Page 99 of Brutal Little Secrets

My gaze flicks to Hawk. What? They came at me accusing me of being a whore.

“Ruin the good girl.” Damon’s voice brings me back to him. I search his blue eyes trying to see the truth. “Show everyone how wrong they were about her.”

My breath catches. I didn’t give in until I knew Chase was cheating, but what if I had before that? When did the plan change? Because Damon still blackmailed me, but I was good with whatever they wanted. I gave in so easily, proving to them I was the whore they wanted me to be.

“So you set about seducing Evan thinking she’d be the key to getting back at Chase?” Mia taps her fingers against each other. “It’s not a bad plan, but why stay with him? I’m sorry, but evenI figured out the guy wasn’t exactly boyfriend material. He hit on me pretty quickly after I got here. But in the interest of full disclosure, I met Chase when I interviewed at Anteros. It was brief, but he definitely was interested. I didn’t have time to fuck around, but promised him if I got in that we could.”

Mia cocks her head, waiting for my reaction. Her expression remains flat.

“Did you fuck him?” I ask. My stomach churns, wondering if she’s already betrayed me and would I recognize if she lies to me about it?

“Fuck, no.” Mia sits up straight. “I may be a bitch and quite proudly a slut, but I’m not about to break girl code. You don’t fuck your friend’s boyfriend. I mean, I did years ago, but I’m trying to be better.”

It doesn’t really matter to me if she fucked Chase, but if she has, I won’t be her friend. I’ll be friendly like other students. That arm’s length friendship we all seem to have in the theater department, because you never know who you’ll work with in the future.

“Chase fucks everything that moves, and you want us to believe you didn’t tap that?” Cam raises an eyebrow. “You would have fucked any of us if we gave you the chance.”

Mia laughs and puts her hand on her chest. “Slut. You see this body. Who wouldn’t want to show it off and do what it does best?” She winks, but turns back to me. “Believe me or not. I didn’t cheat with your boyfriend. Did he offer? Yes.”

Damon’s hand tightens on me. But I don’t have any emotions when it comes to Chase’s cheating, besides anger in him using me. No, the only time I felt the bite of jealousy is with the Devil’s trio.

Her face is serious when she continues. “I didn’t want to hurt you. I’ve had friends blame me for their guys hitting on me. I’m a flirt and can’t stop it if I try. I’m not looking to stir trouble here.Standing up to Olivia is just fun, but fucking your boyfriend…?” She sighs. “I just want to be your friend and fuck as many guys with six-pack abs as I can before I head off to Hollywood. My motives are really fucking simple. I didn’t want to lose you as a friend because you decided to stay with your scuzzy boyfriend. And didn’t want to lose you for telling you he was scuzzy.”

“I didn’t trust you because I’ve had friends who betrayed me before. Taking the guy I said I had a crush on.” I inhale. “Having to smile while they kissed the guy they knew I wanted.” I exhale. “Maybe that’s why I didn’t want to tell you about the Devil’s trio. Or that I was moving here. I didn’t want you to use me to get to them.”

Mia laughs sharply. “I’m not going to say I wouldn’t take advantage when you had a boyfriend and they were single, but all I want is for you to be happy. If that meant you trying to get back with Chase, I would accept it, if that’s what you wanted, but encourage you to leave him. I’m still trying to find my footing at this school.”

“Jackson might be stalking me,” I blurt out.

“Evan,” Damon growls like I’ve overstepped.

I turn and meet his eyes. “She needs to know so she doesn’t accidentally let him back into my life.”

“The guy gives me the creeps, but sometimes that can be hot in sex.” Mia shrugs. “He doesn’t ask me about you, but he knows we’re new friends. I thought he was obsessing about me.” She gives me a wry smile. “Oh, well, there’s a lot more guys in hockey that I haven’t gotten to yet.”

“An unknown number started sending some texts after we saw him at the football game. The texts might be from someone else, but there were a few things he said today that made me think he wants me to know it’s him.” I shiver, and Cam rubs my back.

Damon shifts me to lay back against him, draping his arms around my waist. Hawk rests his hand on my knee. Their touch helps center me.

“Okay, so inviting him tonight was a bad move.” Mia gets her phone out. “I can just text him.”

“Has he been texting you?” Hawk asks. He holds out his hand, and she unlocks her phone and hands it to him.

“Not really. I was surprised he showed up today.” Mia leans back in the chair and crosses her legs. “He was super interested at the football game. And then asked if he could give me his number. I sent him a quick message at the party to ask if he was coming, and he never responded. Then he showed up today, and I meant to ask to make sure his number was correct in my phone.”

“Could be one of his burner numbers.” Hawk glances my way. “What are the numbers he used to reach you?”

I unlock my phone and hand it to him. He compares the two unknown numbers with the one on Mia’s phone. He shakes his head.

“Not a match.” He hands our phones back.

“So that may or may not be his number.” Mia shakes her head. “What a dick.”

“Tonight’s party isn’t going to be a quaint little get together like Chase is planning.” Cam rubs my knee. “He’s going to get a few hundred more people at his house. We need people posting to social media during the party. Spread the word as much as you can.”

Mia nods. “No problem. What else do you guys have planned?”

Cam looks at Damon. A look passes between the two of them.