Page 33 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

“You want to drive past her old house again to see if she’s got candles burning or something?” Jensen offered as he drove, reading my mind. “This late, we’ll see the glow.”

“Can’t hurt to check.”

“Do you think we could pay the neighbors for information? They might tell us if she’s been back,” he suggested hopefully, but I sighed.

“The Heights has a solid rule of minding your own business. You could murder someone on their front lawn, and they’ll claim they didn’t see shit.

Money might make people desperate, but the looming threat of a home invasion and possible bullet in the skull usually keeps them quiet.

They don’t take kindly to rich pricks either, so it’s better we don’t bother them. ”

“But you used to hang around there, right? When you and Rory were kids.”

“Yeah, but that doesn’t mean the neighbors liked me being around,” I scoffed, keeping my eyes peeled for any sign of Rory wandering around.

From what I’d gathered, she didn’t really have friends in the Heights, so I had no idea if she had someone to stay with.

The thought of her staying at some guy’s house made me want to throw up. Most guys around the Heights wanted pussy as payment for favors like that, and after Rory’s past, I doubted she’d be comfortable with that.

“Hey,” Jensen murmured, reaching over to give my knee a gentle squeeze. “She’ll be okay. We’ll find her.”

His comforting touch did nothing for my worry, but I had to hope that he was right.

The Heights freaked me out at night, groups of teenagers lingering around abandoned buildings, the smell of smoke and burning rubber always in the air. We stood out like a sore thumb, and if we stopped anywhere, they’d probably take the tires off the car and run.

Heights kids didn’t give a shit about anything, other than feeding themselves and any family they had.

We put the windows down as we drove, keeping an eye out while hoping she called out to us if she heard the Camaro, but after driving in and out of random streets, and going past her old house three times, we didn’t find her.

Jensen drove slowly as he texted one-handed, most likely begging Rory for a reply, but he wouldn’t get one. Even though I’d been the one to avoid her last time, Rory could hold a grudge like nobody’s business, and there was no way she’d forgive me a second time.

Messaging and calling her was pointless, it would only drive her further away.

I’d messaged her once this morning, but that was it.

“Is there anywhere else she could’ve gone?” Jensen asked as we drove back towards Ashburn Valley.

“If there is, I don’t know about it. She hasn’t exactly confided in me recently,” I muttered, glancing down at my phone as a message came through. I’d hoped it was Rory, but it was just Mom.

Karen: What are you doing in Hawthorne Heights?

Lukas: You said you’d stop tracking my phone.

Karen: You’re my baby. You’d better not be associating with Heights scum, Lukas. You’re better than that.

I didn’t reply, knowing she’d see us leaving on her app anyway. I loved my mom, but she was exhausting. She suffocated me constantly with her rich people bullshit, and I knew she’d had a thing for my friends since the day they’d become legal to fuck.

Karen James was toxic, but I let her burn me time and time again because she was my mom. The guys couldn’t stand her, and Jensen had even offered to let me live with him at one point because she was so overbearing, but I always found myself going back home to check on her, making sure she was okay.

Part of me wished she’d remarry so the guilt didn’t eat at me every time I was gone.

She hated poor people, thought their lives were pathetic as if she hadn’t been poor before Dad had married her. She hated the thought of me being with a guy purely because she wanted me to carry on the family name by giving her grandchildren.

I’d never pass on the family name, no way in hell.

She really hated that the only girl I’d ever loved had been Rory. Well, she’d been fine with the Donovans until Max lost all of his money, putting them in a lower tax bracket.

She’d been so relieved when I stopped spending time with Rory.

“Was that your mom?” Jensen asked, his voice flat. He hated her for the way she spoke to me sometimes. I couldn’t blame him, since she’d accused him of trying to fuck me and ruin my chances of finding a nice girl.

They didn’t make nice girls in Ashburn Valley, only high-maintenance, spiteful cunts. I’d never had any interest in those for more than one night. Dating one of them would be like dating my fucking mother.

I looked over at Jensen and forced a smile in the dark space so it carried in my voice. “Yeah. She’s just checking in before going to bed.”

“She’s still stalking you.”

It wasn’t a question.

“She just worries, you know how she is,” I replied, and he let out a humorless chuckle.

“She’s a fucking psycho. You don’t see anyone else’s parents spying on them like she does.”

“Maybe your dad doesn’t check in often, but that doesn’t mean my mom’s weird,” I said weakly, knowing I was full of shit. My mom was the worst, her worry being more about losing control of me than it was actual concern for my safety.

“You turned eighteen three months ago, Luke. You don’t see Josie chasing Caden around the neighborhood.

She doesn’t track his phone or harass him daily to demand answers.

She’s the best mom and she cares about him a lot, but she also respects his boundaries.

Your mom takes it too far, and I hate how tense she makes you. ”

“She loves me.”

“She forgot your birthday and was more concerned that you were spending time with me in the closet,” he bit back, annoyance radiating out of him.

“I know you won’t, but it’s perfectly acceptable to cut off family members for being toxic.

She’s poison, and it pisses me off that I can’t just knock her out like I could if she was a guy.

” The car turned silent, the rumbling engine the only sound for a few minutes until he spoke again.

“I know how fucked up she makes your head, and I just worry she’ll push you over the edge again one day. ”

“I’m fine, promise. If I get bad again, I’ll tell you.”

Sometimes I wondered where I’d be right now if I’d never gone to Ashburn Valley Academy and met the guys. Part of me knew I wouldn’t like the answer though.

Tyler

The house was dark and silent when I arrived, flipping on lights as I walked into the kitchen. I hated how eerie it was here, and I’d been tempted a few times to just burn it to the fucking ground.

I had no good memories within these walls, other than the few nannies I’d had when I was little. The only memories I had of my parents were shit ones of them dragging me to red carpet events like an accessory, exploiting me and trying to put me in the spotlight to boost their acting careers.

Dad was always locked in his office when he was home, and Mom regularly went out with the other rich wives. I couldn’t remember a time they’d played with me or sat with me for dinner. Those memories were all with Josie.

The moment I could fend for myself, they fired everyone and gave me a credit card, sending a cleaning company through every week as if I even used the house more than a couple of days a week.

I spent a lot of time at Caden’s, but when I was home, I lived on pizza and beer.

The house didn’t exactly get messy unless we threw a party. No matter how much I trashed it on those nights, the cleaners just fixed it and I didn’t hear a word from my parents about it.

If I needed a parent, I turned to Josie, which was why I’d felt so guilty tonight when Caden had lied straight to her face.

She’d be devastated if she knew we’d hurt Rory badly enough to make her leave.

What if Rory had hurt herself? It would destroy Josie if something happened to her, she loved her like a daughter.

I had no right to be upset, I’d sided with Caden and been the first one to break Rory’s heart at school that day, but that didn’t mean I didn’t feel awful for it.

Padding up to my room, I had a quick shower, letting the scalding water burn my skin as I gritted my teeth. I soaked in the pain, knowing it was nothing like the pain we’d made Rory feel.

I pressed my forehead against the tiles as I smacked my fist against it, letting out a breath. Not knowing if she was okay was killing me.

My phone rang on the sink, and I peered through the glass to see Caden’s name on the screen. He was my best friend, my brother, but I needed a moment to myself before I exploded like Lukas had.

If we fell apart, it would’ve all been for nothing.

Part of me felt like it had been for nothing anyway because hurting her had only hurt us. She might have been a fun idea at the start, but she brought something to our group that we’d been missing.

Why hadn’t I had her back? If the guys had been conspiring against me, I’d bet money on her beating their asses on my behalf. She was loyal like that, which was just another reason why we hadn’t deserved her.

My phone rang again, and I scowled as Caden’s name popped up a second time. I didn’t even think before stepping out of the shower and grabbing the phone, flinging it across the room and letting it smash against the tiles.

I didn’t hate my best friend right now though, despite being angry with him.

I fucking hated myself.

Caden

The phone rang out for the second time, not even connecting on the third attempt. If Tyler had turned his phone off, he was really pissed.

I dropped back onto my bed with a sigh, staring at the ceiling. Lying to Mom had made me feel like such an asshole. I knew how much Rory meant to her in the short time they’d known each other.

She’d always wanted a daughter, and for all we knew, Rory was lying in a ditch somewhere.

If I told Mom what had happened, it would be a goddamn mess. One that I couldn’t fix.

I swallowed at the thought of Rory lying on the side of the road somewhere, my eye throbbing from Lukas’ hit. I’d deserved it, but I didn’t deserve all the blame. They’d been there right beside me going through her diary and tearing her down at school.

Lukas might have bailed, but it wasn’t like he ran to warn her or anything.

I tried to hold onto my anger about her slashing my tires, but it was really hard. The tires were already replaced, it had been an easy fix, and I guess I should’ve counted myself lucky that she hadn’t thrown acid or something all over the paint.

Mom went to bed after one in the morning, making sure to poke her head in to say good night to me and causing guilt to eat at me again. I almost told her I had no idea where Rory was, but I kept my mouth shut.

She was already stressed enough from work.

I checked Facebook to see if Rory had posted anything, not surprised to find she’d blocked me. She’d blocked me on all apps, and when I’d attempted to call her, it went straight to voicemail.

If I was her, I wouldn’t talk to me either.

I had no idea how the guys were going to act at school in the morning. We had to stand as a united front or the school would end up in chaos. Others would try to challenge our leadership and take it from us, and I let out a snort at the thought.

Sometimes, I wished someone would so we didn’t have to deal with it anymore.

I couldn’t sleep, so I quietly wandered downstairs and crept out to the garage, unlocking my car and climbing behind the wheel. Hopefully, the drive would clear my head.

The streets were quiet, the Challenger sounding loud in the silence, and I lit a cigarette and rested my elbow on the open window while I smoked.

I’d considered calling someone to blow me, hoping a release would help, but I didn’t want some slut on my dick, I wanted Rory.

I smacked my palm against the wheel, knowing I’d fucked up but also knowing I couldn’t fix it. Convincing myself I could hurt her like that had been stupid, and now that I’d had time to think about it, I regretted it.

Turning on her was one thing, but using the trauma from my father? I was just as bad as him.

Tristan Holloway was a piece of shit, and there was no love lost between us.

I’d grown up with him beating on Mom, and he’d broken plenty of my bones over the years as I’d gotten older.

I thought he was going to kill me when I’d put myself between him and Mom one night when I was twelve, the fucker beating me so badly that I’d ended up in the hospital.

He’d paid off the cops and gone on with his day as if it had never happened.

Mom finally left him not long after that, and the prick moved to Kingslake without a backwards glance, but since I was still a minor, the courts ordered me to spend time with him still.

Rich assholes might have ruled Ashburn Valley, but the real slimy fuckers lived in Kingslake. There was more corruption there than anywhere else in the country.

The Holloway name had been Mom’s, and we were one of the richest families in town. It was probably why my father refused to divorce her.

The Holloway name opened doors, and he’d lose that.

Alongside our name, the Whitlock family was the richest in Kingslake, and the Reyes were the richest in Crestford. They were probably all besties with my dad too.

I spent two hours driving around before going home, knowing I’d been hoping to find Rory.

Why had I fucked with her? The answer to that was that I was a pussy. I’d caught feelings then ran like a coward, self-destruction the only way I’d known how to handle it.

I swore I’d never turn into my father, but here I was, hurting the girl I had feelings for.

Lukas should’ve hit me harder.