Page 24 of Entangled

Jace gives me a gentle squeeze as the silence drags on. The group looking anywhere but at each other or me, awkwardness hangs heavy in the air, but I do nothing to break the spell. I am who I am and I owe them no explanation for that.

Tommy clears his throat next to me, breaking the tension and drawing my attention. “Ms. Elise was a good person. I was sad to see her go.”

“Thanks.” I give him a soft smile. There was no one around in LA to mourn for Gram’s besides Yvie and me after her passing, so I’m grateful to hear that her loss was felt here.

“She made my birthday cakes every year.” Andrea reminisces with a nostalgic smile. “Practically everyone’s in town. Elise’s homemade cakes are legendary around here.”

“Mine too,” I tell her, feeling my lips pull up at the memory. “She used to fly out every year and make a big deal out of it.”

“So why the hell would you come back here?” A queen bitch voice interjects from across the fire.

My eyes meet Sam’s dagger-filled gaze and I feel the tension of the group rise, their eyes bouncing back and forth between us.

I cock a brow at her in challenge. “Pretty sure that was asked and answered already.”

“Hmm,” she drags out snarkily. “Pretty sure if my parents had died like yours, I wouldn’t ever set foot back in the town where it had happened. But maybe you’re here to do some documentary thing for publicity? I mean, you are from LA.”

I feel Jace lock up against my back, his mouth opening as if to interject before I squeeze his arm in warning. I can fight my own battles and appreciate how he’s let me handle my introduction to his friends up till this point. No need to deviate now. Plus, I have a sneaking suspicion that her animosity has nothing to do with who I am and everything to do with the guy at my back.

“It’s a good thing I have bigger ovaries than yours then. Otherwise I never would have met this guy at the bar last night.” I reach my hand back and cup Jace’s face where it rests on my head, sending her a vicious smile when her eyes turn murderous. “Don’t worry though, the camera crews are only a day or two behind me.”

Don’t think you can out queen bitch me, little girl.

Zane’s snort of laughter into his beer is echoed by Jace’s quiet chuckle as he buries his head in my hair.

Sam opens her mouth as if to shoot something back when Andrea sends her a warning look. “Take it down a notch, Sam,” she scolds.

Sam snaps her mouth shut and looks into the fire with a narrow eyed gaze, probably envisioning all the ways she can bring about my untimely end.

Jace brings his mouth to my ear and whispers. “Take a walk with me?”

I nod my head in answer and he steps away from me to grab a couple more ranch waters from the cooler, letting the group know we’ll be back later. I can’t resist the temptation to twist the knife a little as we walk away though.

“You know,” I say loudly, making sure everyone can hear me as I come to a stop next to Sam. “If I had known you were such a true crime fan, I would have brought a pen so I could give you an autograph.” Looking her up and down, I smirk as my eyes land back on hers. “Let me guess, you’re a signature on the boobs kinda girl, right?”

Her gaze turns livid and Jace snorts a laugh, grabbing my hand to drag me away before what I’m sure would be an epic showdown occurs. Tiff’s wide-eyed, open-mouthed face stares at me from behind Sam and I shoot her a wink before allowing myself to be pulled away.

Jace continues to chuckle quietly as we walk down closer to the water and I shoot him an unamused look.

“I can’t believe you brought me to a bonfire where you knew your ex would be.”

“Sam isn’t technically my ex,” he reasons, tilting his head this way and that.

“Have you had sex with her on a continuous basis?”

“Well… yeah, but not for like—”

“Then she’s as good as an ex.”

“In my defense.” He laughs as we walk farther down the beach. “It’s a small town. There probably aren’t a lot of places we could go that one of my… exes, wouldn’t be.”

I meet his playful eyes and fight to keep my expression scolding. “You’re incorrigible.”

“Ahh, when you say it like that—”

“And a manwhore.”

“Hey, now.” Jace’s voice is filled with mock defense as he stops and drops down. “This good?”

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