Page 14 of Samhain

I swallowed down my grief because I couldn’t break in front of Miri. We needed to be strong for each other. That was why she’d come. That was why I was here.

“If it’s any consolation, Romeo,” Miri said, her voice cracking the slightest bit, “they’re not. This has Evelyn and Kellan written all over it.”

“How do we stop it?” I could barely get the words out.

“We can’t,” Miri said. “Lex and Ivy had a choice.” She took a deep breath in, let it out slowly. “They made it.”

“So, what? All of it? All we had was fucking bullshit?”

“No,” she said. “It was real. It’ll always be real.” Another slow inhale of her cigarette had me reaching for my own. I usually didn’t like to smoke, but this brand? This smell? It reminded me of Lex, and I couldn’t deny myself the temptation in that awful moment.

“It was over the minute they announced their relationship; you know that.” She wiped at her eyes and brought the whiskey bottle to her lips for a long, deep swallow. “Good things never last. That’s what makes them so good.”

I hated it. I hated everything. I wanted to jump on the first plane back to DC and show up at their apartment to make them explain themselves. Screw Roxy. Screw LA. Screw all of it.

They couldn’t at least call me?

Two days ago, I’d had Lex’s dick in my ass and my cock in Ivy’s, and I didn’t even deserve a formal breakup?

Fire raged through me.

I read her message again over and over, forcing the tears back, forcing myself to come up with an explanation for how she could take four years of us and smash it to hell in less than fifty words.

Ivy had asked me not to contact her. Lex had made it clear he felt the same.

I didn’t know what their parents had said to them to make them run scared, but I swore, right at that moment, that I’d spend the rest of my life proving them wrong. When I swooped in and stole my lovers back from the cold clutches of these wolves in sheep’s clothing, I’d make sure Evelyn and Kellan knew who had brought about their downfall.

4

Carter

My mother and Lizzie flew into town a few days later. They were supposed to help me unpack and move into my studio, but when Miri sent a driver to pick them up and bring them to Malibu, the purpose of the trip changed entirely.

“This is amazing,” Lizzie said, twirling around the foyer area. At twelve, she’d just finished seventh grade. Originally, my eldest sister, Charlie, was supposed to come with Mom, but Sophia had been invited on a trip with her senior high school class last minute. Charlie had gone with her to “chaperone.” She’d given the ticket to Lizzie instead. “You live here?”

I laughed. “Yeah, Bizzie. Just for a little while.”

She widened her eyes and leaned closer. “Where’s the princess?”

For four years, she’d known about my friendship with Miri and Ivy. She’d even gotten to meet Ivy a few times on visits to TW. But something about the fact Miri was a real princess had mesmerized her since she was little.

“She’s around here somewhere,” I said, winking.

As if summoned by her title, Miri walked in from the kitchen with a big smile and her arms out wide.

“Welcome,” she said. “It’s so lovely to meet you.” She embraced my mother, who thanked her for her hospitality and kneeled to lock eyes with my sister. “You must be Lizzie.”

Lizzie’s mouth hung open, her gaze focused on my friend. “You know who I am?”

“Of course.” Miri smiled and held a hand out for Lizzie to shake. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“You have?”

“Of course, Biz,” I said. “I talk about you all the time.”

“C’mon,” Miri said, pushing to stand again. “You can leave your things here. I’ll have someone take them to your rooms. You must be tired from your trip. We can sit on the deck for lunch.”

Lizzie raced after Miri, her long limbs pumping to be the first one out the door. But my mom stopped me by grabbing my wrist and peering up at me.

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