Eden

30

I chase him all the way up to the cottages.

“Wait!” I call, just as he reaches the sliding glass door off the back patio. “Saint, stop ru

He pauses, his shoulders tensing, and then turns to glare at me.

“I’m not ru

“Well, I’m not,” I snap. “I think I deserve to know what your father had pla

He looks like he wants to dispute that, but we both know he can’t. We glare at each other for several long, silent moments. At length, he releases an exasperated sigh.

“Fine,” he snarls. Opening the door, he steps aside to let me enter the cottage first. He directs me to his room, and we stay fairly quiet so as not to alert Gabe’s dumb ass that we’re both here.

Once we’re safe in his room, he closes the door behind us then moves to sit on the edge of his bed. Ru

“Tell me what happened,” I say in a soft voice. “What did your father want to do to me?”

“Get rid of you,” he says, meeting my gaze. “By any means necessary. He intervened on Jon Eric and Fi

“His dirty work being getting rid of me,” I state, just to clarify.

“I don’t know exactly what they intended to do to you, but know those two, it wouldn’t have been pretty. I mean, you don’t actually think almost drowning was a Laurel thing, do you?”

My stomach churns at the memory of being held underwater until I went unconscious, and I wrap my arms tightly around myself. That at least explains why Jon Eric and Fi

“I thought he wanted you to get rid of me,” I say.

He shoots me a look that’s a mix of amusement and frustration. “I was failing. It’s actually a little fu

My breath leaves me in a rush. “I’m sorry,” I murmur because I don’t know what else to say. I’m not sorry he didn’t go through with getting rid of me by any means possible, but I guess I’m sorry I made things worse for him. I’m sorry his father’s such a piece of shit. I’m sorry—

Before I can finish that thought, Saint shakes his head and waves his hand as though shooing a fly. “Don’t,” he huffs. “I’m glad to be a fuck up. I’m done with my father. My mother’s gone—spending the summer in Italy, but I know she won’t be back. I’m just … done.”

I walk closer to him until our knees touch, and he blinks up at me when I slip my arms around his neck and straddle his lap. His hands land on my hips and his fingers clutch me tight.

“Little masochist,” he murmurs. For the first time, that sounds more like a term of endearment instead of a taunt to remind me of what a fool I am.

“No more talking.”

Lowering my head, I press my lips against his in a gentle kiss. My intention is to keep things light and slow. To seduce and explore, but it’s been so long, and my body ignites at our first contact. His hands grip me harder and then stroke up my back to hold my head so he can devour my mouth with his.

All thought leaves my head as we fall back onto the bed together, and I give myself over to the sensations that he pulls from my body that I’ve been missing for so long.

The next morning, I sneak back to my own cottage, being careful to be as quiet as possible. I slip in through the glass sliding door and tiptoe toward my bedroom.

“Is this like a walk of shame? Or more like a trudge?”

I flinch and gasp, a strange panic shooting through my belly. Turning, I find Loni standing in the doorway of her bedroom, her arms crossed and lips quivering in a smile.

“Oh, hey,” I say, offering a smile that I hope is casual and not startled. “I, uh, just went for a walk on the beach. Early riser, you know.”

“You’re still wearing your clothes from last night.”

Fuck. “I’m … poor.”

Loni snorts. “Please, Mallory. This is spring break. And while I’ll never touch Prince Harry again with a ten-foot-fucking-pole, you’re entitled to get some Hot Draco D.”

I scrunch my nose. “You’re kind of raunchy, Baby Juggernaut.”

She shrugs. “What can I say? I grew up around fighters. Now, you and I have some shit we need to figure out.”

I grimace. “We do?”

Moving towards me, she grabs my wrist and drags me toward my room. Pushing me inside, she shuts the door.

“All right,” she says before I can form any kind of question in my head. “Spill.”

“What am I spilling this time?”

She jabs her finger at me. “Last night, what Gabe said Liam and Gabe did. Was that true?”

My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I nod. “Yes, it was, but you have to understand, Rosalind’s stepfather was a monster, and—”

She holds up her hand and I fall silent. “You don’t need to explain that to me. Actually, I don’t even want to know. I just want to know that you’re good.”

I blink. “Me?”

“Yeah, you. Your boyfriend helped cover up a murder. I just need to know that you feel safe with him. If you do, I’ll drop the issue and keep my mouth shut.”

‘Oh, I—” I’ve never been asked that question before. It’s one thing for Saint to piss me off, but no one has ever questioned whether I feel safe around him or not. I think about it for only a moment before nodding. “Yeah, I feel safe with him. He wouldn’t hurt me like that. He only did it to help Liam and Rosalind.”

She lets out a breath of apparent relief. “All right. That’s all I needed. I won’t tell anyone, I promise.”

“We’re a fucked-up group, huh?”

She widens her eyes. “Last night was a mess.”

I nod, pressing the palms of my hands against my eyes. “No kidding. What was wrong with Gabe?”

Loni sighs, a flash of regret lighting up her eyes for a moment. “I’m sure it’s me. Things have been weird between us since freshman year, which is why I’m not his biggest fan. I probably hurt is stupid pride.”

“Well, whatever it is, he sure fucked things up last night,” I grumble. “How was Rosalind after you got back up here?”

“Not great,” Loni replies. “She was pretty shaken up. Didn’t say much before she went to bed.”

“So, her trip is essentially ruined.” Damn it. “This whole break is going to be so fucking awkward now, isn’t it?”

Loni doesn’t try to disagree. “Did I ever tell you all the reasons I loathe Angelview Academy?”

Fuck. So much for my luxurious vacation to help me get away from my worries at that school.

Like usual, it appears they’ve followed me yet again.

Just like Loni had predicted, the rest of the trip is almost unbearably awkward. We don’t try to hang out again as a group, and we mostly try to actively avoid each other. Rosalind stays in her room most of the week, even though Loni and I invite her out with us when we go to the beach and to other areas of the resort. She declines each time, politely but firmly.

We barely see the guys, and just let them do their own thing. I’ve no interest in hanging out with Gabe or Liam again, and neither does Loni. Saint and I don’t really interact all that much either, and when we do, he’s confusingly distant. A part of me wonders if he’s worried about Loni, since I haven’t gotten the chance to reassure him that she’ll stay quiet, but another part of me can’t help but fear he regrets having sex with me again.