Page 29 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

“River, this is your sister,” she slurs. “Charlotte is the most incredible, funny, smart, beautiful person on this planet, and if you let her go, you’re a fucking idiot.”

My eyes widen at her language. Lyric rarely ever cusses, so when she does, you take notice.

“Ly...” I hiss under my breath.

“Now call me back or I’m going to drive all the way to North Carolina and whoop your ass.

Or better yet, call Char. If you don’t, someone else is going to swoop in and steal her away and I don’t feel like dealing with you being a whiney, mopey baby when that happens.

So man the freak up. That is all.” With a smile that says she’s extremely pleased with herself, she ends the call.

And then, without warning, pukes, narrowly missing Kai as the liquid hits the ground behind him.

“Um...” Jackson steps away.

“Whoops.” Lyric buckles in laughter.

Maisie and I step around the vomit, sharing a brief look of amusement.

“And this is why she doesn’t drink,” Maisie tells me.

“Converse, if you puke in my car,” Kai warns, lowering her to her feet with so much care it causes the ache in my chest to expand.

“I won’t.” She gives him a toothy smile before all but falling into the back seat when Kai opens the door.

“Too early.” Maisie groans, throwing an arm over her face when I flip on the small lamp that sits on my desk.

“Sorry,” I offer, slipping on one shoe and then the other before standing.

“Where are you going?” Maisie props up on her elbows, her brown curls wild around her face as she stares down at me.

“I’m going to get some coffee,” I say, shoving my cell into my pocket.

“Wait, why aren’t you sleeping?” She sits up further. “It’s like seven in the morning.” She glances at the clock on the wall.

“I’m not tired. Besides, don’t you have a game to get to?”

“Not this early.” She flops back down.

“Could you two be any louder?” Jackson grumbles from the floor, flopping onto his back as he stares up at me with bright blue eyes.

“You could have stayed with Kai and Lyric like you were supposed to,” Maisie reminds him.

“And listen to those two fuck all night... Pass. Honestly, I don’t think they ever sleep.”

“Must be nice.” I hear the smile in Maisie’s voice.

“I know you did not just say that in front of your big brother.”

“Don’t be such a prude.” She laughs.

“I need to use the facilities,” Jackson announces, abruptly shoving to his feet, swaying slightly the instant he’s upright. He’s shirtless, his well-defined chest and abs on full display. And while normally I might be tempted to look for a bit longer, I quickly glance away.

“Come on, I’ll walk you out,” I tell him before speaking to Maisie. “I’ll be back in a little bit. Want me to bring you anything from Greenberry’s?”

“Yes, please! Double shot of espresso over ice with vanilla sweet cream, just like I like it.”

“You got it.” I move toward the door, Jackson quick on my heels. “Can I get anything for you?” I ask, tugging open the door.

“You offering?” His voice is way too close, and I glance over my shoulder to see his face so close to mine I can smell the alcohol that lingers on his breath.

“You wish.” I grin, stepping out into the hallway.

“You’re right. I do.”

“Well, isn’t this cozy.” My head spins toward the familiar voice, every ounce of color draining from my face when I see River sitting in the hallway across from my door.

“River...” I say his name on a breathy exhale.

“Would appear that you move on quicker than I accounted for.” He pushes to a stand, dark circles under his eyes like he’s been sitting here for hours and hasn’t slept.

My forehead wrinkles in confusion, but then I remember the half-naked man standing behind me and I quickly realize what this must look like.

“No, it’s not—”

“Please don’t insult me by lying.” His face is masked in a blank expression, making it impossible to read his emotions.

Does he seriously believe that I would hook up with someone after a few short days?

Not that I didn’t consider it, wondering if maybe it would make me feel better. But even the thought made me want to vomit.

“Coffee. Black. Thanks, Char,” Jackson says just a few inches from my ear before backing into the bathroom, clearly sensing this is not a conversation he wants to be a part of.

“I knew you liked to get around... But this...” He gestures to the door Jackson just stepped through. “Seems you’re making your rounds with your friends’ brothers.”

I draw back like he’s just slapped me straight across the face, tears stinging the backs of my eyes from the impact.

“Go fuck yourself.” I shove past him, taking off down the hall before ducking into the stairwell. I take the stairs two at a time, damn near falling toward the bottom but somehow managing to catch myself on the railing before I go down.

River catches up to me once I’m outside.

“Red.”

“Don’t!” I spin on him so fast I nearly fall for the second time in less than a minute. “How dare you!” My voice carries across the open space. “How dare you leave the way you did and then show up unannounced and insult me?”

“Forgive me.” He sneers. “What do you expect after that bullshit I just saw? Maisie’s brother, Charlotte, really?”

“I didn’t sleep with Jackson!” I growl in frustration. “And if you care to verify that claim, perhaps you should go back upstairs and speak to his sister, who is inside the room.”

“He was coming out behind you with no shirt on.”

“Yeah, because he’s here for Maisie’s game and didn’t want to stay with Lyric and Kai, so he crashed on our floor. Not that I owe you an explanation. You’ve made it perfectly clear that we aren’t together. That you don’t care about me...”

Some of the anger leaves his face, but he’s still fisting his hands at his sides.

“I’m standing here, aren’t I?”

“After a week! You don’t text. You don’t call. You just leave and then nothing.”

“I needed time to think.”

“Well, good for you. I hope you enjoyed it.” I move to turn, but he catches me by my forearm, holding me in place. “Let go of me.” Unshed tears cloud my vision.

“I’m sorry...” He blows out a slow breath, releasing me as he takes a full step back.

I take my first real look at him, drinking in the sight of him after far too many days thinking I’d never see him again. Other than the dark circles under his eyes and his messy hair, which appears to have been pulled and pushed in every direction, he looks just as handsome as ever.

The sight of him further intensifies the crack splitting my chest open.

“I’m sorry for what I said upstairs. And for not calling or texting.”

I soften slightly at his words.

“Why are you here, River?”

“For you. I’m here for you.”

I open my mouth to say something, but my vision blurs, and suddenly, it feels like the world is tipping sideways.

“Char...” River’s panicked voice is the last thing I hear before everything goes black.