Page 68 of Keeping Score

“The bitch packed my shit for me,” I bite out.

“So, she said nothing else to you?” I roll my eyes and try to think back to that day. I remember the Williams’s calling her and her agreeing to let me live with them. When we drove to the trailer park, I went and grabbed my bags and then—my eyes widen.

“She told me… that your parents could give me a better life. She said sorry and… cried.” My stomach drops and a lump formsin my throat. Holy fuck. Is Leah right? Did my mom actually love me?

“Darius?” she whispers my name, trying to draw my gaze back to her. When I take too long, she grips my chin and lifts my face to hers. Her eyes are filled with pity and it causes me to flinch.

“I don’t need your pity,” I snarl. She doesn’t pull away or reprimand me for my harsh tone.

“I don’t pity you, babe. I pity Jenny for what she went through.” Is it wrong that the only thing I heard out of what she just said wasbabe?

I smirk. “Babe, huh?” She rolls her eyes.

“I’m serious,” she says sternly.

“What do you want me to say? It’s too late now. I’m not a little kid anymore, Goldie. I gave up hope a long time ago.”

“It’s never too late. If you want to find her, I’ll help you and be there with you every step of the way. I promise!” I mull over her words. What if she’s right and Jenny really was just fucked up and trying to ease the pain of losing a child? She didn’t have the money to fight Victor and she was dumb enough to put his name on our birth certificates, so it’s not like he was kidnapping in a way and knowing Victor, he would have threatened her to not go to the cops.

“I’ll… think about it.” Before we can discuss this any further, the back door opens and a pale looking Crue stands there. “What’s wrong?”

“We have a problem.” The solemn tone of his voice has us both climbing to our feet. I help Leah and then lead her inside where we find the others sitting in the living room with news playing on the TV.

‘The remains of college student Garrett Jones has been found near the local park. It appears that this wasn’t fromnatural causes and the police are treating this as a homicide. Anyone with information is urged to come forward–

Corvin turns the TV off before the rest can be heard. No one says a word. We all stand around, reeling over what we just heard. My first thought is thank fuck the cunt is dead and the second, what the fuck did Corvin and the others do?

“What did you do?” Leah breathes out as she looks at her brother. Corvin doesn’t look broken up or even worried. He cuts his gaze to Cody and Katie, both the girls look to be in shock. His gaze hardens as he continues to stare at Cody, daring her to say something. She swallows audibly before standing on shaky legs, she squares her shoulders and lifts her chin as she meets Corvin’s harsh stare.

“We know nothing. We came over yesterday to continue the celebrations from the Thanksgiving party and everyone was here thewholenight.” Corvin pulls his gaze from Cody to look at Katie. Unlike Cody, her gaze is fixated on the two guys standing beside Corvin. Crue and Saint have a mask of indifference in place, keeping their emotions locked down. She pushes to her feet and ignores Corvin as she stands before the duo. Those two boys would die for each other, there is nothing and no one in this world that could ever come between them. If Katie has any hope of making it a trio, her answer better be the same as Cody’s.

“Whatever you need me to say, I’ll say it. I won’t lie, I’m not sad that asshole is dead and if that makes me a shitty person, so be it.” The tension drains from Saint’s shoulders. Crue grips Katie’s face and plasterers his mouth to hers. Well, clearly that was the right answer after all. I look to Corvin to find his gaze already on me, I see it. I can read him better than anyone, they did it. They killed Garrett.

After setting Leah up in the living room with Cody and Katie, the five of us and Nathan make our way to the basement. Once we’re inside, Crue closes the door while Saint sets his phone up to the Bluetooth speaker, no one speaks until the music begins to play.

“What happened last night?” I ask as I look between Nathan, Crue, Saint and Corvin. I’ll admit I’m shocked as fuck that Nathan was a part of this, we never do any dodgy shit with someone else around only each other.

“It’s not what you think,” Crue begins but Corvin cuts him off.

“We got back there, the fucker was dead in the closet. What the fuck were we supposed to do?”

“He was breathing when we left,” Beck interjects. Corvin just shrugs his shoulders.

“Well, he wasn’t when we got back.” Corvin forgets I can read him, I know he’s lying but the thing I don’t get is why? “We disposed of the body and made sure nothing would link back to us.”

“The whole fucking house saw us running through there to get to Leah!” I rebuke.

“They’re taken care of,” Saint answers.

“How?” Saint’s mask falters, I stare at him for a second as I try to piece this all together. How the hell would they have got a whole fucking house to remain silent and not snitch about a murder?

“Look, we did what we had to,” Crue says in a matter of fact tone.

“And what about him?” I ask as I nod my head toward Nathan, he glares at me.

“Well I won’t be saying shit, will I?” he snaps.

“We’re just supposed to believe that?” Beck asks.

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