“Cheating on you with who?”

Placing her palms on my chest, she shoves me. “Don’t you dare stand there and lie to me, Cole. You know damn well what fat fuck I’m talking about.”

Holy shit. This bitch is one fry short of a happy meal.

“You’re not making any goddamn sense. I never fucked anyone el—”

“How about Sawyer?” Perching her hands on her hips she chirps, “Did you think I wouldn’t find out the truth, asshole?”

Oh, hell. This shit again. “I told you, nothing happened between us that night. I wandered upstairs drunk and passed out.”

I leave out the only fuzzy parts I do remember—like telling Sawyer things I’ve never told anyone else and wanting to kiss her so bad I could fucking taste it.

She jabs one of her talons into my pec. “What’s your excuse for all the other times?”

“What other times?”

If I was hooking up with Little Miss Innocent Bible Thumper, I’d remember every single second of it.

Well, except for the one and only time we allegedly did, but I was too drunk to recall touching anything more than her hand before passing out.

And puking all over the bed.

If by some tiny chance there is a higher being, I’m pretty sure that was his way of giving me the shaft.

“Stop playing dumb, Cole! Bianca told me everything.”

Given my little sister doesn’t know shit about my sex life, I doubt it.

“Oh, yeah? Like what?”

“Like the fact that you’ve been hooking up with Sawyer on the down-low.” Outrage sharpens her face. “She told me you had a secret fetish for fat chicks because they’re good at sucking dick.”

Christ. I’m going to kill Bianca.

Breathing erratically now, she utters, “It’s why I messed around with Todd. I needed to upgrade, not downgrade so I—”

“Shut up.”

I can’t stomach another second of this.

“Babe, please.” She locks her arms around me like a vise. “I’m sorry. I’m so freaking sorry.”

“You should be.”

She’s about to lose the best thing she ever had.

Teary-eyed, she looks up at me. “You’re really gonna throw away everything we have and end it because of one stupid little mistake?”

Her stupid little mistake would be more than enough for most guys to get rid of her. I, however, don’t care about her screwing someone else, because I don’t care about her. Period.

The only thing I care about is who she chose to cheat on me with and being associated with someone so goddamn gullible.

“No, I’m not.”

Relief flashes across her face. “Good, now what do you say we—”

“I’m ending it because you fell for Bianca’s trap.”

Her jaw drops. “You can’t be serious. It wasn’t my fault, babe. She—”

“Was setting you up and you were stupid enough to take the bait.” This time my laugh is genuine. “Sorry, Casey, but I can’t be with someone so fucking dumb. I need my girl’s brain to be bigger than her boobs.”

And that’s saying something, because I fucking love motorboating a nice pair of big tits.

I can practically see her fragile ego shattering into a thousand tiny pieces as she takes a step back. “In that case, good luck with your tub of lard.”

I have to remind myself Casey wouldn’t keep insulting Sawyer if she didn’t sense it bothered me so much.

I should let her have the last dig and keep it moving, but the idiot keeps running her mouth.

“Just so you know, you can kiss your reputation goodbye, Covington. I’m going to tell everyone exactly why I fucked Todd, and how much bigger his dick is than yours, and how he fucked me better than you ever could.” Smiling snidely, she pats my cheek. “But no one will be surprised, because Todd does everything better than you, especially play fo—”

Something inside me snaps and I slam my hand over her mouth before she can finish that sentence.

“Did I ever tell you I loved you? Ever have a real conversation with you? Ever spend time with you for anything other than sex?” Not waiting for a response, I grit out, “In case you’re having trouble grasping the big picture here, babe—the answer to all those questions is no.”

Snickering, I remove my hand. “You’re wasting a lot of hostility and resentment on someone who never cared about you.” I run my thumb along her cheekbone. “So why don’t you do yourself a favor and stop, because it reeks of desperation, you pathetic cunt.”

Her obnoxious giggle is the equivalent of nails on a chalkboard. “No less desperate or pathetic than that ugly porker. You embarrassed her in front of the entire school, told everyone you were upstairs with me that night instead of her, and she’s still obsessed with you.”

Casey has it all wrong. Sawyer hasn’t even so much as looked my way since I publicly humiliated her.

Can’t say I blame her.

But it was the price I had to pay to protect her reputation….and mine.

At least now she sees me for what I truly am.

A ruthless, manipulating user who only cares about himself.

“You’re the one who sounds obsessed, Casey. How many times do I have to say it? I never hooked up with her.”

She snorts. “You know what? I believe you. Because what guy in their right mind would hook up with her when they could have me? God, that beached whale is nothing more than a disgusting parasite. A fat, ugly blob who can’t stay away from you—”

My hand finds her mouth again.

“You know what jealousy is, Casey?” Tilting my lips over her ear, I bite out, “It’s insecurity wrapped up in self-loathing, because deep down, you know you’re not good enough.”

You never will be.

However, if you’re lucky, you can become someone else.

Someone everyone else wants to be, because that guy has it all.

And all it cost him was an eternity in Hell, a dead twin brother, and one bitter black soul.

Chapter 6

Sawyer

Given I forgot my history textbook in my locker and had to retrieve it, the parking lot’s empty as I approach my van.

Well, apart from Oakley who’s standing outside his BMW.

I assume he’s waiting for Cole, but a moment later a car pulls up alongside him and Loki gets out.

Slowing my steps, I watch as he hands Oakley a paper bag.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what’s in it.

I can’t hear what Loki says, but whatever it is has Oak on edge.

My stomach fills with lead as Loki hops into his car and drives off.

It would be easy to dismiss Oakley as some addict who’s going nowhere fast, and steer clear of him, but I can’t.

He has issues, sure, but there’s so much good in him.

Good that will be washed away by the drugs that will undoubtedly take his life one day.

With that thought fueling me, I charge across the parking lot.

If Dylan and Jace can’t get through to him, I highly doubt I will, but I’ll be damned if I’m not going to try with my own version of tough love.

“Hey, short stack—what the fuck?” he yells when I snatch the bag.