Home > The Taste of an Enemy (The Boys of Clermont Bay #3)(6)

The Taste of an Enemy (The Boys of Clermont Bay #3)(6)
Author: Holly Renee

Her deep inhale was visible, and there was an instant look of defeat on her face. I told myself not to react. I didn’t care that Allie was hurt by the news. She would have been far more hurt when he had done to her exactly what he had planned to do. I would much prefer that she find out now. That she find out from me.

“You are such an asshole.” Her words were shaky, and she forced herself to look away from me and down at her phone.

“I’m not sure how that makes me an asshole. I’m not the one who’s using you.” I shrugged my shoulders and made her believe I didn’t care. I had become far too good at it.

“You seriously can’t stand to see her be happy. Can you?” Frankie huffed and stood from the couch. There wasn’t a trace of laughter or happiness left on her face that had been there when I walked in.

“This has nothing to do with me not wanting her happy. I figured she’d like to know now.”

Frankie pushed her hand against my chest and forced me to take a few steps back and further and further away from Allie.

“Just like how that guy we saw at the pier last week wasn’t really flirting with her.”

“He wasn’t.” I chuckled even though thinking about that asshole made me feel ragey. “He was asking for directions.”

“Right. And when Scott Noble asked for her number, but you convinced her that he just needed help with his homework.”

“I don’t really see your point.”

She had pushed me so far back that we were now out of earshot of both Allie and Josie. It was just me and Frankie, and I hated that out of all of them she thought badly of me. She was pissed, and I knew Allie had become one of her best friends, but so had I.

“The point is that you are always telling Allie about how any guy who shows even the slightest bit of interest in her is after something else.” She held up her hand and started counting on her fingers. “Schoolwork, sex, directions, her friend’s number, and now, a bet. Come on, Carson. You’re eventually going to have to get some balls and ask the girl out if you don’t want her to be with someone else.”

I shook my head and tried to ignore what she was saying. She had a point, but that wasn’t what this was. I wasn’t just bullshitting them. Eli was going to use her, and he was going to hurt her, and none of them believed me. “I don’t care who she dates. I just think she should be prepared to be the laughingstock of both of our schools. If she still decides to trust the guy then that shit is on her.”

She narrowed her eyes as she stared up at me. Frankie didn’t believe a word I said. She had always been able to see right through me, and I hated that shit. “Are you sure that maybe you don’t just want to be with Allie yourself, but you’re too chicken to admit it?”

“Are you sure that you don’t have feelings for Olly?” I stared down at her, and I hated that she flinched. I didn’t want to hurt her, but I also wanted her to get off my back about Allie. “I see the way you look at him.”

I could see her trying to come up with what to say. Frankie was always stuck in her head, and I had never called her out about Olly before. I didn’t think anyone had. Olly would kill me if he knew. “How would you know what feelings look like, Carson? You never have feelings for anyone, right? And you definitely don’t have any for Allie.”

“You’re right. I don’t.”

We stared at each other for a few moments without saying a word. I should have apologized for bringing up Olly. It was a low blow even for me. But Frankie spoke first.

“Stop being a dick to Allie.”

I grinned down at her and gave her a grand salute with my hand.

“And don’t bring up that other thing ever again. There’s no use talking about something that can never be.” She looked so damn sad. So heartbroken by the thought that she could never be with Olly, and she was right. The two of them could never be together. Not if they wanted Olly to maintain his friendship with her brother.

Because as much as Beck loved us both like brothers, he would absolutely lose it.

“Don’t worry, Frankie girl. Your secret is safe with me.” I leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, and I hoped it chased away some of the sadness that I had just caused.

She smiled at me, but it didn’t come close to reaching her eyes.

“Good night, playboy.”

“‘Night.” I didn’t look back as I climbed the stairs to the Clermonts’ spare bedroom. I didn’t search the living room for another glance at Allie or tense as her laughter reached me once more.

And I sure as hell didn’t dream about her that night or what I was going to have to do to convince the girl who hated me to fall for me.

Because she hadn’t believed a single word I had said, which meant I was backed into a corner. I had no choice but to make Allie fall for me even though I had been convincing her to hate me for years.

 

 

Chapter Four

 

 

Allie

 

 

I kicked my feet through the pool water and tried to calm my racing thoughts. I had barely slept last night after Carson had come in and ruined my mood.

And what he said?

I couldn’t stop thinking about it.

Was Eli just using me? Probably. But I didn’t believe Carson about some dang bet or the fact that he thought he knew anything about the guy. He just didn’t want to see me happy.

It was always the same. Any guy who was interested in me was always interested for some reason other than actually liking me, according to Carson. I knew that he was clearly still angry with me, that he had a deep-seated hate for me he couldn’t let go of, but he was hurting me.

In the beginning, I tried to just let it roll off me, but his words refused to anymore. They struck me hard, and he always managed to hit me exactly where he was aiming. I guess that was part of the problem with making an enemy out of someone who used to know you so well. They knew exactly where to strike.

I could do the same to him if I wanted to. I knew where Carson hurt and where his weaknesses lied. Even if he tried to parade around like he was nothing but a careless playboy these days, I knew the truth. That wasn’t who he was. Not really.

It was just some version of him that he had become.

Because Carson Hale was scared to get close enough to anyone who could possibly hurt him.

“There you are.” I looked up just as Frankie and Josie walked out of the back sliding door. Frankie’s house was massive, the pool to die for, and the view even better.

“Yeah.” I ran my hand over my face and pushed back my soaking wet hair. “I couldn’t sleep so I decided to go for a swim.”

I smiled at them even though I knew they could see through it. The two of them were already in their bathing suits as well, and they each took a seat on either side of me.

“What’s going on?” Josie nudged her shoulder into mine before laying her head on my shoulder. I pressed my head into hers and stared out over the view.

“Just stuck in my head.”

“Do not let what Carson said last night get to you. You know he’s always a dick to you for no reason. Eli wouldn’t have asked you out if he didn’t want to.”

“No. I know.” I nodded my head. “He actually already text me this morning.”

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