Page 68 of Beautiful Dark Temptation

“I hope you know what you’re doing,” hemumbled.

River dropped me off at the airport. “Takecare of him,” I said.

He nodded and took off.

Luckily, the school hadn’t taken our legalIDs and I was able to purchase a plane ticket. The flight toChicago took under three hours. The city streets were cold, but nosnow had fallen yet. Still early November. It’d been nine monthssince I’d been there. Nothing had changed. Just me.

I ended up at the burial lot. My dad, Cruz,Miguel, and Daniel had been buried together since they diedtogether. I hadn’t been back since we buried them. The ground wasbare and cold. I shoved my hands inside my hoodie pockets and feltthe rings. I wished Nick were here. He would’ve known what to saybetter than me. He was better with all the word shit.

I wiped my nose.

“I’m sorry Ma took the rings,” I said,feeling guilty for it. “They should’ve been buried with you. I’msorry I couldn’t do more for you. I don’t know. Maybe Ma wasright.” The lump in my throat made it hard to talk. Tears came backinto play. I hated them. “I’m not good for nothing. And sorry,Dad,” I said to my dad’s gravestone. “I didn’t think ratting outthe boy I love would change anything.”

The boy I love.

I kicked at the hard ground. “Yeah, I mightlike boys too,” I said sheepishly. “But you loved Nick, so youcould love me too, yeah?” I wiped my nose. With only a hoodie, Ifelt the cold deep in my bones.

I heard someone behind me and turned toNick. My heart stumbled and I wondered if he was real. He lookedgood. Nick always looked good. Shorter than me, light brown hair,hazel eyes. The sunlight shone on his freckles. I didn’t know whatto say. Somehow, I’m sorry didn’t seem to cut it.

He seemed to know that words wouldn’t do anyjustice and approached me. Just as he stood close enough to hug, Ilowered my head onto his shoulder. He wrapped his arms around me,and we cried.

I missed him. He’d been my best friend. AndI had ruined it.

I don’t know how long we stood like that,hugging in the cold. But he didn’t seem to be in a rush. I pulledaway and wiped my face. “What are you doing here?” I finally asked.“I thought you were in California.”

“I’m taking a break,” he said. “It’scomplicated.”

I snorted. “Tell me about it. But what areyou doing here?”

“I got a call,” he said, looking tons ofguilty.

I almost asked who but didn’t have to. Theperson walking toward us was all the answer I needed. MaddoxBrennan stopped just a few yards away from us, his arms clasped infront of his body like a guard. I suddenly felt betrayed. As ifNick had sold me out.

“He called me when you went missing. I keptcoming here, hoping that maybe I’d catch you.” Nick took my hand.“Tomás, don’t look at him. Look at me.”

“He killed Daniel,” I whispered.

Nick didn’t react. “I know.”

I scowled at him. The betrayal sank a littledeeper. “Do you know why?”

“Dad killed Trinidad Sr.”

I took a startled step back. I wanted torun, get away. Kieran had told me the truth. Dad had flipped on hisbest friend. I realized I was shaking my head in denial.

“T told me,” Nick went on. “Tomás, I’msorry.”

I lowered my head and kicked the ground atmy feet. Defeated. It’s how I felt. As if my whole life weresomeone else’s, not mine. As if something fierce were crushing meand I could never just stand on my own two feet. I clutched therings tighter. The bite of pain reminded me what I came here to do.I opened my palm. “Ma took them, but they should be buried withthem. It has their souls.”

Nick took Dad’s ring and a fat tear fell outof the corner of his eye.

“You came here to bury this?”

I nodded.

“Then let’s do it.”

Nick dropped to his knees, not caring thatthe ground was cold and muddy. He started digging with his hands. Ilifted my eyes again to Maddox who wore no expression on his face.His green eyes so damn familiar, so like Kieran’s, but different.Maddox’s were darker green. When I was sure he wasn’t going to killme, I knelt beside Nick and started to dig too. It wasn’t easy.

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