Leo relaxed, and I felt his hands gliding up my back as he tilted his head to deepen the kiss. Just as I felt a little bit of tongue grazing past bottom lip, I pulled away, and turned so that my back was to him.
Elliot and Felix were staring at me. I couldn’t see the fumes spewing out of Elliot’s ears, but they had to be there.
“That was…” Leo began then paused for a few long seconds. “Interesting.”
Ignoring him, I stepped back toward Jason, trying not to let the butterflies in my stomach undermine the scary look I was trying to portray in my gaze.
“Just so we’re on the same page,” I said, “thisemochick is here for a reason. If you’re here to make a deal, you’re making it with me.”
Jason threw up his hands as if in surrender.
“Okay, I’m sorry,” he said. “My bad. Completely, and utterly apologetic. You have every right to—”
“Cut the bullshit. What’s the deal?” I glared at him.
“Um,” I heard Leo say, “I, for one, still don’t understand who this guy is and how he got into our room.”
Rolling my eyes, I took in a deep breath and turned back to look at him. For someone who used to act like he despised every fiber of my being, he was pretty darn adorable. Fucking blondes. I couldn’t keep up the scowl.
“Fine,” I said, glancing away from him. Maybe Iwasdeveloping a crush on this kid. “Here’s a quick formal introduction. Jason’s a friend of Vivian’s. Plays football.”
“Soccer,” he corrected. “Unless you’re British, for which you’d be excused.”
I gritted my teeth, repressing the immense urge to claw him to shreds. My tolerance for dumb humor at this point was just way below zero.
My best friend just tried to kill himself.
I didn’t have the capacity to take any more BS.
“To answer the second part of your question,” Jason continued hesitantly, still massaging his crotch, “Viviasked me to follow you guys. First to the party, and then, well… I saw where you were headed after you dropped her back,” he said, looking at Elliot. “Gottasay, though—your car’s pretty nice, bro.”
“Shut up,” Elliot said.
“So you stalked us,” I stated. Plain and simple. “And now my mom has a video of me having sex with the son of the guy she used to fuck, and my best friendnearly diedbecausesomehowhe got ahold of it, too.”
For the first time, Jason looked actually shocked.
“Woah,” he said, blinking at me. “Didn’t know all that. I just doVivi’sdirty work, I don’t ask questions.”
How dense could this guy be?
“I don’t believe that,” I growled. “I think you know more than you say. How did Pierre get the video?”
Jason couldn’t have looked more like a confused child even if he tried. When I moved toward him again, he flinched.
“Jesus, please,” he exclaimed, throwing his hands over his crotch. “I swear, I don’t know him!” I narrowed my eyes at him. “Seriously,” he pressed. “I just did what Vivian told me.”
Shaking my head, I turned away from him, hoping that my anger wouldn’t convert into another stream of tears and snot. I had to be strong. I had to find out the truth for Pierre.
Someone had to be brought to justice.
“We’ll make sure Vivian gets what’s coming to her.”
The voice seemed to float out of nowhere. I turned to find Elliot’s eyesstaring into mine. Hesounded determined, like this was now his life’s work. Like he wouldn’t rest until Vivian was punished.
“You’re being serious,” I said, my voice cracking a bit.Elliot’s passion was moving.
He nodded. “I’ll do anything for you.”