He was stone faced.
Serious.
I was too.
He reached for the door and opened it.
He nodded for me to come inside.
I felt like running away.
But I sucked at running.
So I followed him into the house.
Brock and Raine were still on the couch sleeping.
Emily was in the kitchen, whistling and dancing with her hips. Meaning what she got from Kace was good enough to put her in a great mood.
“Want some more coffee?” Emily asked me.
“She’s fine,” Talon said.
“Oh. Shit.”
I looked at Emily and rolled my eyes.
Talon’s tone was dark. Evil.
I wasn’t sure why.
I was the one who should have been dark and evil.
But I was just numb.
Still trying to process everything.
We went into the bedroom with the bunkbeds and Talon shut the door.
When he turned to face me, I swung my hand.
I couldn’t hit Gia. She was my best friend. She had been through a lot in life. I didn’t want her to end up getting panicky and doing something crazy.
But Talon?
I was paying him… so…
My hand smacked his face with a loud slap.
I grabbed my hand and felt the stinging pain.
“Feel better?” he asked.
“Are you going to tell me what that was?”
“What?”
“You and Gia.”
“Two people who wanted each other. That a problem?”
“It is when you’re in my bed.”
“You paid me to be there, darling.”
“Don’t call me that,” I said.
“I call everyone that.”
“Even Brock?”
“When he’s acting like a bitch, yeah.”
“So I’m a bitch?” I asked.
“I didn’t say that,” Talon said.
“I thought last night…”
“You thought wrong,” Talon said. “You’re just assuming, Winter. I did my job last night. I protected you. That’s what you wanted from me.”
“I wanted more.”
“You can’t buy that from me,” Talon said with a wink.
“So my best friend and my… whatever you are… have been sneaking around behind my back.”
“Sneaking?” Talon asked. “That’s a stretch.”
“What do you call it when nobody tells me what’s going on?” I asked.
“It’s called life. It happens around you, Winter. The world doesn’t revolve around you. That’s your problem. You think it does. Maybe you grew up that way. Mommy and Daddy buying you everything.”
“There was no Mommy,” I said. “She left.”
“You poor thing. You live with her now.”
“Out of need,” I said.
“Save the sad story,” Talon said.
“You’re a piece of shit, Talon. You led me on. That’s what hurts. That’s why I’m mad at Gia. She’s dumb for falling for you.”
“I never led anyone on,” he said. “I did my job. If you want to leave right now, then go. Go face those guys. Let me know how it turns out. I’ll keep an eye on the obituaries.”
I gasped. My heart pounded in my chest.
There was a very spoiled and jealous part of me that wanted to hit Talon again. At the same time, I wanted him to carry me to the bed and…
No. He’s Gia’s. I can’t think that way anymore.
The real reason I wanted Talon was to chase away the desire for Noah, Easton, and Xavier. Being with them at that ball and getting so close…
I blinked fast and nodded.
“I think I have to go,” I said.
“You know where to find me when shit hits the fan,” he said.
“I can’t believe all of this. I thought we had something, Talon.”
“We had a financial arrangement.”
“That’s it?”
Talon stepped closer to me. “Look, Winter, there was a moment or two, sure. I’m sorry if I hurt you. That’s the only time you’ll ever hear me apologize. So take it and run. You know you can’t live here forever. If you want to try, have at it. But you’re not a Troc. You’re a Bump. You need to face that world and figure it out.”
“And when I face the guys, will you be there?”
“Bring the money, I’ll bring my ass,” he said.
I swallowed hard and shook my head.
Talon leaned down and kissed my cheek. Then he whispered, “Just as friends. And you can tell Gia all you want.”
He walked to the door and opened it.
“Talon,” I said.
“What?”
“I need a vehicle to leave,” I said.
“You can take the truck. Keys will be on the counter. I’ll figure out a way to get it back.”
“You’re not going to give me a ride?” I asked.
Talon left the bedroom.
That was it.
It was all over.
My time with the Trocs was done.
I was leaving with another secret exposed.
Going to face what my real life was… whatever it was.
I now had to find Noah, Easton, and Xavier.
I left the house without saying goodbye to anyone. I honestly had no desire to. The Trocs were nothing but a blip on the radar of my life. I appreciated what Emily had done for me, but I could have done that on my own. I would have easily survived a night alone in the dirty Troc bathroom. Plus, let’s be real, that girl was using her body to get what she wanted in life. And sadly it wasn’t even all that much that she wanted.
Who the fuck am I to judge?
That was a fair question and another reason why I left without saying goodbye.
As far as Talon went, I was far from done with him.
I was going to need his help at some point again when I had to deal with Noah, Easton, and Xavier. And I would have to see him if and when he came around to hang out with Gia. If he and Gia were the real deal, I didn’t want her sneaking around like she was doing something wrong. Socially, Gia was screwed. When word got out that she was fooling around with a Troc, her life would turn into hell. That’s when I would stand next to her and throw punches at anyone who hurt her feelings. Because she would do the same for me. She had done the same for me. Gia was the crazy bitch who took a knife to some tires for me.
I got behind the wheel of the pickup truck and turned the key.
The engine protested for a second but then started.
Jealousy started to creep inside my body. Sitting alone, I could admit it - I was jealous of Gia and Talon. Talon and I had that one moment in my bed and I had thought it was something that lingered. That I could just snap my fingers and have him. That I could use him. That I could let him use me. It all seemed… there.
But I had been so wrong.
Not that Gia wasn’t pretty and not that she didn’t deserve to have some Troc fun, I just wanted it to be me. I wanted Talon to get to a point where he would basically die for my safety.
Greedy? Acting like a spoiled princess?
“Of course,” I whispered as I put the truck into reverse.
I knew how it sounded and how I was acting.
Again, that’s why I was alone.