I smile and shake my head, scrolling to the next text.
TheRealDollyBeckett: I heard they found your brother and he’s okay. So happy for you!
It’s followed by a bunch of kissy-face emojis. Past that are half a dozen messages asking where I am, saying my brothers are freaking out and can’t find me, and asking if I’m okay.
I shoot her a message saying thanks, close her message, and scroll down.
DixieDog: OMG I heard what happened in the locker room. Are you okay?
I freeze, and my heart stops in my chest.
Fuck.
Of course that’s going to get around school. I haven’t had time to really process with all that’s happened. My entire focus has been on Royal, with a few thoughts of Devlin being sent to jail. I haven’t had time to think about myself, about the repercussions of what happened. The entire football team was there. Of course someone is going to talk, and by the time the rumor mill gets through with it, I’ll have fucked the whole football team.
Oh, god.
I sink down in my bed and cover my face with a lavender, silk pillow. Royal thinks I’m still his sweet, innocent little sister. By the time he gets back to school, I’m going to be the town whore. Dolly’s parents aren’t going to let her hang out with me. Dixie’s parents probably won’t, either. And my family… Shit. I can’t even think about what they’ll do when they get wind of this.
My phone chimes, sucking me out of my anxiety spiral.
I pick it up and open the message.
Unknown Number: Please talk to me.
There are a dozen messages above that one, and it doesn’t take a genius to figure out that Devlin has my number. I don’t know where he got it, but I’m not surprised. No doubt they pulled it from my phone the night they stole it and led me around like a dog, or he threatened Dixie into spilling. It doesn’t matter where he got it. I can’t answer.
Still, I torture myself a little more by scrolling to the top and reading through them.
Unknown Number (11:06pm): Is he okay? Are you?
Unknown Number (11:40pm): I’m going to make it up to you. You don’t have to believe me, but I will.
Unknown Number (11:53pm): I just remembered you don’t have your phone. Well, you’ll see these when you get it back. Call me? I need to talk to you.
Unknown Number (6:27am): You’ve probably heard by now, but Dad was arrested, too. And if you’re thinking he’s guilty, you’re wrong. He didn’t know anything about it until I asked him, and he asked around. He’s not involved with those people. I wasn’t going to let him take the fall alone, though. If that makes sense.
Unknown Number (8:30am): Well, you got what you wanted. My family is ruined.
Unknown Number (8:38am): That was dramatic. Sorry, haven’t slept in over 24hrs. It’s making me stupid. My family isn’t ruined. No one can ruin the Darling name. It’s just my immediate family. So, congratulations. And Long Live the Darlings!
Unknown Number (8:40am): That was sarcasm.
There’s a long gap in the texts. The next one was sent this afternoon.
Unknown Number (4:58pm): Please answer. Just text me back and tell me to fuck off if you’re done.
Unknown Number (6:05pm): Guess you’re not talking to me, either. Theme of the day. I seem to have been disowned by the Darlings. Not sure I care. Except my cousins. Was not expecting that.
Unknown Number (7:08pm): I just wanted to talk. I don’t have anyone else right now. But okay. I get it. I’m sorry, FWIW.
I close my eyes and hold the phone to my chest. This is what I wanted. This was the plan all along. And it worked. I don’t even know how it did happen, but here we are.
My brothers would kill me for continuing to talk to Devlin now, when he’s been arrested for kidnapping Royal. My parents would kill me, too, because imagine how bad it would look that I was dating the boy who nearly killed my brother? It’s bad enough that I did it before I knew. What kind of monster would still love a boy after he did something like that?
I don’t want to think about it, so I erase the whole thread and block his number. Because I’m that kind of monster.
thirty-seven