Page 58 of Believe In Us

“That’s what they say,” he murmurs, high fiving some dude that walks up to us.

“So that could have ended badly?” I add, raising a brow in question.

His gaze turns to me, dark, haunting, and completely vacant. Well that explains his ballsiness, the fucker is high as a kite and the red glossiness of his eyes is a telltale sign. “Harmless Jade, you know that, I’m harmless,” he teases with a wide grin.

I shake my head laughing at his playfulness, “The problem is I know just how dangerous you can be, Dragon,” but he doesn’t say a word. He just shrugs his shoulders, walking away just as Stella reappears, with an equally drunken gaze.

“Holy shit I’ve never peed that much in like my whole life!” she squeals, as laughter erupts from the both of us.

“That’s what happens when you break your seal. You’ll be peeing every ten minutes now for the next couple hours.” Her eyes bug out at my remark and I can’t help but laugh even harder. “It’s a joke Stella, relax.”

She lets out a loud sigh, “Okay well with you I never know Jade.” She turns back to the new group that’s now taken over her spot at the beer pong table. “Looks like Drake gave up our spot as reigning champs, oh well it was fun while it lasted. Oh my god!” she cries out quickly turning and grabbing me by the shoulders leaning into whisper, “Did you see Casey’s face, ugh she is such a bitch. She’s like my Kinsley, you know like you hate the bitch for always being around at the worst possible times hanging around your man.”

I raise a brow quizzically at her wondering if she realizes what she said or if it’s the alcohol talking. I’m fairly sure it’s the tequila.

“Yeah I guess you’re right Kai doesn’t even know I exist, I mean did you see how pissed off he looked.”

“I’m sure that had to do more with the fact that you were on Drake's team, in Drake's arms, and his lips were cozying up to yours.”

“Yeah I guess you’re right,” she sighs, stealing a glance to where Kai now sits sulking and pouting.

“So, what’s with the flirting Stella?” I ask, tilting my head up toward Drake. “I mean he’s obviously wasted, but you, you were sober when you started to play along.”

A flush appears over her cheeks as she shyly looks down at her fingers fiddling together. “Oh it’s nothing, just, I mean if Kai plans on having some fun with Ginger Bimbo Barbie, why can’t I?”

Chapter

Twenty-Eight

JADE

It’s 3 a.m. The room is alarmingly cold, the walls closing in making me feel nauseatingly claustrophobic, as a crickets' shrill chirps from outside my window ring loudly in my ear, and the bright street lamp shines through the small crack of the blackout curtains nearly blinding me. I’ve been lying awake in bed beside a snoring Stella for over an hour afraid if I sit or move I’m going to puke. I don’t want to puke, not again, and definitely not in front of Stella. Surprisingly, she hasn’t noticed I haven’t been drinking, which to be honest is a major red flag, or if she has she hasn’t brought it up. I’ve been scarfing food down like a crazy person but I admit I’ve always had a pretty strong appetite, especially for anything fried, greasy, and with artery clogging properties. Which reminds me, I could really use a snack.

I slowly, without making too much noise, sit up creeping out of the queen size bed in Drake’s bedroom. Since Jaxon went to stay at the dorms with Ruby, I figured we would stay in his room since it is the smaller of the three but still roughly the size of our roomsback at the academy. However, Drake insisted we stay in his room, the biggest, yet the only one with an attached bathroom. He figured it would give us some added privacy and he and Kai could use the other one down the hall. I must admit it was quite thoughtful of him and totally uncommon.

I find it somewhat hard to navigate through the room in the dark, however there isn’t much furniture to bump into. My mouth waters as I remember the donut’s I stored in the pantry away from Kai’s sneaky hands, but just as I head toward the door, an eerily familiar metallic pang hits my throat as my head goes woozy. Fuck. It’s been almost six days since the last time I puked, the day I confronted Roman. I thought that stage of pregnancy was done and over once you went into the second trimester. Lucky for me, the bathroom is straight ahead.

After puking away last night’s dinner, loudly I might add, I head out to the kitchen to get a glass of water. I try my hardest to keep quiet but fail miserably as I crash into the small dining table.

“Fuck,” I curse out quietly limping further into the room.

“Can’t sleep?” asks a deep voice coming from within the darkness. Kai. I look around the room but can’t see anyone until he finally reveals himself, sitting on the single recliner facing me, his legs spread, elbows leaning on his knees, and his head resting in his palms. He rubs his chin a few times, seemingly anxious or frustrated before he continues, “Same here.”

“You usually up this late?” I ask him, as I move to sit on the couch across from him.

He sighs loudly, leaning back against the recliner, “The demons are restless this late at night, too loud and too fucking needy, it’s nearly impossible to catch a wink of sleep.” I can hear the pain in his voice, thick, coarse, and coated in sorrow. I almost feel like an idiot for complaining about my trivial problems when someone like Kai has things ten times worse. I don’t know the extent of what happened to him as a child before he arrived at the Grayson’s Foster House at age eleven, but I doknow it’s something that’s scarred my best friend in more ways than one.

Scarlett and the guys are the only ones who know the truth, and that’s just because she overheard him when he confessed it all to Drake. She didn’t tell me, I didn’t ask. Those kinds of things aren’t broadcasted to the world and it’s a sort of code between us foster kids that we don’t ask about our past, our pitiful sob stories. One night a few years ago, we had a bonfire down at the beach near Pleasant Hills and we all made a pact. It was the day we became a family, brother’s, and sister’s, forever friends. We swore to each other we’d always remain connected, we’d begin a new life forgetting all about our past one, yet it looks like we all have problems letting go.

Falling back onto the couch I stare up at the ceiling, “Yeah I guess I just learned to tune mine out, or they stopped talking altogether and left. People tend to leave me; I wouldn’t be surprised if my demons figured they’d be better off without me too.”

“I’m still here,” he whispers, and I’m not sure if he meant for me to hear it. However, I know he means every word, Kai is anything but a liar. He may hide his truths behind his promiscuous and playful facade, but when it matters you can count on hearing the truth from him. Except when it comes to Stella Silver. I’m afraid my dear friend has gotten under his skin and he has no fucking clue what to do about it.

“Even if I keep her?” I ask, referring to my tight friendship with Stella.

His face goes rigid at my remark. I knew it. “Jade,” he mutters, taking a deep breath, “I’m still here and I always will be, and Stella,” he whispers exhaling, “I’m doing her a favor. She’s too good, too pure, my demons too powerful they would tear her to pieces in a matter of seconds, and worse of all they’d fucking enjoy it.”

“She’s not as innocent as she seems to be, Kai. Stella’s been through a hell of a lot too, she has demons of her own that I’m sure could give yours a run for their money.”

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