Page 41 of Toxic Obsession

Everlee and Leighton returned with four glasses of coke. “Girl, I want to reach inside you and make all of that pain go away.” Everlee handed me a drink. “Rum and Coke.”

“It’s hard watching a friend hurt,” Leighton added as she joined Gabby and Everlee on the couch. “So start from the beginning.”

I took a gulp, hoping the alcohol would soothe my frazzled nerves, then proceeded to tell them every amazing and wonderful thing about my night with Quinn. Each word that poured from my lips, I sealed into my heart. Even as I did, if Quinn and I had anything special, it would burn to the ground when he found out the truth.

Chapter21

Quinn

Tossing my cell phone onto my bed with a thud, I closed the door as a wide range of conflicting emotions crashed into me.

What the hell had just happened?

Scrubbing my face with my hands, I seriously wondered if I needed therapy for multiple personalities. I’d flipped from hating Wynter for what had happened to Bell to falling for her within a few stupid hours. Everything I had thought I knew about her had been proven all wrong—she wasn’t cold or ruthless, but instead a kind and gentle person. I couldn’t help but admire her resilience and strength. I would swear that girl didn’t have a vindictive cell in her beautiful body. But could I trust her? Maybe she had mad acting skills.

To add to my constant flip-flop of feelings toward her, I’d about come unglued at her scream when she entered her house. The moment I heard the shrill cry, I was ready to kill some motherfucker for hurting her. Fear had me twisted up like a damn pretzel.

“Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!”

A soft knock on my door caused me to groan. “What?”

“Dude, you sound like you’re fucking having a breakdown in there. Do I need to call 9-1-1?” Brody asked.

“Don’t be a smartass.” I rushed over and jerked the door open. “I don’t need any help.”

Brody skirted around me, proud of himself for getting past me and into my room. “Who is she?” He jumped into the air and flopped onto my bed, landing on his back. Brody tucked his hands behind his head and crossed his legs at the ankles.

“You’re not staying,” I barked. My heart raced as I looked into Brody’s eyes, images of Bell swimming through my mind. I never had the courage to tell Brody, but with every glance at him, I was reminded of Bell. Fucking loved and hated him for that, just like what Wynter said about her parents. When I heard her words, I could have sworn that she saw right through me and recognized what I really was—a fraud. I didn’t have feelings like most people. After losing Bell, I’d had a massive hole inside me. I wasn’t capable of feeling anything, but I was smart and learned to mimic those around me. Until recently, I wasn’t sure I would ever have real, honest emotions again. Now, the sleeping dragon was stirring, and I was scared shitless of what would happen if it woke.

“Tell me who she is.” Brody shot me a cocky smile, and I resisted the urge to wipe it off his face.

“Don’t worry your pretty little head about it.” I slapped at his shoe, knocking his foot off my bed. “Besides, don’t you have girl problems of your own?”

“Nope. I’m all good. Just fucked her tonight, actually.”

I tipped my chin at him. It was weird to think of him old enough to have a girlfriend and get laid. “Have I met her yet?”

“Nah. I really like this one, so we’re keeping it on the down-low for a bit. We just want to be left alone without the entire senior class sticking their nose into our business.”

Realizing that he wasn’t leaving my room anytime soon, I plopped down in my desk chair. Maybe it was a good thing, though. Brody was a good distraction. I needed to clear my head after spending the evening with Wynter before I figured out what the hell to do about her.

“You love her?” I grabbed the football off the floor and tossed it into the air. It would help ease my anxiety about Wynter if I kept my hands busy.

Brody rolled over on my bed, facing me. “I think so.”

I lowered the ball and looked at him. “Could you still love her if her brother or sister did some fucked-up shit like kill someone?”

Brody flinched. “What the fuck kind of question is that, bitch?”

“Just answer me, asshole.” I leaned forward, eager to hear his answer.

He massaged his temple, clearly perplexed. “If I got to know a chick and she didn’t have some crazy-ass shit going on in her brain, and she was a good person … I don’t think I could hold the sins of her sibling against her. Hell, out of both of us, you would be more likely to kill someone than I would.” He gave me a half-shrug. “Maybe I’ll be in those shoes one day and a girl will have to decide if I’m mean or crazy enough to murder someone, too.” He chuckled.

“You’re not funny, Brody. I’m being serious.”

He pulled on a loose thread on my comforter.

“As I said, if she didn’t have anything off-kilter and didn’t want to become the next Lizzie Borden, then I wouldn’t hold her family’s shit against her.”

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