Page 49 of Twisted Truths

I threw my arms around him, squeezing him tight. “Thank you for letting me go.”

“Remember who you are and don’t let anyone dull your shine.”

“Will do!” I waved over my shoulder and ran out to Richard’s truck. “Where’s Richard?”

“Shut up and get in!” Jo laughed. “It’s a quick ride over there.”

I pulled open the door and squeezed in beside Tara.

“Tonight should be fun!” She giggled and Jo cranked up the radio.

The three of us sang along to the classic Bon Jovi song and danced in our seats for the five-minute ride back to Ethan’s.

Once we drove up the massive driveway, she parked, and we went to find our friends. Jo tossed the keys in the collection, ensuring no one drove under the influence tonight.

Vivian was pacing in her room, bouncing between excitement and nerves. Once she finally got her nerve up we all went down to join the party.

I stayed in the shadows. It was better for me not to draw attention to myself. My life had been Victoria free for a week and I wanted to keep it that way.

When Viv stepped outside, Jackson Pierce let out a low wolf whistle, and Ethan went pale.

She batted her eyes and walked closer to him, placing her finger on his chin, to push his mouth closed. I saw her mutter something, and then she sauntered over to a table near Jackson.

Looking back at Ethan, I saw the glare spread across his face, and then I saw trouble. Henry walked over and bumped into him.

The guys were laughing and talking and my stomach did that stupid flip flop thing it did every time I saw Henry.

I hated myself for liking him so much.

“If you keep staring, he’ll eventually notice you.” Tara came up behind me.

Heaving a sigh, I turned around. “I know. And if he does, it won’t go over well.”

She chuffed out a laugh. “Yeah. Especially since your grandpa threatened to shoot him.”

We both snorted, and I looked for Viv. She threw herself into drinking, and when I looked around for my other friends, I noticed all of them had a beer or something in a red solo cup.

Drinking wasn’t my thing for two reasons. I lost my parents to a drunk driver and the couple times I tried a little I didn’t like the feeling of not being in complete control of my body.

Avoiding the bulk of the people, I snagged a bottle of water, which surprised me they had, and I strolled through the gardens.

The plants here were beautiful and fragrant. Once I made it through the mini maze, the gardens opened up to a large gazebo and Henry, the ass-faced jerk, sat alone inside.

A war waged inside me. Part of me wanted to face him and demand an apology. The other part told me to stay away from him.

At least I thought he was alone until I heardhervoice. “What are you doing out here?”

“Hiding.” He shrugged.

You should choke on your ego.

I stayed in the shadows, using a large tree to hide behind so I could eavesdrop until they moved on, letting me finish my exploration of the grounds.

“School is finally over.” She bubbled.

“Yeah.” His voice fell flat. “So since you’re here. I wanted to talk to you.”

“Really?” She sauntered over to him, straddling his lap. “I wanted to talk to you, too.”

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