Page 89 of Someday Away

“What are you waiting for?” I say to Trey. “Get your hot ass dressed so we can properly retaliate.”

I turn back to Charlie, who seems to have recovered from my verbal slip and is now regarding me with an evil grin as I eye my coat hanging behind the door.

Channeling my peewee football days, I fake left and then go right, darting around the couch. I grab my coat from the hookand wrap it around myself triumphantly. “Can’t get me now, can you?”

Then I lunge for Charlie, going for a tackle. She giggles and ducks out of my reach before tearing off out the door and down the hallway, her boots slapping against the floors.

I slide on my boots, tying the laces tightly. Trey is shaking his head with an amused look on his face while he drinks OJ straight from the container like the Neanderthal he is.

“What?” I ask, standing.

“Well, one, you said my ass is hot—so thanks for that.” He winks, and I feel my ears heat because thatdidslip out. “And two, it’s just good to have you back, Link.” He smiles affectionately. “I missed you, buddy.” He puts the juice away, and walks back to his room to dress.

In a few minutes, we both head outside and into the falling snow, but naturally, we only last a few minutes before Trey starts whining that he’s cold, so we bring the poor baby back inside. I’m walking backward, talking to Trey about our politics test, when I run directly into Charlie, who’s stopped short at our front door. She’s staring down at a large manila envelope that wasn’t there when we left, and when I look closer, I see her name scrolled across it in large red letters.

Trey looks around me and frowns. “What’s that?”

“I’m not sure.” She picks it up and tears it open and pulls out some photos. My blood starts to boil when I see them: Charlie and Trey fucking against a tree in the cemetery; Charlie and I making out in the library; the three of us standing on this very spot—Trey is kissing Charlie, while I cup her ass, ushering her into our dorm.

Charlie’s hands start shaking.

I snatch the pictures. “What the fuck?”

“Whoever took these has been following you for months.” Trey grabs the photo of them. “This is from Halloween.” His jaw ticks.

She looks in the envelope and pauses before pulling out a folded piece of paper.

I bet Rosewood Publishing would love to know what a little slut you are.

“Rosewood Publishing?”

She looks up at me, her eyes glassy with fear. “I’m applying to intern there this summer. I suspect that they wouldn’t want to be associated with a sex scandal.” Her voice is full of shame, and I hate that our relationship is stirring those emotions.

I tuck the internship information into the back of my brain to bring up later because why didn’t she tell us about this? The idea that she’d leave this coast for months makes my stomach twist, and I don’t really understand the reaction. But at the same time with all the secrets I have, can I really be mad?

“Do we know who would do this?” Trey interrupts my thoughts, taking the letter from Charlie and studying the messy script. “Because I plan on pounding his face in.”

“You and me both,” I mutter darkly.

Charlie glances between us. “It looks like Matt’s handwriting,” she says softly, and my brain detonates.

“I knew it! I knew that asshole was bad news, Charlie.”

“He’s been so nice…”

I take her face between my hands and dip my head to hers. “Please, Sunshine. You beautiful, stupid, way-too-nice girl. Stay. Away. From. Him.”

Despite how I feel inside, I try to keep the bossy asshole out of my tone because I know it just raises her hackles.

She nods, the soft skin of her cheeks rubbing against my palms.

I pull her body against mine and hug her tightly, pressing my chin to the top of her head. Trey sighs behind me and squeezes my shoulder, giving me a look that says we’re going to find and kill that bastard.

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

CHARLIE

Winter break is days away, and for once, I’m not dreading the holiday time. Even though Marcus and I are still on the outs, I’m excited to see my stepbrothers. I’m not as excited to spend it at our childhood home—memories of that house are a mixed bag at best—but it’s the first time since Martin left that we’ll be together over Christmas. Ever since Seb graduated high school, he and Marcus would plan and host a holiday event at the pub, but this year, they decided to close up shop. Of course, that also means I have to finally explain the empty house when they get there, but I suppose I couldn’t hide their dad’s actions forever.

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