She gets off the bed and begins pacing. “Well, yeah, He…uh…he’s a dishwasher, busboy, and part-time hostess at Cluck You.”

Small world. “Then you know how cute and awesome he is.”

He’s also a hard worker from the sounds of it.

“Sure.”

A smile touches my lips. Given they’re co-workers, I can ask her a bunch of questions about him.

Her pacing picks up speed. “Dammit, of all the things.”

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that she’s privy to something I’m not.

“Sawyer?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s going on?”

She stops pacing and looks at me. “Did you say Jace and Cole ruined his brother’s life?”

“Yeah. That’s what Stone said.”

She flinches. “Yeah, that’s not…” She holds up a finger. “I’ll be right back. Don’t go anywhere.”

I eye her warily as she heads for the door. “Okay.”

A moment later she returns with an equally confused Dylan in tow. “What’s going on?”

Placing a finger over her lips, Sawyer closes the door. “Houston, we have a problem.”

Dylan looks at me. “What kind of problem?”

I shrug. “Beats me.”

All I did was tell her about a boy I like at school. I’m not really sure why she’s being so extra about everything.

Sawyer drops her voice to a whisper. “Are Cole and Jace still home?”

“No,” Dylan says. “They went to the gym.” Her nose crinkles. “Can you tell me what’s—”

“Bianca has a crush on Stone DaSilva.”

Dylan’s mouth drops open. “I’m sorry…what?”

“Hey,” I snap. “I told you that in confidence.”

Sawyer bows her head. “I know and normally I wouldn’t ever betray your trust, but this is a really big deal. Especially since Stone has you believing Cole and Jace ruined his brother’s life.”

Dylan’s eyes narrow into tiny slits. “Oh, that no-good, rotten son-of-a-bitch—”

“Okay, that’s it.” Making a fist, I punch my mattress. “Someone better spill the beans.”

I’m so tired of being kept in the dark about everything.

Dylan pinches the bridge of her nose. “I’m not sure why that little asshole told you that, but Jace and Cole didn’t ruin his brother’s life.” She sucks in a breath. “Tommy basically made it his mission to ruin Liam’s life.”

I feel like I was dunked in a vat of ice water. “What? How?”

Dylan takes a seat on my bed. “Tommy tormented Liam. Every day he would make fun of his stutter and scars and tease him with that ridiculous nickname.”

“What nickname?”

“History,” she whispers, her voice sounding every bit as shattered as I feel. “Because history always repeats itself.”

My stomach churns with the sudden rush of memories. “Liam used to come home with tears in his eyes.”

It broke my heart to see him so upset.

I literally wanted to kill Tommy for hurting him.

Dylan nods solemnly. “I know.”

“That’s not all he did,” Sawyer notes.

Dylan glares at Sawyer. “Jace doesn’t want us—”

“I know, but she has a right to know what happened that night.”

She’s right.

I look at them both. “Tell me everything.”

Chapter 15

I’m going to kill him.

Stone was right, we did ruin Tommy’s life…but only because he ruined Liam’s first.

A shudder runs through me when I think of all the vicious, cruel things he did to him.

Especially the night before his death.

I clutch a hand to my chest. Liam never told me.

Just like most of his pain, he kept it hidden deep down.

He didn’t give me a chance to save him.

My insides twist with rage. The fact that I was starting to have feelings for someone who could stand there and defend such a vile, evil person makes me want to wash my heart out with bleach.

Which is exactly why I took an Uber to Cluck You shortly after kicking Sawyer and Dylan out of my room.

I want to confront the asshole to his face.

I’m downright shivering with adrenaline as I march into Stone’s job.

It takes me all of two seconds to spot him standing at the counter.

I don’t think, I just act.

Balancing on my crutches, I pick up the nearest object and fling it at him. “You asshole.”

Stone ducks in the nick of time, narrowly missing the napkin dispenser I launched at his head. “Jesus Christ. What the hell is the matter with you?”

“You. You lied to me, Stone. You looked me right in the eyes and lied.” I hate the way my voice quivers, but I have no control over it. “I thought we were friends. I thought—”

“Bianca, that’s enough,” Sawyer calls out, rushing inside the building. “I know you’re upset, but this isn’t the time or place.”

Stone snorts. “Should have known they’d get to you sooner or later.”

I open my mouth to tell him off, but a short older man waving a broom yells, “You. I told you never to come here again.”

I have no idea what he’s talking about.

“Relax, Mr. Gonzales,” Sawyer says. “She was just leaving.”

Ha. Fat chance. “No, I wasn’t.”

He jabs a finger in my face. “Leave now, or I’ll call the police.”

“Call them,” I bite out.

Stone takes off his apron and throws it on the counter. “I’m taking my ten-minute break.”

Mr. Gonzales throws his hands up. “No. No break for you. You cause that mean girl to come in here and ruin my business again!”

Again?

Stone looks at Sawyer. “Cover for me?”

Sawyer is visibly outraged. “Are you out of your damn mind?”

“Please,” he insists. “I need to talk to Bianca.” He folds his arms. “Besides, you owe me for never pressing charges against your boyfriend.”

She points to her engagement ring. “Fiancé.” Even though it’s clear she doesn’t want to, she relents. “And fine, you can talk to her, but I swear to God if you upset her, I will hurt you.”

It’s an idle threat since Sawyer wouldn’t hurt a fly, but I appreciate the sentiment.

Stone gestures for me to follow him out back.

Once we’re outside, I unleash every bit of my pent-up anger on him.

“Tommy bullied Liam every day of his life. He made fun of his stutter, his scars.” My pain is a tangible thing, gripping me by the throat. “The night before he died, he tricked Liam into going into a closet so he could see Dylan—the girl he was in love with—make out with his brother. And if that wasn’t bad enough, he pointed and laughed at his tears after they walked back inside the gymnasium.”

I have to press a hand to my stomach because I feel sick. So fucking sick. “Then he pulled down his pants in front of all their classmates and made fun of his penis.”