Page 79 of Reign

“Really?” Eden raises her head and stares at me head-on. “Chase wasn’t enough for you? Getting the most popular guy in school to notice you and … and have sex with you wasn’t what you wanted? You had to take him, too?”

“Eden, what are you talking about? I didn’t take Tempest, and Chase’s attention has hardly been wanted or kind…”

“But it turned you on enough to fuck him. Made him interested enough to drop every other girl and pledge himself to you, even when he was pretending to hate you—everyone knew it was a lie, including me. Especially me. You know why? Because I notice things. Observing is my special skill, and I can tell when you’re depressed, or Emma’s anxious, or Ivy is—was—upset. I can read you so well because you’re my friend and you’ve been kind to me when no one else was. But it was all an act, wasn’t it? To avenge your mom and now Ivy, to ruin the Virtues … have you ever really wanted to be my friend?”

“Of course, Eden!” Shock and hurt reverberates in my tone, but Eden doesn’t take notice.

“You’re lying. If you really were my friend, you’d be able to read me, too. Like when every time Tempest entered the room, I’d freeze and duck my head because I had to hide the blood rushing to my cheeks. Or how overly thankful I was that he deleted all traces of my naked photo. Or that every time you mentioned his name, my breaths would come faster and I latched onto every word you said about him.”

“Eden,” I whisper, reaching for her hands, but she pulls them from her lap. “I didn’t know. I had no idea you had a crush on him.”

“Crush.” Eden laughs tonelessly. “Is that what you and Chase have? How you define it? I’m in love with him, Callie, and you didn’t even notice!”

Straightening, I try to bring feeling back into my face, but it’s so numbed, so devoid of blood, I can’t tell it to move. How could I have missed this? “What I did at the ritual, it means nothing. Chase revoked his soulmate claim in order to sabotage my admission. The only way I could salvage it was to claim another soulmate, and Tempest doesn’t have one.”

“Neither does James. Why didn’t you call out his name?”

I aim for a smile, because that idea is ludicrous. “James is a masochist who gets off on pain. I couldn’t tie myself to someone like that.”

“So you tied yourself to the one guy who’s ever been nice to me in the entire school. The only guy I’ve ever noticed and have been working so hard to get him to notice me. How can I do that when he has you now? You don’t see it, Callie, but you’re beautiful. You’re—you’re everything I’m not and you could have anything you wanted, even being a part of Falyn and her crew. Instead, you shackled yourself to me and Emma, the outsiders, the loners. It’s starting to come together, now. Why you did that. You were using us.”

“No,” I practically shout. “You’ve got it wrong. I love you two. You’ve been there and helped me and we’ve all become closer, because we like each other, Eden. I’d never use you and I’d never do this to you on purpose.”

“You chose Tempest!” Eden screams. “When I wanted him! He’s all I want. That’s it. Nothing else. Why would you take that away?”

“Because I didn’t know!”

“You never asked!”

I take a breath, trying not to flinch under her fury. I say, softer, “His was the first name that popped into my head, so I spoke it. But that’s it, Eden. I swear. There’s nothing going on between us.”

Eden’s silent for a time, and I allow the pregnant pause, understanding that the more I try to pry, the further I’ll push her away. Because I do know her. She is my friend, and while I’ve neglected her in favor of gutting Sabine, I would never take her for granted.

I’m about to tell her that, but she speaks first.

“There’s nothing going on between you and me, either.”

“Wh … Eden.” I reach for her when she stands, but miss. “Please. I don’t want you to leave. I am your friend. We need to talk about this.”

“Try floating without the pool noodle this time,” she barks as she storms barefoot back to the locker room. “With any luck, you’ll sink to the bottom.”

“Eden!” I cry, horrified, but she’s already walked into the locker room and shut the door on our friendship.

27

Callie

“They should be here soon,” Chase says as he finishes helping me button my shirt. His is a lost cause and he’s thrown his blazer over his open white shirt.

It’s the next evening, and while Chase and I waited in the Nobles’ crypt, we couldn’t take our hands off each other. It was a nice reprieve, as selfish as it was, to lose myself in him and pretend my friendships weren’t hanging on by a thread.

I’m not a complete asshole, however, and I asked Chase about Emma before he distracted me with his scent and prowess, but he refused to say much, and Emma won’t answer my texts or calls. I’m determined to speak to both her and Eden tonight, and asked them to meet us at the lake house after this meeting. I need them, and not simply because Chase and I are implementing a new plan. I also miss them. I love them.

Chase strokes my hair back from my face. “While I can appreciate the brain fog I’ve given you, the Nobles are meeting us here any minute. You might want to find your underwear.”

“How many?” I ask as I duck under the pews, spotting my pink thong in the cobwebs. I dig it out.

“The initiates and our barons. As well as Tempest, James, and Rio.”

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