucked with them since the party for several reasons. But the main one is that if they were as mad as they were about the book. I mean, Trevor was pissed about the boat, but it was insured. They were furious about the notebook being gone. And just the things they were saying that night made me feel like they would hurt somebody… the next day, I find out that somebody is dead near the PRO House. It just feels…”
I nodded. He didn’t even need to finish the sentence. I knew exactly what he was trying to say. It feels off.
“I was told that Carter went back to look for me once she realized the cheerleaders planned to leave me in the house,” I whispered.
He let out a low whistle. “Damn, that’s rough.”
“Yeah,” I agreed, finishing the last of my food quietly.
“You know it’s not your fault though, right? Both of you got the short end of the stick that night.”
I gave him a tight smile. “Yeah. Thanks.” I looked away.
He was the first to break the silence. “You said that Carter went back for you?”
“Yeah. That’s what I was told.”
“Hm.”
“What?”
“I never saw her come in the house.” He glanced over at me. “If she was coming back for you, why wouldn’t she have come in the house?”
My brow furrowed. “Could she have come in and you missed her?”
“I guess it’s possible. Maybe, but…” He sounded doubtful.
“What are you thinking?”
“I don’t know. I was thinking about your character analysis and I’m just trying to figure out how she would even think to go to the lake when the last place she saw you was in the house. And everyone was in the house.”
Something about what he said struck a chord. “What if while Dakota was trying to set me up, someone else was trying to set Carter up?”
He nodded. “So, who had an issue with Carter?”
“To my knowledge, none of them. Everyone seemed to love her—especially Dakota.”
He shrugged. “Maybe I’m off base.”
I crossed my arms. “But why would she have gone to the lake to look for me?”
“Exactly. The basement doesn’t have a door that leads to the backyard so it’s not like she would assume you’d leave out the back for some fresh air.” He smirked. “Speaking of, when I went looking for you, I noticed the laundry room window was open.”
“That’s how I escaped.”
“Yeah, I put two and two together.”
He was staring at me, the familiarity settling over us.
“We should head back,” I suggested, averting my gaze.
I felt him staring at me, but he dutifully started the engine.
“So, now that you’ve told the police, does that clear our names?” I wondered aloud.
“I hope so,” he breathed.
I waited for more, but when it didn’t come, I inquired, “What did they say?”
“They took my statement and asked why I waited. I told them about the paparazzi and my concerns about how it would be spun in the media.”
I pursed my lips. “And what did they say about that?”
“Not much. They said they’d be in touch.” He shrugged. “They asked me about the last time I saw Carter. And I honestly only vaguely remember seeing her when you gave her your phone. I was more focused on you.” He put his hand on the gearshift but paused. “I liked the time we spent together.”
“I liked it too,” I murmured, gathering the trash to dispose of it. “But that doesn’t change what happened afterward.”
“I know and I’m sorry. I don’t meet many people who want to get to know the real me or who I want to give the opportunity to know the real me. This is still new territory. So, I’m asking you to forgive me. Please.” I looked at him and the attraction between us was undeniable. There was tension building in the car. “I like you, Brooklyn.”
“I’m going to throw this in the trashcan,” I blurted out, scrambling out of the car with our trash.
It was a short walk to the dumpster, and I needed a second to breathe.
It wasn’t that I didn’t think Aiden was sexy. He was Aiden Black, arguably one of the sexiest men on the planet. And while I was upset that he didn’t come forward until he needed to, a little part of me understood his concern. But what I felt for him was lust and maybe a little residual ‘like’ from the crush I’d harbored for months. But I didn’t feel the same connection I did before because my heart was elsewhere.
If my dream last night was any indication, my heart belonged to—
“Jay,” I gasped, stopping in my tracks.
I was so caught up in my thoughts that I hadn’t seen him in the drive-thru line, waiting for his order. He wasn’t looking my way and I wasn’t sure if he’d seen me when I walked over, so I tried to act natural as I sprinted to Aiden’s car.
“I have to get back to my car,” I said quickly, clicking my seatbelt.
He looked at me warily. “Oh, okay,” he responded, backing out of the spot. “Are you done with your shake?”
“No.”
“Okay.”
When we were about to drive past Jay’s car, Aiden pulled over and hopped out to throw away his milkshake cup. He didn’t close his door. Even though I told myself not to look, I did.
And I wished I hadn’t.
My eyes locked with Jay’s for a few painful seconds. I wasn’t sure if I was imagining the hurt on his face or if I was just projecting the hurt that I felt. The slam of the door as Aiden got back in the car was the thing that shook me from my trance. Jay pulled off and we were right behind him.
Without thinking, I pulled out my phone, ready to send a text. I stared at the empty message meant for Jay, but I didn’t even know what I could say.
“Brooklyn?” Aiden called my name. From his tone, it was clear it wasn’t the first time.
I looked over at him, wide eyed and completely oblivious to whatever he had sai
d. “I’m sorry. I missed what you said.”
“I was telling you that I have someone looking into who is sending those emails. They should have something by tomorrow.”
Slipping my phone back in my bag, I answered, “That’s good. With our luck it’ll be someone in the IT or Tech program.” I sighed. “The downside to UFIT is the threat of identity theft or something like this. There’s way too many people good at hacking at this school.”
He chuckled lightly. “You’re right about that.”
“Will you let me know what you find out, though?”
“Of course.”
I stared out the window. The closer we got to my car, the more fidgety I became. “Thank you. And thank you for dinner.”
“Let me know when you forgive me enough to let me take you on a proper date,” he said as he pulled up to my car.
I waited until he had slowed to a stop. “Bye, Aiden.”
With a charming smile, he waved. “Bye, Brooklyn.”
…
Chapter Fourteen
I was nervous as I walked through Jay’s apartment door. It was so quiet and if I hadn’t parked right beside him, I would’ve assumed he wasn’t home. My stomach was in knots. I wasn’t scared to see him, but I was scared of what seeing me with Aiden would do to our relationship. I could hear my pulse quickening as I closed the door as quietly as possible behind me and forced myself down the hall. Making a brief stop, I took off my shoes and my sweater, tossing it in the office.
In a low-cut tank top and jeans that made my ass look incredible, I padded my way to Jay’s room.
If I can’t get him to hear me out, maybe I can get his attention this way.
I took a deep breath. “Hey.”
“What’s up?” he responded, never looking up. He was sitting quietly on the edge of his bed taking dirty clothes from his duffle bag and putting them in the hamper.
“Can we talk?” I wondered, staring at his profile.
“About what?”
I was in uncharted territory with Jay, so I took a deep breath. “Everything.”
He didn’t say anything for a while. “I don’t think you want to hear what I have to say.”
“Yes, I do.”
He didn’t respond so I sat down in the chair next to the closet and started talking.
“Everyone in class must’ve read that bullshit email because they were staring at us the whole time. After class, Aiden asked me to ride with him to get food so we could talk privately.” I paused. “He went to the police.”
That got his attention. He stopped what he was doing and finally looked up at me.
“He told them the truth,” I continued, recounting the whole conversation. By the time I was done telling him what happened with Aiden’s interaction with the police, Jay was sitting up and nodding contemplatively.
“So, does that mean you’re off the hook?” he wondered.
“I don’t know. He said the police said they would be in touch. They haven’t contacted me. But between Aiden and Kim confirming my whereabouts, that should be enough, right?”
“It should be.”
“But there was something I found out in the conversation that’s been bothering me. Remember when I told you that Kim said that Olive said that Carter went looking for me?”
“Yeah.”
“Aiden said that Carter never came back inside the house. And then the next morning, they found her out back.”
Jay rested his forearms on his knees and leaned forward. “But if you were in the house and she was looking for you, why would she go to the lake?”
“Exactly. And since Mrs. Yates said she died of smoke inhalation, she would’ve had to been close to or on the boat.”
“Do you think she set the fire?” Jay asked. “The Carter I knew wouldn’t have, but the new Carter…” He shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“I don’t think so, but I don’t know. Just knowing that she was in on them pranking me makes me question everything I’ve ever known about her,” I sighed.
Her notebook flashed in my mind and I shook it off.
“She would’ve had to be on the boat or at least near the boat to inhale enough smoke to die from it,” he speculated. “The only thing that makes sense is that she either started the fire or she was trying to stop the person who started it. Does Kim know who started it?”
“Kim was in the dark, too. She was tasked with the same job as me—distract some PROs for a bit. Some of the others were getting the keys to the boat—Dakota! Dakota came down and held up the keys!”
“Dakota starting the fire makes sense.”
“It does. Especially since she was trying to get back at Trevor and frame me for it.” I pulled my phone out of my pocket, looking to see if Kim had called. “I want to talk to Kim about it. She was in the living room so maybe she saw something else.”
“Why don’t you call her?”
“Well, I called her yesterday and it was weird. She was clearly talking in code. I assumed she was with Trevor. She said she was going to stop dating him after she went to the police, but maybe she reconsidered. I don’t know. Either way, she said that she was having a burger and hoped they didn’t burner it.” I made an exaggerated gesture with my hands. “Burner was obviously a hint that she needed to talk to me on her burner phone. She said she was going to call me today, but I haven’t heard from her yet. Should I be worried?”
“Hm…” He sat up. “From what you said about her wanting to meet you at the furniture store, she was afraid of being overheard. Maybe she’s just waiting until the coast is clear.”
“Yeah, you’re right. I think this whole situation is just making me paranoid.”
We stared at each other quietly for a moment.
“I found the book of words Carter talked about creating in one of the crates,” I started, feeling the flutter in my belly.
“Oh, she finished it?”
I nodded. “And she dedicated it to us.”
“Yeah, she must’ve done that freshman year,” he said with a hint of amusement. “Last season during basketball games she didn’t even acknowledge me.”
I smiled. “I’ve been thinking a lot about her. Obviously with everything going on, I’ve been focusing on the good. But she was a real bitch last year when she wanted to be.”
“I don’t know if you can say that now that she’s gone,” he chuckled.
I closed my eyes and savored the deeply sexy sound. “I don’t mean it like that! She always called herself a bitch,” I giggled. “And she was.”
He nodded. “What was the thing she used to say?”
“Looks like Belle with an attitude from Hell,” I quoted, remembering fondly. “That was her signature on her email for two years.”
“Where was Belle from?”
“Beauty and the Beast,” I answered. “Remember that time she referred to the two of you as Beauty and the Beast?”
He shook his head. “That was the first and last time she ever said some shit like that,” he laughed.
I laughed right along with him.
In that moment, I realized there was no awkwardness, no tension, no nerves. But even in the most fun-loving and normal exchange we’d had in days, I still felt something deeper. I wasn’t sure if I’d always felt those feelings or if they were the new ones I’d been having recently.
Have I always had feelings for him?
As our laughter died off, we found ourselves just staring at one another. When my heart thumped in my chest, I knew I needed to tell him how I felt. He was the first to break eye contact as he rose to his feet.
I jumped from my chair. “We’re going to have to talk about us at some point, Jay.”
“What is there to say? We fucked. It was good. You said you wanted your best friend back. I never left.”
“There’s so much more to it than that and you know it! We can’t unring a bell.”
He made a face and started walking out of the room. “Well maybe we shouldn’t have rung that sh
it to begin with.”
Shocked and open-mouthed, I followed him. “Is that how you feel?”
He didn’t respond.
I was on his heels. “Jay?”
“The problem is that you don’t know what you want,” he muttered.
“I do!”
He whipped around, catching me by surprise. “Then what do you want? Complete honesty.”
My answer scared me. The intensity of his glare only added to the pressure and I stammered, “I-I want… Well, first, I want you to sit down and talk to me.”
“Exactly.” He shook his head and went into the bathroom “I should’ve known better, but it is what it is.”
I stood in the doorway. “What are you talking about?”
He had his back to me, but I could see the tension in his shoulders. He grabbed a towel and washcloth before facing me. I couldn’t tell if he was angry or hurt as his eyes zeroed in on mine.
“What are you talking about? Why should you have known better?” I questioned with a shaky voice. I braced myself for the hurtful words I felt were coming.
“Cut the shit, Brooklyn. You’ve known how I’ve felt about you. Everyone knew. But we were just friends, so I played my fucking position.”
My lips parted. His words rendered me speechless. I was in a state of complete disbelief as he continued his rant.
“So, I should’ve known better when you were grinding on my dick on Saturday morning and then talking about you don’t want to lose your best friend. And then on Sunday you found out that Aiden Black was just like the other PROs and he was out for himself,” he growled. “The timing is funny. But maybe you were just out for yourself, too. You had a falling out with him, so you came here ready to fuck me to feel better.” He took a second to look at my stunned face. “Like I said, you didn’t want to hear what I had to say.”
He closed the door before I had a chance to respond.
I just stood in the hallway, staring at the door in shock. Tears pricked my eyes when I heard the shower turn on. I spun on my heel and stomped into the office. I was incredibly upset. I was angry and hurt. But the feeling that dominated was guilt.
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