Eden

“What kind of drugs?” Gabe asks, waggling his eyebrows.

I make a face. “What do you mean?”

“It’s no fun if you include pot because we’ve all done that.” There’s an edge to his voice, and I have a bad feeling he’s trying to stir up shit. “Get more specific to make it interesting.”

Though I’m sure I’ll regret giving in, I can’t help but be curious as to what his game is.

“All right,” I nod. “Never have I ever raided my mom’s pill stash.”

There’s a heartbeat of stillness and then…

Rosalind slowly lifts her drink to her lips.

“Fuck, really?” The words are out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Shit, I’m so sorry, Rosalind. I had no idea—”

She shakes her head and waves off my apology. “It’s all right. Half the people here already know about it, so why shouldn’t you?”

There’s a note of bitterness in her tone, but I don’t think it’s really directed at me. I realize, though, why Gabe was goading me.

He knew, and he knew that I didn’t.

“Rosalind, really, you don’t have to…”

“I know Saint told you about my stepdad,” she cuts me off. “I took pills to escape. Stupid, I know, and addictive. I had a real problem. It’s why I left Angelview.”

Fucking Gabe. I’m going to kill that sonofabitch.

“I’m sorry,” I say, as sincerely as I can.

She gazes down at her lap and sifts her fingers through the sand.

“It’s all right,” she murmurs.

“I think that’s enough of this fucking game,” Saint growls.

“Ah, come on,” Gabe snaps. “We haven’t gotten dirt on everyone yet.”

I’ve never seen Gabe like this, and it’s disturbing as hell. Is it just because he’s angry at Loni? Drunk? Both?

Whatever the toxic combo that’s brought this side out of him, I have a feeling he could potentially be more destructive than Saint.

“Gabe, just shut the fuck up, man,” Liam snarls.

“Why? Afraid I’ll let it slip that you fucked Laurel last semester, thinking it’d piss Saint off and cure your Mallory obsession?” Gabe spits. “Or are you more worried I’ll tell everyone how you killed Rosalind’s stepfather and had Saint help you get rid of the body?”

My eyes immediately shoot to Loni. Of everyone here, she’s the only one who wouldn’t know about what Liam and Saint did. Her gaze is wide as she stares at Gabe, and then she slowly looks toward me.

I hold her stare, willing her not to freak out. I know Loni can keep a secret, but I need her to keep her cool right now so I can convince Saint and Liam that she can be trusted. If she loses her shit, it’ll be a lot harder to do so. After a long moment where I’m holding my breath, she gives me the barest of nods.

“Okay, I think Gabe’s had enough,” she says with a forced chuckle, turning her big brown eyes back to him. “I’ll take his drunk ass back to the cottage.”

“I’ll go with you,” Rosalind murmurs, her eyes still downturned. “I’m really tired, and think I’ll just go to bed.”

Loni gives her a sympathetic look. “Yeah, no problem. Help me walk this asshole up, and we’ll call it a night.”

For a second, I think Gabe’s going to object, but to my surprise he allows the girls to drag him from the ground. Loni shoots me a parting look and a small, reassuring smile before she directs Gabe and Rosalind back up to the cottages.

It doesn’t hit me right away that I’m left all alone with Saint and Liam, but when it does, my whole body goes stiff with immediate tension.

“So, any other secrets anyone feels the need to air out?” Saint asks in a dark tone.

I turn my gaze up to him and frown. “Why would we keep adding to this shit storm?”

“I’ve got one,” Liam says, his voice like acid. He’s eyes are boring into Saint, and I can see his is going to be bad.

Saint glares back at him. “What’s that?”

“Oh God, what now?” I groan.

He ignores me.

Smirking, he says, “Over Christmas break, I flew to Atlanta to convince Mallory to come back.”

I gasp and whip my head to face Saint. I can practically see the rage building up in his body. His face hardens, his jaw seeming to become even sharper as he clenches his teeth.

“Why?” His voice is low and dangerous. It’s the tone he uses when he’s not just angry but looking to spill some blood. “You were only supposed to call and check on her. She came back because of you?”

He looks ready to pounce on Liam, but his words catch me off guard.

“Hold on, what?” I shriek, grabbing his arm and yanking on it until he looks at me. “What do you mean he was only supposed to call me?”

“Here’s the other secret,” Liam snaps. “Your boy here found out his dad was pla

I do a double take at Liam. If I didn’t know better, I’d say he was defending Saint’s actions. His words and tone aren’t matching up, though, and it’s confusing as hell. Still, I can’t ignore what he just said.

Turning back to Saint, I ask, “Is that true?” I mean, I already knew his actions at the assembly were allegedly to protect me, but I had no clue about Fi

Saint doesn’t answer me right away. He doesn’t even look at me as he gives Liam a death stare.

“Saint,” I hiss. “Is. That. True?”

His eyes drop to me, and he scowls.

Pushing to his feet, he spits, “It doesn’t fucking matter.”

Turning, he storms off toward the cottages, and I stare after him, dumbstruck.

“I’d go after him if I were you,” Liam murmurs.

I gawk at him. “What’s your game here? I’m so fucking confused.”

He just shrugs and shoots me a sloppy grin. “A little chaos, I guess.”

I scowl at him as I scramble to my feet and present him my middle finger before I hurry after Saint.