mind keeping an eye on you.”
He just didn’t get it. I sighed, and Trey frowned like he expected another round of protests. But I didn’t say anything this time. I could only push him away so much, and I’d had enough for right now. I needed to catch my breath before the next time. Getting through the funeral service, and now the wake, was enough for me. I just wanted to crawl up into my bed and forget that there was a world outside of Jason’s house. At least for today.
We pulled up into the drive before I said quietly, “Don’t you think it’s weird? That I’m still here?”
Trey was quiet for a long moment before he finally said, “Lucky. Not weird.”
“Lucien has more reason than anyone to want me dead. Grace just wants to talk, now. Ben’s the only one who seems like he still wants a pound of flesh, and I still don’t get why.”
“Wait,” Trey commanded, suddenly serious. “Go back. Start again. What happened?” Now he sounded pissed.
“Oh, right.” I probably should have told him what had happened first. I started going through what had happened the night before, first Grace in the church and then Ben out behind the house. Trey’s good mood popped like a balloon, a sudden jolt that changed the pressure inside the car. As soon as it pulled to a stop in front of the house, I bolted out, like that would somehow make things better.
“When were you going to tell me?” he demanded, like he had any right to do that.
“I wasn’t.” Trey wasn’t even supposed to be here today. “This isn’t your problem, Trey. It’s mine. And I have to figure out what to do about it.” Because bending over and taking it wasn’t an option. And neither was relying on Trey to be there to help me. This wasn’t his fight. It was mine, and the truth was that I couldn’t protect him.
“Figure out what to do about what ?” Jade asked, appearing in the doorway before I had even reached the door.
“Both of you?” I groaned. I’d thought that I’d just missed her at the wake—of course she’d have to show up at some point; she was a Lansing.
“Figured you might need some reinforcements,” she said with a soft smile, and then added in a rush, “Jason said it was fine.”
Drew appeared behind her, an amber bottle tucked into his catcher’s mitt–sized hand. “Did Jason say we could raid the bar, because I need tequila if I have to share a roof with your pretty boy Rom—oh, hey Gentry.” Drew offered him a bright, full smile.
“It’s fine,” I said, unsure about which one of them I was actually talking to. I made a split decision to keep my sanity, though. Drew and Trey couldn’t share a roof without someone getting punched in the face, and I wasn’t in the mood to play referee. “Trey’s not staying.”
“Yes, I—” But when Trey tried to get in the house, I blocked him at the door.
“I keep telling you I can’t do this,” I shook my head, “but you just don’t listen. You keep thinking it’s going to be fine, like I’m going to forget what happened and we can be together and life will be grand.”
“How do you know it won’t?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of him. His eyes kept shifting to the place behind me where I knew Drew was standing. Drew was no doubt smirking and doing everything in his power to silently antagonize Trey from inside the house.
“Let’s be realistic,” I snapped. “There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be dead before the year’s out. I’ve got enough people out for my blood. Maybe they’re just toying with me now, but eventually they’ll get tired of it. Someone will make the first move. And that’ll be it.”
“Why won’t you let me help you?” he pleaded.
Why won’t you let me help myself? I thought to myself. But maybe that was just how Trey was wired. He wanted to save me. Even if he didn’t know how, he wanted me to be okay. I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t do the same for him. I’d done it before.
But I couldn’t
He just didn’t get it. I sighed, and Trey frowned like he expected another round of protests. But I didn’t say anything this time. I could only push him away so much, and I’d had enough for right now. I needed to catch my breath before the next time. Getting through the funeral service, and now the wake, was enough for me. I just wanted to crawl up into my bed and forget that there was a world outside of Jason’s house. At least for today.
We pulled up into the drive before I said quietly, “Don’t you think it’s weird? That I’m still here?”
Trey was quiet for a long moment before he finally said, “Lucky. Not weird.”
“Lucien has more reason than anyone to want me dead. Grace just wants to talk, now. Ben’s the only one who seems like he still wants a pound of flesh, and I still don’t get why.”
“Wait,” Trey commanded, suddenly serious. “Go back. Start again. What happened?” Now he sounded pissed.
“Oh, right.” I probably should have told him what had happened first. I started going through what had happened the night before, first Grace in the church and then Ben out behind the house. Trey’s good mood popped like a balloon, a sudden jolt that changed the pressure inside the car. As soon as it pulled to a stop in front of the house, I bolted out, like that would somehow make things better.
“When were you going to tell me?” he demanded, like he had any right to do that.
“I wasn’t.” Trey wasn’t even supposed to be here today. “This isn’t your problem, Trey. It’s mine. And I have to figure out what to do about it.” Because bending over and taking it wasn’t an option. And neither was relying on Trey to be there to help me. This wasn’t his fight. It was mine, and the truth was that I couldn’t protect him.
“Figure out what to do about what ?” Jade asked, appearing in the doorway before I had even reached the door.
“Both of you?” I groaned. I’d thought that I’d just missed her at the wake—of course she’d have to show up at some point; she was a Lansing.
“Figured you might need some reinforcements,” she said with a soft smile, and then added in a rush, “Jason said it was fine.”
Drew appeared behind her, an amber bottle tucked into his catcher’s mitt–sized hand. “Did Jason say we could raid the bar, because I need tequila if I have to share a roof with your pretty boy Rom—oh, hey Gentry.” Drew offered him a bright, full smile.
“It’s fine,” I said, unsure about which one of them I was actually talking to. I made a split decision to keep my sanity, though. Drew and Trey couldn’t share a roof without someone getting punched in the face, and I wasn’t in the mood to play referee. “Trey’s not staying.”
“Yes, I—” But when Trey tried to get in the house, I blocked him at the door.
“I keep telling you I can’t do this,” I shook my head, “but you just don’t listen. You keep thinking it’s going to be fine, like I’m going to forget what happened and we can be together and life will be grand.”
“How do you know it won’t?” he asked, crossing his arms in front of him. His eyes kept shifting to the place behind me where I knew Drew was standing. Drew was no doubt smirking and doing everything in his power to silently antagonize Trey from inside the house.
“Let’s be realistic,” I snapped. “There’s a pretty good chance I’ll be dead before the year’s out. I’ve got enough people out for my blood. Maybe they’re just toying with me now, but eventually they’ll get tired of it. Someone will make the first move. And that’ll be it.”
“Why won’t you let me help you?” he pleaded.
Why won’t you let me help myself? I thought to myself. But maybe that was just how Trey was wired. He wanted to save me. Even if he didn’t know how, he wanted me to be okay. I couldn’t say that I wouldn’t do the same for him. I’d done it before.
But I couldn’t
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