OCTAVIA
I’ve been stewing over what Smithy said to me all week, and in the end, I decided to take most of the week off. When I woke up this morning, I knew that today was the day I’d bite the bullet and head back into school. It’s a Friday, so it’s only one day to suffer through before the weekend.
I can totally do this.
I just need to work out how to face the guys without asking them a million questions. I know them better than they realize. Going in for the kill isn’t the way to get the answers I want. I tried to ask Smithy more, but with the amount of fear he seemed to have about it all, I dialed it back. Giving him a heart attack really isn’t on my to-do list.
Even if I’m still not really over the fact that he withheld information from me.
On the one hand, I get it. If this is a legacy thing, my dad really should’ve said something. I can’t help but wonder if this is why I had to come back here. If that’s why he killed himself; to be free of them. But if that’s the case, why would he leave me at their mercy?
I put on my last swipe of mascara and fluff up my hair, shaking off the thoughts. I’ve been lost to this train of thought way too much the last few days, but without more information I’m just going around in circles. I really need to get some fucking answers, I just haven’t worked out the best way to go about it yet. Finley and Maverick obviously won’t say anything if Lincoln doesn’t approve, and Lincoln is a tight-lipped motherfucker. So I need to think of something to get them to open up a bit. East might be an option, but I’m not even sure how much he’ll say without Lincoln.
My phone pings on my dresser and I smile when I see Indi’s name on the screen. My one silver lining in all of this is that I’m pretty sure Indi isn’t in on this Knight bullshit. She’s new to the city, and she already told me about Ryker and Ellis. I’d like to think if she knew about any of this, she’d have told me then.
I hope, anyway.
Indi:
Yes bitch! You’re back. I’ll have coffee waiting for you on the steps!
Me:
You’re the best. See you soon!
Butterflies kick up in my stomach, more than just nerves about seeing Raleigh again. I’m a little nervous about seeing the guys. Including East. He is the biggest enigma to me so far, because if Lincoln knows about all of this shit, then surely East does. So if he wanted me gone too, why be so nice to me?
I pinch the bridge of my nose, my head aching from the swirling thoughts, all of the questions that I don’t have answers to. I intend to get some answers, and soon.
I head downstairs and find the four of them waiting for me in the foyer. I eye them suspiciously as I reach the bottom of the staircase. “What are you guys doing here?”
East steps forward, smiling sadly at me. “Smithy called me last night. Said you’d had questions that maybe we were better off answering.”
Oh he did, did he?Old man is suspiciously absent, too. So much for my plans to get answers my own way. Once I reach the ground floor, I walk past them into the kitchen and grab a bottle of water from the refrigerator. “So, talk.”
Lincoln eyes me, like he doesn’t want to say a goddamn thing, which is exactly what I expected. No one else says a word.
Of course they fucking don’t.
“We have to tell her,” Finley says, and I quirk a brow. Finally, some movement.
Lincoln shakes his head and folds his arms over his chest.
“If you don’t tell her, I will,” Finley argues, and Lincoln levels him with a look.
“Seriously?”
“I told you Lincoln, I won’t hurt her again. Keeping all of this from her is going to get her hurt.” Finley stares Lincoln down until Lincoln runs a hand through his hair.
“Fine. Fuck.” He glances over at me, as icy as ever. “Sit down. We have a lot to talk through.”
I move back to the counter and take a seat, waiting for someone to start talking.
“Was I right? Is this about the photos?”
Lincoln takes a seat as Maverick opens the fridge, grabbing water for the rest of them before joining us. “Okay, so let’s start with the photos. No, the photos have nothing to do with everything else as far as we know. They’re a problem all on their own. This is obviously a stalker of some sort. I already told you I have someone looking into it, so I’ll give them this information, too, but currently we’re coming up empty. If you have any ideas about who would be stalking you, anyone who seemed overly interested, anything suspicious, let me know.”
I nod at him, letting the words sink in. Of course I have a stalker. Awesome. “The only one who’s been overly interested is Raleigh, and considering the photos, I’m going to say it’s not him.”