And you tell me NOW?
Needless to say, Gage is genuinely pissed.
“He’s at the bowling alley.” Logan purses his lips. “I’m thinking he’ll be here in—”
Gage opens the passenger door to the truck and slides me into his arms. He offers a long embrace, his warm hands press into my ribcage so hard I think they might leave permanent imprints.
“I’m OK. I swear it. It was weird. It was Ellis.”
“What?” Gage shakes his head incredulous at the idea. “Harrison is going to die.”
Escalating voices emit from the Landon house. Sounds like Mia and Melissa are about to forgo the hair and go straight for the jugular.
“I’d better get inside,” I whisper.
We head into the Landon house. The air is thick with the heavy scent of smoke. The fire alarm is busy wailing away and so are both Mia and Melissa as they exchange expletives like seasoned sailors.
“What the hell is going on?” I yank Mia back by the arm as they get into one another’s faces.
A strangled silence fills in the void of their angry voices. Gage hits the fire alarm with a broom a few times and the damn thing shuts up but not before leaving its calling card in my ear. It’s still going off clear as a bell inside my head.
“I take it you want the stove off?” Logan extinguishes the flame without waiting for an answer.
“Mia was over doing it,” Melissa calls out, “just like she overdoes everything else. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have a date.” She snaps up her purse and heads down the hall. The front door slams, rattling the windows just this side of breaking them.
“What was that about?” I pull Mia in and wipe the hair from her eyes. Her skin is oven hot, she’s perspiring like crazy, and I can tell she’s about to lose it.
“You mean you didn’t hear?” She squeezes the words out while sucking back tears. “I thought she blabbed it to everyone. It’s official. She and Gabriel are together now.”
I want to say, who the hell cares? Or thank God she took that Armistead asshole off your hands because he’s got demented genes, but poor Mia looks as though she’s just been slapped and knowing Melissa, she probably has, so I opt for the demure road instead.
“As in boyfriend, girlfriend?”
Mia nods.
“I wouldn’t worry too much about it. I’m pretty sure Tad’s not going to let that happen.” Once he catches wind his baby is doing the couple shuffle, he’ll put the kibosh on that goodtime like he does everyone else’s.
“She’ll deny it. She sneaks around.” Mia looks defeated and heartbroken—burnt out on life all together.
“I have a friend on the island you might want to meet,” I say. “He’s real nice and I’m pretty sure you’ll feel better after having a talk with him.” Of course, I mean Dad. Every day with Dad in our world is the best day ever.
“Is he cute?” Mia’s eyes widen at the prospect of a new juvenile suitor.
Logan gives a half-smile before heading over to the slider and opening it for ventilation.
“He’s not that kind of friend,” I lower my voice. “He’s more of a father figure.”
“It’s not that shrink you see, is it?”
“No, not Dr. Booth.”
“OK, whatever. I’ll talk to your friend. But right now, I think I’ll go take a nap or read a book. Sometimes I just want to escape from reality. You know?”
“Yeah, I know.” I wish we were in the past—still in L.A. I’d do everything different. That’s one thing I know for sure.
I walk Mia up to her room and watch as she slinks on the bed. She looks helpless, trapped in a room with a sister she can’t stand at the moment. Odd, I feel the same about Chloe, only thank God I don’t have to share a room with her, and for sure she’s no sister.
Mia will feel better once she talks to Dad. One thing my dad can do is somehow make me believe everything is going to be all right—that not even death can stand in our way.
That horrible dream I had of Logan springs to the forefront of my mind.
It couldn’t have been a vision. I refuse to believe it.
It was nothing more than a nightmare.
That’s all it’ll ever be.
***
When I arrive back downstairs, Drake, Chloe and Ethan have sprawled out over the kitchen.
Chloe whispers something to Gage while leaning against the counter, then quickly darts over to Ethan as soon as I walk in the room.
Crap.
A horrible fear spirals through me. What if it’s all true? What if Emerson is right and he’s still keeping sinister-Bishop things from me? The creepy Kragger was right about the condom, and Gage certainly didn’t pull a kitchen knife on Chloe when she got within striking distance, so something does appear to be up. God, I pray nothing that belongs to Gage is “up” when Chloe is around.
I go over to the table and take a seat, inspiring Gage to sit beside me. His warm, woodsy cologne whispers my name and I glance at him with heavy eyes.
“So who you seeing now?” Drake directs the question to Logan. “Are you still with Michelle? Or did you tap that?”
“Tap that?” I squawk. The next time I vomit, I’m aiming for Drake’s shoes.
“Nope. Miller and I are done.” Logan raises a brow in my direction before knocking back his soda.
“Dude, there are so many hot chicks going to West this year.” Drake flexes his hands behind his neck and nods into Logan. “I had to go down to the attendance office to clear up some shit and like four supermodels walked in—and they were all sporting massive lady lumps.” Drake cups his hands in front of his chest like he’s already molesting them. “You could score with all of them if you wanted.”
You’d think Drake had branched off into the pimp business the way he suddenly feels the need to hook Logan up with some lumpy “supermodels.”
“Lady lumps?” Chloe scoffs at Drake’s genius.
“I don’t know.” Logan glances from me to Gage. “I think I’ll steer clear. You go ahead and hit those.” He nods into Drake. “I’ll watch from the sidelines and learn from the master.”
“I’ve already got two of their numbers.” Drake smears his words with an irresponsible swagger that makes me want to smack him.
“Drake!” I kick him from under the table.
“What? It was for Logan. He’s having a dry season. Us guys have to look out for one another.” He fiddles with his phone and Logan’s cell goes off. “There, I just forwarded you the hot brunette’s number. Give her a crotch-shot and let her know what’s up.”
“A crotch-shot?” Chloe and I ask in unison. Creepy.
Figures, the one thing that can unify the two of us is some serious asshat stupidity brought on by yet another Landon.
“Yeah.” Ethan looks right at me. “You know, like the one Gage sent to steal you away from Logan.”
“What?” Gage booms, pissed at the concept.
“Just repeating what Chloe said.” He slips her a crooked grin.
“Oh, please.” Chloe swims with glee. “That’s not what happened. I said I’ve seen his package. That’s obviously what sold Skyla. It was nothing more, nothing less.” She picks at her nail polish in an effort avoid eye contact with all parties that have a direct interest in Gage and his package.
“That’s such a lie.” I fume over at her.
Logan rasps his knuckles against the table. “And for the record, there is absolutely nothing wrong with my package.”
I promptly ignore Logan and his plea for penile equity.
My blood starts to boil at the thought of Chloe spouting off lies about Gage and his body when she knows damn well we’re trying to get back on track.
“It’s a lie, right Gage?” I look to him for support only he’s being unnaturally quiet about the whole thing. I get that he’s ticked, but this is a pretty good time to lay into her with some of that pent up rage he’s feeling. “She didn’t see your package.”
His dimples depress as he gl
ints into Chloe with a pissed-off expression.
“Oh, you haven’t told her?” Chloe claps a hand over her mouth in an effort to demonstrate the not so seriousness of her artificial faux pas.
Shit.
“Gage?” I jump back with my chair so I can get a better look at him. His face has lit up like a Christmas tree and I’m pretty sure that’s not a very good fucking sign.
“It was an accident,” he says it low. “It’s not what you think. Chloe’s trying to do what she does best—keep us apart.”
“What kind of an accident?” I press on. “Did she walk in on you in the bathroom?” Somehow a stream of urine shooting from his penis would add some levity to the situation. Somehow our entire relationship hangs on the balance of humility and bodily fluids.
“No.” Gage gives a little laugh at the idea. “She didn’t walk in on me in the bathroom.”
I suck in a lungful of air. I’m horrified at the height from which we’ve fallen.
“Oh my God. She did see your baseball bat!” I scoot my chair the hell away from him in the event his pants decided to catch on fire because it’s become apparent he is such a fucking liar.
“Dude.” Drake marvels. “You’ve got a baseball bat down there?”
Brielle walks in and breezes over.
“Talking about Gage?” She says it so nonchalant and so correctly pegged the phallus in question all eyes redirect themselves to her. “What?”
I close my eyes briefly and try to blink out of this nightmare. Surely this is some toxin-induced hallucination. We couldn’t possibly be sitting around the Landon dinner table discussing Gage Oliver’s private parts and the list of suspects that may or may not have ogled at their size and stature.
Drake nods over at Gage. “Shoot me a crotch-shot, would you?” I’m sure his curiosity is working overtime. Just the thought of every person at this table imagining Gage and his area is totally embarrassing and disgusting. I hope to God Mia doesn’t feel the sudden urge for a glass of water or the imagery might haunt her forever.
“Skyla.” Gage says it sharp and clear. His dark lashes hover low as if this entire conversation were absurd. “It was back in May. I was getting dressed in the gym and I heard someone giggling. I thought maybe whoever it was might have seen me but I wasn’t sure. Chloe told me at Demetri’s party earlier this summer that it was her. You were already plenty upset with me so I didn’t think telling you was the best idea.”
“And what did she tell you today?” I don’t miss a beat.
Mr. Condom in his right pocket thinks he can keep things from me but I’d like to know every last underwear-deficient detail. And—I’d like to steer the conversation the hell away from his considerable, crotch-shot worthy size for a moment.
Gage presses back in his seat, looking decidedly uncomfortable as if he and Chloe had been caught in yet another lewd act.
Anger flashes through me like a fire. “I’m starting to think that it really was you rutting with Chloe in the butterfly room a few weeks back.” Did I just say that out loud?
“What?” Logan balks as if I had just accused Gage of chopping the paws off a litter of puppies.
Gage digs his palms into his eyes for a moment. “Skyla, that wasn’t me,” he says exasperated. “And just a few minutes ago, Chloe was saying she noticed you didn’t wear your ring anymore—she asked if we were over.”
“Oh,” I say stupidly. I just want to crawl under the table. What if it’s all true? I wouldn’t put it past Chloe to sneak into the gym to catch a glimpse of Gage in the buff. And, of course she’d be more than willing to point out the fact I no longer sport my faux engagement ring.
“So?” Chloe leans in deep over the table, with a serpentine smile. “What is it, Skyla? Are you and Gage still together? Or aren’t you?”
I glance over at Logan—Logan who proposed to me just hours before, although it feels like a dizzying lifetime ago. His sad eyes pull down over me as he gives a quiet nod.
“Ethan,” I snap at my stepbrother so loud he startles at the call of his name. “She cheats on you. She slept with Pierce Kragger in my bedroom and I needed to bleach the walls because she blistered them with that skank smell she leaves behind.”
Chloe’s mouth rounds out as though I had just dropped a bombshell.
What’s with the surprise? Hadn’t I just accused her of doing the same thing with Gage?
“Who cares,” Ethan quips. “It’s not like we’re together.”
I look at him in disbelief and shake my head. Drake and Brielle nod as if they know exactly what the hell he’s talking about.
Doesn’t anybody around here take a relationship seriously?
Logan and Gage press in with the weight of their stares and a roll of nausea pulses through me.
Do I?
Chapter 101
Team Skyla
After that miserable crotch-inspired conversation, the entire lot of us actually sat in the family room and watched a marathon of horror movies like one big dysfunctional family.
Mom and Tad came home with baby Beau who apparently didn’t suffer any great ill effects, or at least, according to Mom, those great ill effects were impossible to trace. Nevertheless, the teen population disbursed to the privacy of their bedrooms. As for me, it’s time to pick up Emerson from the Kraggers’, lest they forget I’m using her as my treble pass.
Logan and Gage walk me down to the edge of the driveway.
“You mind if I come for the ride?” Gage dusts over me with a morose expression.
“Yeah.” Logan hitches his thumb toward his truck. “I’d better get to the bowling alley and check out a few things. Take Gage,” he says it sad, depleted. “I’d hate for you to venture into Kragger territory alone.” He cups the side of my face and smooths his thumb over the high ridge of my cheek as if he were yearning to kiss me. I’ve got relations duty tonight. See you in my dreams?
You bet. I press my lips into his open palm.
“Night,” he calls, heading to his truck.
I toss Gage the keys to the Mustang.
“You drive,” I say.
Chloe and her manipulative behavior drained me beyond reason—too bad there’s no toxin that can cure Bishop of her wicked ways. And, thanks to me, not even death was able to contain her.
We hop into the Mustang and Gage fires up the engine, lets it run a good solid minute before carefully backing out of the driveway. It feels safe like this with Gage in the driver’s seat. He has a way of making me feel sheltered, protected.
We cover a majority of the island sunk in silence, our grief thick and smothering–nothing but an entire ocean of heartache that Chloe dumped over us.
Gage pulls off a secluded street that leads to the Kragger compound and places his warm hand over mine.
I lunge at him, wrap my arms around his body and my chest heaves with a quick burst. I miss Gage so much. I miss who we were and how much he loved me. I miss the way my fingers would dig into his hair and how his lips were never strangers to mine.
He takes a sharp breath into my neck, and I can see his thoughts spinning out like a reel. Gage and me at the bowling alley the day I arrived on Paragon. He seizes at the sight of me with an intense desire, cringes when he sees Logan and I hitting it off. Gage flips the page in his memory and reflects on kissing me at a pool party. I remember that night. We were trying to fool the entire island into thinking we were officially a couple. He speeds through scenes, Ellis’s parties, the butterfly room, the day we first said I love you. Gage writes a song with the montage of kisses that swirl through his mind.
“That was so beautiful,” I whisper. “Thank you for sharing.”
“I want to share everything with you.” He pulls back. His dimples flare on and off with approval. “Skyla, what is it that you need me to do to gain your trust again?”
“I do trust you.” It speeds out of me. A hot boil ignites deep in the pit of my stomach. Of course I trust Gage. Don’t I?
He shakes his head jus
t barely. “I love you so much that it actually hurts. I’m in agony, Skyla.” He washes over me with his cobalt beauty. “I’m all torn up inside because of what’s happened to us.” His brows crease. “I’m really afraid. I’m afraid Chloe finally won and now you’ll never be mine. I can’t breathe—there’s no air without you,” he chokes it out in a whisper.
I lean in and hold him for a very long time. I can’t bear this pain. It’s all too much. If these feelings corrode our relationship for another wasted moment, he’s right. Chloe won.
“We’re going to get through this,” I say. “I know we will.”
I can feel it deep down inside, but the Logan-shaped hole in my heart begs to differ.
***
Once I arrive home, I walk Emerson upstairs to my room after her daylong play date with Daddy, only to find Chloe sitting Indian style on my bed with her head sunk in a book. Origin of a Vampire, by Addison Moore. Figures. Chloe is probably reading up on her lineage.
“Out.” I hold the door open as Emerson takes a seat at the desk.
“Oh, I don’t know.” Emerson tosses back her midnight hair. Her pale face gazes at Chloe in all her dark beauty. “Maybe we can talk about old times—reminisce. Is Skyla up to speed on all your mysterious secrets? Or should I fill her in?”
Chloe smirks with disgust.
“Please,” I scoff while plucking off my shoes, “I know all about her deadly offenses—Ethan, you, my dad.” I snatch my West sweatshirt off the floor. “By the way, she lives to steal my boyfriend.” I just called Gage my boyfriend! I think that means we’re back on track. I’ll have to call him and tell him the good news. We’ll have to celebrate before this whole faction war comes to a close and I feel guilty as hell for being in the same room with him.
“That’s it?” Emerson directs all the abhorrence she can muster at me.
“Yeah.” I shrug. “She gutted Ethan like a fish and now she’s resigned herself to a servitude of gifting him blowjobs. It’s almost worth having her under the same roof, knowing she suffers a fate worse than death.”