See No Evil

“So, things with Stone aren’t going as The Society would have liked it, huh?” Lincoln asks, being the first one to break the silence.

He has always been the pacifist in our foursome, so I’m not surprised he’s the one to drop the olive branch to get us back to our norm.

“Honestly, I’m not sure what they want. They told me to befriend her, and in a way, I have. I just hope it’s enough for them.”

“Is it enough for you?” he asks cryptically.

“Just say what you mean, Linc.”

“If you’re starting to care for this girl, I don’t want you to do anything you don’t want to,” he replies, sincere apprehension to his tone.

My brows furrow tightly, trying to decipher the right words that he wants to hear from me, but to be honest, I don’t know what they are.

“He’s fine, Linc. I mean, have you ever seen Fi

“Just because it’s never happened before doesn’t mean it can’t.”

“If it does, it won’t be with Stone Be

“Tell him,” East insists, growing more impatient with my silence.

But the only reply I can come up with is the one I know still rings true to my ears.

“I’ll do what I have to, Linc.”

Linc lets out a long exhale, his back dipping further into his seat.

“I think that doing what we had to is what got us all in trouble, to begin with.”

“Have you or Colt found out anything about The Society yet? Anything that could help us get out of this mess?” I ask, wondering if they are faring any better at their task than I am at mine.

“Not really. But the minute we do, I’ll let you both know.”

“Where is that motherfucker anyway?” Easton asks, only now noticing Colt’s absence.

And I’m the slow one of the group.

Linc picks up his phone, the first genuine smile tracing his lips, as he shows us a picture of a flustered Colt talking to an unimpressed librarian.

“Well, I’ll be damned. I don’t know what surprises me more—Colt actually doing some groundwork that doesn’t involve pussy, or that he knows where the library is to begin with.” East chuckles.

“His name is on the building,” I counter. “He should at least know where the damn thing is located.”

We all laugh at that because Colt isn’t the type of guy you’d ever expect to encounter in a place that doesn’t offer the potential of getting laid. The girls’ locker room, yes. The library, hell no.

After our laughter dies down, I can’t help but look to Lincoln one more time for guidance.

“So, how are we going to handle this in the meantime?”

“Just as we have been. Act normal and wait for further instructions.”

“Instruction from The Society, you mean?” I ask just to be clear, getting from him a stiff nod in reply.

“What if they know that Fi

“You think I blew it?”

“I love you, dude. Like a brother, I do. But I gotta tell ya, when a girl is ready to bounce after a fuckfest, it usually means she’s ru

“Why didn’t you say that shit earlier?” I grunt, a

“Because! Ke

“It never stopped you before, asshole,” I yell.

“Guess I’m evolving.”

“Evolve this motherfucker.” I slap him over the head, which is kind of hard since he’s all the way across the table.

The jackass, instead of getting pissed at me, just laughs harder.

“Don’t worry about it. You just have to convince her that the second time around will be better. That you are going to wow her as a second act, rather than a first. I mean, sequels can be better than the originals, right? It’s not totally unheard of,” he goads.

“Fu

“Have you at least called her to find out?”

“I’ve texted, but she hasn’t replied. Pretty sure she’s already blocked my number from her phone,” I admit.

I mean, why else would she not reply? It’s the only plausible reason I can come up with to explain the radio silence I got from her all weekend.

“Yikes. Jesus, how bad a lay are you?”

“I’m not!” I shout at him, but the fucker just keeps laughing.

Linc, unable to hold it in, follows suit, and pretty soon, I join in, too. Because what am I going to do? Cry? Fuck that.

Linc wraps his arm over my shoulder and tilts his head next to mine.

“Fi

Do I even have a choice?

“Of course he is,” East replies on my behalf. “His cock is ecstatic at the idea of getting near that Southie hotness again. I mean, you have got to see this girl, Linc. So damn hot, your cock would be weeping for weeks,” East jokes, but I feel my features grow somber, not one bit happy with his remark about Stone.

“Don’t talk about her that way. She isn’t like the girls you’re used to.”

“Oh, no? Yeah, I’m sure she’s a goddamn peach. The Southie looks like she can handle her own shit, Fi

“That’s true. She is a tiny badass, isn’t she?” I ask, somewhat proudly.

“Please don’t make me barf up my muffin,” he quips, looking nauseated. “And take that stupid-ass grin off your face. Seriously, it’s giving me the creeps,” he adds, shivering his body like a cold gust of wind just went through it.

Linc’s phone starts to vibrate, and I can see him receiving another picture from Colt. Only this one differs significantly from the last. His arms are around two freshmen’s shoulders, giving us the thumbs-up as they head into the dead languages’ section of the library. In other words, he’s about to fuck them both, instead of continuing with the research on The Society as he was supposed to.

“I have to get back to school. Colt gets easily distracted with shiny new things,” Linc jokes, finishing up his coffee.

“Yeah, we should get back, too,” I add as I’m about to move my ass out of the booth, but stop when Linc grabs my forearm, giving it a light squeeze.

“Thank you, Fi

I know his words are sincere, and I wish there wasn’t this small part of me—hidden away in the confines of my hectic being—holding a little bit of resentment for the reason behind his genuine gratitude.

I shrug the hateful sentiment off, not wanting to give it any credence, and throw him a half-assed smile instead of uttering a word.

I mean, what’s the point?

We are all in this boat together. It’s not only Lincoln’s fault we have fallen prey to The Society’s demands. We all played our part that night, and as much as I try to push it to the back of my mind, my hands are just as bloody as his.