“Deke wanted to kick my ass.” He growls.
“He still might.”
“Cole too. I might be able to take one of them, but not both.”
I hide my laughter at that. Either one of them would knock his ass out with one hit. And I didn’t need to read Austin’s journal to know that.
Sighing, he adds, “I hope it was worth it.”
“It will be.” I hang up without telling him goodbye.
Twenty minutes later, I pull into the high school parking lot and park my car. I’m going through my locker looking for my books when my cell dings.
Smiling to myself, I pull it out of my back pocket knowing exactly who it is. And she doesn’t disappoint.
Becky: YOU MOTHERFUCKER!!!
“What has you in such a great mood today?” Lauren asks, coming up to me.
“It’s Friday,” I answer.
“No.” She frowns. “It’s actually Monday. Are you high?”
I shrug. “Same thing.”
My phone dings again, and I look down at it.
Becky: I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD, DEMI! YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS! YOU FUCKING BITCH!
My sister hates being ignored, so that’s exactly what I do. Instead of responding, I exit out of her message and look up Deke in my phone. The night he and Cole had broken into my house and he tied my hands behind my back, Cole had taken pics of me and Deke. I’m not sure why and haven’t asked, but Cole had sent them to an unknown number in my phone. It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out it was Deke’s number. I pull it up and send him a message.
Me: My sister knows.
I stand in the hallway holding books in one hand and my phone in the other waiting for a response. He doesn’t make me wait long.
Deke: What exactly does she know?
I smile and type out my reply.
Me: That you took my virginity. In her bed.
Then I turn the bitch on silent and throw it into my locker with a smile on my face.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
DEMI
I STAND BEFORE Deke with my head down, biting my lip to hide my smile. Did he really think I’d let Seth hurt me? Put his hands on me? I forget that he doesn’t know me all that well.
“What happened?” Deke asks.
I sniff for effect. “He found out about us.”
“Us?”
It’s a long shot because we both know there is no damn us, but I’m going to work it. I nod. “I was texting my best friend about what we did at Silence …. and he read it.” I haven’t told a soul what happened at Silence or at my mother’s house. The only person who knows what is going on is Cole, and I’m not even sure how much Deke has told him. But I’m not one of those girls who runs to their friends and blabs about boys.
“Fuck.” He hisses.
I look up at him, a tear runs down my cheek, and he watches it. “He thinks we had sex.”
Have you thought about it, Deke? I have. Over and over. And every time, you get better and better.
Stepping into me, he reaches up and runs his knuckles through the single tear.
I place my hands on his shirt and grip it tightly. “Deke.” I whisper his name, and I pray that it’s enough to get what I want. We stood here days ago, and I watched him make out with my sister after he stayed the night, and I decided right then what I needed to do. I was going to win him over. Becky can have him but not until I’m done with him.
“You’re with Seth,” he says, and I know I’ve won. He’s thinking about it.
I lift my eyes to meet his. He looks ready to throw me to the floor and fuck me right here. Caveman style. “He already thinks I’ve betrayed him.” I lick my lips. “Might as well give him a reason to put his hands on me.”
“Don’t say that,” he growls, stepping into me.
I tilt my head back. “It’ll be worth it.”
He slides his hand into my hair, and I close my eyes, letting out a moan, and for once, since he followed us out of the kitchen, something I do is real. The butterflies in my stomach, the trembling in my knees—he does this to me. The last time I felt like this for a man was with Eli. And this time, the tears are real. The thought of him hurts my soul. I need Deke to cleanse it with his evil. Betrayal. Eli was as good as they came even though no one knows that but me. “Kiss me, Deke.”
“I won’t stop,” he admits.
I won’t let you even if you try.
I look up at him, and I see it in his eyes. From the way his lips part and his breathing picks up, I know I’ve won. I reach back and turn the knob to the bedroom and pull him inside.