Page 66 of Vendetta

“She told me about you once, you know.”

My breathing stopped completely as I listened. I didn’t need to ask to know who she was talking about.

“It was after one of our school football games. I remember how surprised I was to see her there since the cheerleaders and football players were the only ones still at the school, everyone having left by the time we had gotten done showering and changing. She was sitting by her car in tears.”

When was this? I remembered Emory telling me about going to a few of the football games, but I didn’t remember her telling me about Landry giving her a ride home. I waited for her to continue, her sleepy voice no more than a whisper.

“Her phone was dead and she’d locked her keys in her car. It was too late to be calling a locksmith, so I told her I would take her home, and that I could come get her in the morning to bring her back to school if needed. She told me that if I could just give her a ride home, either her parents or her brother could help her call a locksmith in the morning.”

I didn’t move a muscle, not wanting to miss a single word. My heart raced in my chest, my arms still firm around her.

“On the ride to her house, she told me all about her big brother. She said you were attending your first year at Ivybrook, and that she was so proud of you.”

My jaw clenched, tears pricking the backs of my eyes.

“She told me that you were into boxing. That you were studying Civil Engineering. And that you were the best big brother that she could have ever asked for.”

She let out a soft chuckle at the memory, as if she was remembering all of this for the first time.

“At one point, I even thought she might be trying to set us up, the way she kept talking about you. I had told her that I would be going to Ivybrook next fall, and she had gotten so excited about introducing us. I didn’t put two and two together until I thought about it the other day.”

I couldn’t breathe. My mind raced, trying to figure out when this was. Emory would have been thrilled to get a ride from Landry, she was her idol. Everything that she wanted to be. I didn't think Landry had ever given her the time of day.

Her breathing steadied in my arms, sleep officially pulling her under. I didn’t know how to process everything she had just told me. I laid there for a few hours, her words playing on in my head before I eventually drifted off.

CHAPTER 35

LANDRY

My head felt groggy. Sunlight was already streaming from underneath the curtains, letting me know that I must have slept in through most of the morning. I needed to get a new phone today. Olivia had let me call Bexley off of her phone to explain where I was and what had happened. She had offered to come home early, but the dorms were still closed for break, and the guys’ house was already full enough due to the fumigation taking place at Olivia’s.

I also needed to stop by the shelter, hoping that I could catch Debbie and give her my new number. I was able to log in to our scheduling app to see that she had scheduled me in the evening today, so worst case scenario, I could just leave her a note in the office.

My body still hurt, my mind suspiciously empty as I slowly lifted my legs over the side of the bed and went to stand. My eyes caught on the little orange pill bottle on the nightstand.Rubbing my eyes, I read the label, seeing that it was my Clonazepam. My wallet lay beside it, all of the contents still appearing to be inside. Had Olivia or Cashton gone back to my house to grab these for me?

I made my way to the en-suite bathroom, turning on the shower and peeling off my clothes. I made a mental note to ask Olivia if I could borrow some shampoo and conditioner since I would be staying here for the next few days, and the men’s three-in-one was not ideal. I did have to admit that the smell of cedarwood and mint made me feel a certain way, the excitement of being enveloped by Cashton’s scent sending heat to spread between my legs.

Dammit Landy, pull yourself together. Last night was a one-time thing. I had needed the distraction, needed to be pulled under for a bit to quiet the voices inside my head.

He had certainly delivered, the soreness between my thighs a welcome reminder of how he had quite literally fucked my brains out. It was hard to rationalize the idea of forgetting about him completely when sex with him was one of the greatest things I’d ever experienced.

Towel drying my hair, I searched his drawers before pulling on some sweatpants, rolling them twice over my hips before throwing on the same hoodie I had worn yesterday. I needed to find a way to get back to my house to grab some clothes, I couldn’t keep wearing Cashton’s.

Making my way downstairs, I headed to the kitchen, not running into anybody as I entered the smaller prep kitchen in the back where the cooks usually prepared the food. The space was pristine, the stainless-steel appliances polished and shining, not a thing to be found lying about on the counters.

Making my way to the fridge, I began surveying the variety of ingredients, excitement blooming inside of me as I found exactly what I needed to make a quiche Lorraine. Cooking was exactly what I needed right now, something to make me feel like myself again. Maybe I could borrow some headphones and throw on a show or podcast while I worked.

Grabbing the shallots, chives, and bacon, I laid them out on the prep island and went on the hunt for a cutting board.

“Oh, honey! What are you doing in here?”

I spun around to find a plump older woman in the kitchen doorway, who I assumed must be Angelina. The look of surprise on her face told me that not many people must make their way back here.

“Oh, hi, I’m sorry—I was just going to make myself some breakfast if that’s okay?”

“Just let me know what you want honey, go sit down and I’ll have it whipped up for you in no time.”

“Really, it’s no problem. I actually would like to cook it myself if that’s okay? Not that I doubt your abilities at all, I just enjoy doing it,” I laughed awkwardly.

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