Page 115 of Her Devils

I place my empty glass on the edge of a big stone planter and close my eyes, processing the news that all the men I care about will be training to BASE jump from the seven highest mountains in the world.

I say a silent prayer to mypapà, asking him to be the guys’ guardian angel.

“Lenley.”

Darrius’s voice causes me to jump, and I’m glad I’m not holding my flute anymore, or I would have dropped it.

“What do you want, D?” I ask, unable to hide the annoyance in my voice.

“If I didn’t think it was impossible, I’d think you’ve been avoiding me. I tried to talk to you all day, and you kept disappearing the second I tried to approach you.”

What can I say? Darrius has always been perceptive. “If the shoe fits,” I grumble.

His fingers curl over my shoulder. “What the fuck is that supposed to mean? You sound mad at me.”

I plant the palm of my hand on his chest, shoving him away. “Gee, you don’t say! Iammad at you. Furious, actually.”

I never noticed how good Darrius was at lying until recently. He looks like the very picture of innocence when he speaks next. “What have I done?”

I lift my gaze to meet his, seething. “Really? You know, when Peyton said you played dirty, a big part of me didn’t believe him, but after the stunt you pulled last night...”

I have to give it to Darrius, he has an excellent poker face. “Oh, that. How is it my fault if that loser can’t hold his liquor? I wanted to talk and see if we could come to some kind of truce, but he was shit-faced after two shots.”

I shake my head. “Cut the crap, D. We both know it was way more than two shots and you tricked Peyton into drinking when you somehow weren’t. I drank with him a few times, so I know he wouldn’t get wasted with two shots.”

He crosses his arms over his chest, jutting his chin out in his typical defiant way. I’ve seen that look many times over the years. “Okay, fine. You got me. I wanted to get him drunk, hoping he wouldn’t jump today.”

I can’t believe this. “Why? You’re going to be teammates at worlds and in this new BASE jumping team and in Cove Angels. Why do you hate him so much?”

Maybe the answer shouldn’t surprise me, but it does all the same.

“Because ever since he came to town, he’s been after everything that’s mine!” I’ve seen Darrius angry plenty of times, but never this furious. “It started years ago when he tried out for the Angels. Instead of giving up when he didn’t get in, he got his father to form the Cove Devils, and he came after everything I care about. My team, my town, my girl.”

I narrow my eyes on him. “Oh, come on! Don’t try to spin ridiculous tales. Peyton doesn’t like Kiara.”

Darrius takes the Wild Horse smart phone out of the inside pocket of his jacket.

I understand why when he unlocks the screen.

“I’m not talking about Kiara. I’m talking about you, Len. Look at his fucking social media in the last few weeks. It’s all pictures of you, Len.”

I look at Peyton’s posts, and Darrius is right. I’m in every shot. “How do you have those? It looks like you’re logged in as Peyton.”

The answer is simple. “Yesterday when we toured the tower and we crashed into each other while getting out of the elevator, we must have swapped phones by accident. I couldn’t even get any footage like we were asked to because it would look like Peyton did all the work. I’ve been looking for that asshole all evening, since I realized what happened, to swap them back, and I can’t even find him. He isn’t at the party, and I tried to message my accounts from his, but his phone must be turned off. I guess I’ll swap it tomorrow morning before the official press conference for the Seven Summits Team announcement. But that’s beside the point. That asshole is obsessed with you, Len.”

I don’t like the way he talks about Peyton. “He isn’t an asshole, Darrius. Peyton cares about me.”

Darrius grabs my wrist. “That’s unfair, Lenley. I do too. I’ve cared about you since we were too small to even say each other’s names. I love you. I’ve loved you my whole life.”

I snort. “Yeah, I know. You have a big sister, and I’m the little sister you never had.”

He pulls me closer. “No, not like that. I thought my feelings for you were just friendship, but I was wrong. I’m in love with you, Lenley.”

I shove, pulling to get him to let go of my wrist, but he doesn’t budge. “That’s bullshit and you know it, D.”

“It’s not. I love you, Lenley.”

I don’t know what to say. My heartbeat roars so loudly in my ears that I can’t even hear myself think.

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