Page 82 of Burn With Me

My hand clamps around my cup as my jaw tightens. “Well, I absolve you of yourresponsibility, Marcus.” I spit the words out. “Don’t bring it up again.”

“I’m just worried about you,” he says. “Damien is a problem, but his son is just as bad.”

“Damien and Isaac are two different people,” I point out, but even as I say the words—I know that Marcus isn’t wrong. Isaac and his father are connected and even if we manage to get Mom away from her new husband, if I’m still around Isaac, then we’re right back where we started.

I never wanted to become like my mother, but is that what’s happening? Am I falling for the wrong man and becoming just as obsessed as her?

“Rori, have you thought about moving away from Hazelwood?”

Marcus’ sudden question startles me into looking up at him. “What?” I gape at him.

“If we manage to convince Mom to leave, what about you and this guy?” he says. “If Damien is involved in shady dealings, then his son is, too.”

Shockingly, Marcus doesn’t even seem that particularly upset by the reveal of my relationship with Isaac. He doesn’t seem angry or even particularly surprised, only put off. Frustrated. My mind rolls over with that information and as I stare back at my brother, the thought hits me.

He already knew.

“Have you been watching me, Marcus?”

His brows raise sharply, as if he’s shocked by my sudden question. He doesn’t deny it, however. Instead, Marcus sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “Rori…” Who could have told him? Selene? No, she hasn’t even been responding to me, and we haven’t talked about Isaac since—another thought occurs in the middle of my last one.

Who had told my brother about the bullying in high school? About the videos.

Hel.

I stand abruptly, shoving back from my seat. I don’t even let Marcus finish his thought before I’m grabbing my keys and striding toward the exit.

“Rori!” he calls behind me, but I ignore it as I storm towards the doors.

How fuckingdareshe? How darehe?

I make it out the door and halfway across the parking lot before Marcus catches up with me. His hand closes around my upper arm, bringing me to a halt. Before he can say anything, though, I round on him, shoving at his chest until he releases me.

“Using my best fucking friend, Marcus?” I bare my teeth at him in a snarl. “I thought that was beneath you, but I guess not. You’re trying to do what you’ve always done—you’re trying to control me without even being inmylife.”

I shove a hand up through my hair, pushing the strands back even as I want to take a handful and yank it out.

“Rori, I’m just trying to protect you—”

“Protect me?” I laugh. How hilarious. “If you wanted to protect me, then do it your fucking self, Marcus. Don’t use my friends to keep tabs on me.”

“Hel was just looking out for you; she was worried!” Marcus snaps, growling. “You’ve been fucking around with someone dangerous. Someone who humiliated you to the whole campus.”

“So you know about that, too.” I nod absently. “Of course you do. What else has she told you?”

Marcus presses his lips together and I snort. “Oh, don’t get shy now,” I say. “It’s too late for that.”

“All I know is that you’re fucking him,” Marcus says. “That’s bad enough.”

“Bad enough?” I repeat the words. Is it bad? Isaac? Is he really that bad? He’s the one who’s been here. He’s been trying to protect me. He warned me away from his father. Maybe he hasn’t told me the whole truth, but even my brother hasn’t. Won’t. Who can I even trust anymore?

“You think a man changes that fast?” Marcus demands, sounding frustrated. “How can he go from spreading rumors and posting videos to being in love with you? Men don’t do that unless they want something and you’re giving it to him.”

“Giving it to him? Yeah, maybe I am,” I say. “I’m fucking him, but that doesn’t mean anything.”

“Oh, Rori…” Marcus looks at me and shakes his head. “You’re not that kind of girl. Sex means something to you. It has to.”

“Why?” I scream. “Because I’m fucked up? Because I was raped? Because Mom invited some asshole into our lives and then didn’t even think about what he’d do when he was put into a house with a teenage girl who wasn’t related to him?”

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