Page 88 of Destroying Everleigh

“And you said thatIwas an asshole,” I pointed out, covering my smile with my knuckles.

He shrugged. “Just keeping it real.”

When I turned to look at Briley again, she was already storming off. When the door slammed shut behind her, I leaned back into the cushions. “I need a cigarette,” I muttered.

Jameson fished around in his pocket for a moment before offering me one, along with a lighter. “Yeah,” he said seriously. “I’ve heard that breakups can be rough.”

I snorted a laugh and shoved him sideways so that he bumped into Ash. “Shut the fuck up, Jameson.”

I placed the tip of the cigarette between my lips before lighting it and inhaled deeply, relishing the smoke that built in my lungs. With all the arguing and plotting we’ve been doing lately, this was a nice reprieve. It reminded me why we became friends in the first place, and why we’ve stayed friends throughout all these years.

They were like family to me. A much better one than the one I’d been born into. We might not always see eye to eye, but that was normal. I wouldn’t change our dynamic for anything even if abetteropportunity presented itself. They had my back, and I had theirs. Always.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Everleigh

Citizen Soldier - Make Hate To Me

My hand shook as I applied my eyeliner, a mixture of rage and nervous energy prickling through me. I should text Ashton back and tell him to go to hell. But if that picture got back to the dean…

It wasn’t a good look. I was on scholarship, and the video of me and Lucas was already circulating. It was also more drama than it was worth. Amber would interrogate me, Lucas would freak out, and they’d both demand answers I didn’t have.

I put the cap back on my eyeliner and reached for my mascara. The brush was soft against my lashes and made them look longer and thicker than they were. My cherry lip gloss was the final step. I had no urge to do anything crazy with my hair, so I just ran a brush through the long black strands until I was satisfied with it.

I had no idea where we were going, so my outfit choice was a relatively safe one. Light blue skinny jeans with a short-sleeved top. It was loose, but still fit my figure nicely.

The front door slammed, causing me to startle. I stuffed my makeup back in the drawer before stepping out into the hallway. My breath hitched in my throat when my eyes landed on a pissed off Briley. Tears were streaming down her face, makeup running down her cheeks. She looked miserable. I shouldn’t even care—not after all the shitty things she’s been doing. But she was still my sister, so it was hard to cut her out completely.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Briley scoffed. “Like you care.” She moved to grab the doorknob leading to our bedroom, but I reached for her arm, pulling her back before she could disappear.

“Idocare.”

I had been a little pissed off that she didn’t come straight home after school. She didn’t even text me to tell me she was stopping somewhere else. I liked knowing where my vehicle was at all times, since it was our only form of transportation. But suddenly, none of that mattered. Clearly something happened to her, and that was more important.

Briley hesitated, and it pained me to see how miserable she looked. She sucked in a shaky breath, tears glistening in her eyes. “Ashton and Kash happened,” she murmured. “They broke up with me.” Her nose scrunched up, and I was wondering if something else had happened, but she didn’t say anything else.

“They’re assholes,” I murmured. “You’re better off without them anyway.”

She nodded. “Maybe?—”

A knock sounded at the door, bringing our conversation to a screeching halt. It wasn’t even five yet. Maybe it was one of those assholes coming to apologize to my sister for whatever they’d done to her. That thought left behind a bitter aftertaste. I should want them to grovel at her feet, to beg for her forgiveness, but it was difficult to want that given the circumstances.

“I’ll get it.” Briley sniffled, turning on her heels to head back to the living room.

I made my way back to my room and grabbed my cross-body purse, making sure my wallet was secured within it before making my way to the living room, too. Ashton was standing in the doorway, his gaze sweeping over my sister in a disinterested way. He was wearing a tight black shirt, paired with some black jeans. His top fit him well, showing off the ripples in his ribs along with all the muscle he’d gained over the last couple of years. His black hair was disheveled, strands sticking up in various places. But it made him look even more attractive and I hated it. His gray eyes moved past her, settling on me.

“Ready?” he asked.

Briley’s body tensed and she whirled around to face me, accusation and judgment written in her expression. She was staring at me like I was the one who betrayed her.

“Don’t look at me like that.” I sighed. “It’s not what it looks like.”

Ashton smirked as I approached. “Sure it is.” He pulled me into his arms despite my resistance. His musky scent invaded my nostrils instantly, and the familiarity of being in his embrace made me want to melt against him. To have him hold me like he used to. But those were different times, and we’d never have that again.

My hands flattened against his abdomen due to our height difference, and I tried to push away from him, but he just tightened his grip. He dropped his hands to squeeze my ass hard, making me buck against him.

---