See No Evil

“That’s not fair.”

“Life’s not fair. Now get with the program, quarterback. We haven’t got all day.”

“I could just get up and go back into the house,” I threaten half-heartedly, not moving a muscle to follow through on my threat.

“You could, but then you would have to live with the fact that you could have seen the twins once again and passed at the chance.”

“That’s playing dirty, and you know it,” I grumble, almost pouting like a three-year-old because, apparently, I like to be pussy-whipped like a motherfucker by the tattooed she-devil.

God, help me.

“We’re well past playing nice,” she pinpoints with an all-knowing stare.

“Whatever,” I quip and grab the tequila from her hands, taking a long gulp until I feel the warm liquid burn my insides.

If I’m going to watch Stone take off her clothes without being allowed to touch her, then I might as well do it drunk to numb the pain.

“I’ll go first,” she sings, pleased.

“Of course you will.” I sigh, taking another long-ass sip.

“First things first, why did you quit football?”

“You heard about that? Keeping tabs on me, brat?” I try to play it off, but the endearment just falls flat on the ground, with her no-nonsense glare. I let out a long exhale, and give her what she wants. “I quit because I was tired of doing something I didn’t love and for the wrong fucking reasons. There. Question answered, so pay up.”

There is a little smirk begi

“You’re going to have to do a lot better than that,” she retorts, her brow up in the air.

“If you want better answers, then you’re going to have to show me more than your bare lobes,” I rebuke, wetting my lips, yet again, with her liquor of choice.

Before I’m able to take another sip, she snatches the bottle from me, denying my need to self-medicate, and turning my near pout into a full-blown sulk.

“My turn,” I a

“To play a game with you, pretty boy. See how a

“Cute,” I grumble, taking off my T-shirt instead.

She eyes me below her long, dark lashes, taking a swig of tequila, even though the game didn’t call for it. I’m about to ask if my bare chest is to her liking, since she’s sporting a cute little blush on her cheeks, when she stops me dead cold with her next question.

“Why did your dad kick you out?”

“You know about that, too, huh?”

“Yep. Now answer the question.”

“You already know the answer, Stone. He kicked me out because he’s an asshole who wants to live his past youth vicariously through me, and he can’t.” I shrug, frustrated with her line of questioning, pulling a few strands of grass beside me.

Stone leans in and covers her hand over mine, making my chest expand, and my throat dry up with the i

“I’m sorry he did that to you, Fi

“How’s your mom?” I ask, instead of laying out my bleeding heart at her feet.

Stone’s green eyes soften at the mention of her mother, making me tuck my hands under my legs just to keep them from reaching out to her.

“She’s good. In high spirits because of you.” She smiles genuinely, the first true smile I’ve seen on her pretty face since she arrived.

“I didn’t do much.”

She lets out a long sigh, looking up at the sky for a minute before her eyes land on mine again.

“This game has always been about us telling each other the truth. Don’t lie to me now, Fi

“I would have paid for it myself, but my father cut me off. That’s why I went to Linc,” I confess, ashamed.

“I’m sorry,” she replies saddened.

Such words feel awfully wrong coming from her lips. She shouldn’t be speaking them, even if only to console me. I should be the one showering her with a million apologies, but I know none of them will make right what I’ve done.

“Going against your father’s wishes like that was a brave thing to do, Fi

Fuck! She’s killing me.

“Stone, please don’t say shit like that. Don’t be proud of me. I’ve done so many things not worthy of it. Especially from you.”

“Like being tested positive for steroids, you mean?” she asks without a single hint of disapproval in her sweet voice.

“I never did that. I’m not a cheat,” I reply steadfastly.

“I know.”

“You do?”

“Yes. You may have many faults, Fi

“Stone,” I choke, my hand already finding its home against her cheek.

She leans in and cups my hand in hers, closing her eyes to take in the warmth of my palm, everything around me suddenly seeming to play in slow motion. I hear birds singing above us as the heat of her skin scorches mine. The racing of my heart, threatening to leap out of my throat, is too poignant to ignore, and yet I do. Let it explode inside me if it has to. As long as I can stay like this forever, just cupping her cheek in my palm, feeling her skin next to mine, then nothing else matters.

“Stone—”

“You’re not a cheater. But you are a liar, aren’t you, pretty boy?” she asks, no judgment in her words.

“Yes,” I admit, forlorn.

She grips my hand and pulls it away from her cheek just to kiss my open palm. The erratic beating of my heart only increases when her lids open, and those green jewels stare into my eyes as if coaxing my soul to kneel in submission.

“Have you ever lied to me?”

“Yes.”

“Because you wanted to?”

“No,” I confess, struggling to find my voice as her gaze on me remains tender and true.

She kisses my wrist this time, and my own eyes shut of their own accord, treasuring her soft graze.

“You didn’t send those emails to Watkins & Ellis, did you?” Unable to speak, I just shake my head from side to side and keep listening. “But someone went through a whole lot of trouble to make it seem like you did.”

I don’t say anything to that either. Stone has always been clever. I was a fool in thinking she wouldn’t see through The Society’s ploys.

“The first night you came into Big Jim’s, it was because that same person sent you there, wasn’t it?” Even without uttering a word, she sees my guilt plastered all over my face. With her confidence wavering, she hushes, “Was all of it a lie?”

I open my eyes and look at the woman who has turned my life upside down more than The Society ever could. Stone came out of nowhere, and hit me like a freight train, changing the man I used to be. Before her, I was just going through the motions, detached and keeping an apathetic wall around me, holding everyone at arm’s length. I didn’t allow anyone to truly witness my chaotic mind, because I thought the version the world demanded of me was better than reality. Aside from the guys, Stone was the only one that didn’t fall for my pretenses and accepted me just as I am. That was never a lie.