“What were you thinking?”
“Exactly what I said,” I said. “He was supposed to be there and piss the guys off. Not turn into that.”
“What did you really think…”
Gia tried to walk around me.
I blocked her path.
She stopped and looked up.
“This bitch wants to get hit,” Gia whispered.
“Yes, she does,” I said.
Gia moved to my left and I went with her.
“Winter.”
“I’m not going to let you walk away from me,” I said.
Gia pushed me.
I stepped back.
She came at me again.
She pushed me a second time.
She lifted a fist to show me.
Then she shook her head.
“It was my fault. We all know that.”
She walked around me and I let her go back Talon.
“I did this to you, Talon,” Gia said. “Not Winter.”
“Nobody did anything,” Talon said.
“Why are you being so nice?” I asked Talon. “Did they hit your head?”
Talon grinned. “I got paid tonight. And Gia is going to take good care of me so I don’t feel any pain. Plus, showing up back home from taking a beating from the Bumps is a good thing. Shows I have the nerve to take them on.”
“But I did this,” Gia said. “I had no idea Xavier knew…”
Talon took the ice from his eye. He moved it to his right cheek where Xavier landed the first punch.
“Yeah, what the fuck was that about?” Talon asked.
“It’s a deep, dark Bump secret,” I said.
“I don’t care anymore,” Gia said.
“Gia, be careful.”
“Of what?” Talon asked.
“You’re a Troc,” I said.
“You don’t trust me?”
“No,” I said.
“So you think I’m in love with your best friend just to get some information?” Talon asked.
“Maybe,” I said.
“You love me?” Gia asked.
Shit.
They looked at each other.
“You said it first,” Talon said.
“Talon…”
“Oh, will you two just go then?” I asked. “I’m not going to stand here and watch this.”
“She’s jealous,” Talon said.
“Not even close,” I lied. “I still have to figure out what to do here. I have to do it alone this time. I don’t want anyone else involved or hurt.”
“You sure about that?” Talon asked.
“I have no choice.”
We were silent for a few seconds.
“Is everyone good here?” Talon asked.
Gia looked at me.
We both nodded.
“We’re good,” I said.
“Best friends,” Gia said.
“Best friends who want to experiment with one guy?” Talon asked.
Gia and I both said No at the same time.
“So Xavier is your brother,” Talon said.
“Yeah,” Gia said. She looked at me. “Whatever. I don’t care anymore.”
“Okay,” I said.
She looked at Talon. “He’s my brother. His father had an affair with my mother. My mother got pregnant and had Xavier. Then his father took him away.”
“Wow,” Talon said. “And you Bumps think we live messy lives. You all are fucked up.”
“Yes, we are,” Gia said. “That’s why he attacked you.”
“How did he know?” I asked.
“That’s the scary part,” Gia said. “They know everything.”
“That’s my fault too,” I said. “For thinking they didn’t.”
“Well, if that asshole knew about Gia, why hasn’t he said anything?” Talon asked.
“I don’t know,” I said.
“I kind of want to find out,” Gia said. “If Winter leaves anything left of him…”
I smiled. “I’m done with this. I’ll meet them all alone. Whatever. There’s no more secrets now. So nothing can happen.”
“You sure about that?” Talon asked.
“No,” I said. “But I’m going to lie to myself and say that I am sure.”
“I’ll just say my part here,” Talon said. “If you do need help, bring cash or else I won’t show up.”
“Talon,” Gia said.
I laughed. “Actually… I respect that.”
“Good,” Talon said. “I need to get out of here.” He grabbed Gia’s hand. “Coming with me?”
“Of course I am,” Gia said.
“What about Winter?” Talon asked.
“What about me?” I asked.
Talon looked at me. “You can come too. I bet Emily misses you. She had a great night with you on her lap…”
“Don’t be gross,” I said. “I’m staying here. I have the place to myself.”
“What about someone following you?” Gia asked.
“I don’t know. I’ll just hide in my room. I need sleep anyway.”
Gia walked toward me and we hugged.
She sighed.
“I know you’re not going to sleep, Winter. And I know I can’t talk you out of it. So just please be okay.”
I nodded. “You’re a good friend.”
“A best friend.”
“If we keep hugging any longer, Talon is going to make comments.”
“True,” Gia said.
She backed away and I watched Talon take her hand.
They were off, together, to go to Talon’s shitty house down where the Trocs lived.
And I was alone in a fancy and super expensive beach house.
Although I wasn’t going to be alone for long.
One text message, my night wasn’t done quite yet.
I lied.
The night did end right there.
My text message went ignored.
So I went to sleep.
And I slept to make up all the hours I had missed while at Talon’s place.
The only reason I woke up was because my mother came into my bedroom to check on me.
I felt her fingers pressing into my neck and I groaned as I opened my eyes and lifted my head.
“What are you doing?” I asked.
“Are you alive?”
“I’m talking, aren’t I?”
“Winter, you’ve been asleep for almost twenty hours.”
“What?” I asked. I reached for my phone and looked. I gasped. “Oh, shit.”
There were calls, voicemails, text messages…
“Are you that tired or are you sick?” my mother asked. “Or is it something with the accident? And by the way your father called.”
I rolled to my side. “What? What is happening?”
My mother snapped her fingers. “Winter. Focus.”
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’m okay,” I said. “I was tired. It’s been a long… everything. I was tired. So I slept. Okay?”
“Okay. Good.”
“Why did Dad call you?”
“Because he called you first and you didn’t answer,” my mother said. “Thanks for that. Nothing like hearing it from him.”