Page 44 of Pretty Lies (Watch Me Burn #1)

“Can you take into consideration what I’m telling you? What happens when they want you to do other shit for them? They could use you as a scapegoat.”

“Why the fuck would I consider anything you tell me? Back off, you’re nothing but a lying snake,” she huffed, putting her hand up to stop me when I went to move closer. “I wouldn’t bother. I have a knife and I’m not afraid to use it to carve that pretty face up.”

“He’s turned you fucking psycho!” I exploded, losing some of my control and pressing my chest against her hand to tower over her. “I know you don’t believe me, but I care about you! We all do! You’re making a mistake by getting involved with him. He doesn’t give a shit about you and you know it!”

“Dude,” Tyler scowled, giving me a dirty look. “We talked about this.”

“I’m not being a dick, I’m being honest!”

Mom slid an arm between Rory and I, forcing me back a step as she glared at me.

“Step back and don’t speak to her like that. I raised you better.” She turned to Rory, her voice calm, but I knew my scolding wasn’t over. “Who are you guys talking about? Where have you been? Caden said you were with some friends from school and needed space.”

“I’m an outcast at school, the girls would prefer to drown me in the fancy fountain than become my bestie. I’ve been at Skeeter Maddox’s place to avoid murdering your son. I’m fine, seriously. Caden’s just being dramatic because he didn’t get his way.”

“You don’t look fine. Is Skeeter the one who hurt you? He’s part of that gang, right?” she said gently, but I heard the shake in her tone. She was probably getting flashbacks of Dad.

I couldn’t blame her, our house was domestic violence central when I was younger.

“You’re sleeping with a criminal, and you’re going to get hurt. That’s honestly all I care about,” I argued, making Rory snort.

“No, you guys hurt me. You had the chance to tell me what you assholes had been plotting since the beginning, but you kept dodging it. You could’ve just called it off and never told me, but you didn’t.”

The guys were looking defeated, and I knew we wouldn’t win this. She’d stay until Skeeter let her go back to his house, then we’d lose her again. We’d thrown her right into the Psychos’ arms, and they took advantage of how vulnerable and damaged she was.

“I’m sorry about Dad,” I whispered, and her body flinched at the mention of the man who’d destroyed her. “I never should’ve used that against you. I regret that more than anything.”

Confusion filled Mom’s face, and I hung my head as she choked out his name. “Tristan? What did he do to Rory? How does she even know him?”

Max walked in and froze the moment she mentioned Tristan, his eyes darting to Mom before Rory gave him a taunting smile, knowing she was about to fuck everything up for him.

“Max owed Tristan a debt when I was thirteen, and I was the payment.”

“What?” Mom tensed, her voice becoming tiny as Max started stalking towards his daughter with anger burning in his eyes, but she flipped her blade out and stopped him in his tracks.

“Like I said when we met, Josie, you’re way too good for my dad.

He throws people under the bus to save himself.

He cost me my best friend, he sold my virginity to your fucking husband when I was thirteen, then he lied to my best friend when he said it would only be the once,” she bit out sharply, the guys and I going rigid.

We really were pieces of shit.

Rory’s laugh was a little unhinged as Mom stared at Max through new eyes. She fucking hated him, and I hoped she’d kick him out.

I wanted that man as far away from my family as possible.

“He originally tried to get Lukas to do it, but Lukas loved me and never would’ve hurt me like that.

Dad’s beaten me my whole life, and Mom left when I was eight because she couldn’t handle him anymore.

The debt, the lies, the cheating, and watching him hurt his own child.

He’s put me in the hospital more times than I can count, but I was always known for fighting and causing trouble, so people believed his stories about how I tried to take on older kids in the playground.

I was just something to trade to keep his head above water. ”

Mom turned to me with haunted eyes, her voice shaking slightly as she stared at me in disbelief.

“You boys knew about this?” I nodded with shame, and she gritted her teeth, not at all impressed with me. “When did you find out about your father?”

“Almost two weeks ago, just before Rory took off,” I replied quietly, making Mom scowl.

“And she left because? ”

I glanced at Rory, my shoulders slumping.

“I wanted her out of our house from the day she arrived, so I formed a plan with the guys to get rid of her. It was just a game at the start to make her fall for us, and we didn’t realize we cared so much until it was too late to fix.

We drew her in just to crush her, and I kept pushing for it to happen because we all caught feelings and I wanted to stop it from continuing.

Lukas hasn’t met Dad, so he honestly had no idea until we went through her diary. ”

Rory let out a hollow chuckle that made me wince, knowing Mom was going to strangle us over this.

“Drew me in? You made me trust you enough that I let you fuck me, Caden. Do you know how much trust that actually took? Then you got pissed about me falling for Jensen despite it being part of your stupid plan? Sure, I fell for him, but the bits you didn’t know that weren’t in my diary, were that you guys weren’t just important to me, you were all I fucking had.

I loved all of you, and I would’ve done anything for you. ”

“We—”

“My biggest mistake of all was letting you get me in bed. You were the first person to have that privilege other than the times your fucking father raped me. That’s what fucked me up the most. I trusted you enough to be my first chosen sexual partner after years of trauma, and you threw it all back in my face in front of the entire school. ”

My heart shattered. I was really her first?

Mom pressed a hand to her mouth in horror as the truth continued to spill from Rory’s lips, and I bravely reached out to try and take Rory’s hand, wanting her to know just how sorry I really was.

She was right though. Sorry didn’t mean shit after what we’d done. She’d climbed into my bed willingly, but it was because I’d lied to get her in there.

I was as bad as my father. I hadn’t slept with her, it was a form of rape in my eyes. I’d taken advantage of her to use her in my stupid game, just like everyone else in her life did.

“I know I can’t take that back, but my feelings for you aren’t fake. I love?—"

“Don’t fucking say it,” she bit out sharply as she jerked back, her voice cracking slightly. “Leave me alone, or my threat still stands. I’ll gut you in your sleep.”

Then she turned and headed upstairs, a door slamming a second later.

“I can’t believe you!” Mom shouted at me once Rory had left the room, and I’d never seen her so angry with me before. “You coerced her into bed as a joke ? I can’t even look at you right now.”

“At first we?—”

“Stop saying we . You’re responsible for your own actions. If your friends wanted to jump off a bridge, would you follow them?” she demanded as she angrily pulled a bottle of wine out of the cupboard and grabbed a glass.

I was starting to think she was going to hit me with it.

Jensen unhelpfully decided to add his input.

“To be honest, if we were all on a bridge with the intention of jumping off it, it was probably Caden’s idea in the first place.”

She eyed him silently for a moment before returning to her wine, filling it to the brim and taking a large mouthful. She drank half of it before placing the glass on the counter and speaking again. “All of you boys are adults. You took advantage of a lonely girl and?—"

“Rory doesn’t need anyone, she’s not a meek little girl,” Tyler grumbled, Mom’s eyes narrowing to slits.

“You boys made sure of that, didn’t you?

I don’t ask for much. I don’t demand to know where you are when you’re out at all hours of the night, I stay out of your personal business, and I let you do as you please.

You’re fed, your education is good, and I’m only a phone call away if you need me.

I do that for all of you because to me, you’re all my boys and I love you.

Who knows where you’d all be if someone didn’t step in to parent you.

My only rules are that you go to school to graduate, and drive your cars sensibly so you don’t fucking die.

When I started dating Max, he didn’t try to parent Caden, and I ensured my relationship didn’t affect you anymore than necessary.

All you had to do was be nice to the girl I assumed would be your stepsister for the rest of your ungrateful life.

Do you know how good you have it, Caden? ”

“I’ve never liked Max but I kept it to myself to keep you happy, but Rory just showed up out of nowhere and moved in. How was I supposed to feel? Sure, she grew on me, but at first?—”

“Don’t try to throw that at me. This house is huge, you barely had to see each other.

You’re the one that seemed to go looking for her.

I always prided myself in the fact that I managed to raise you to respect others and not act like a spoiled brat, but I guess I was wrong.

All four of you have a lot of growing up to do.

I’m extremely disappointed with all of you. ”

That stung more than a hit to the face.

She turned to face Max as he tried slinking off like the slimeball that he was.

“Where do you think you’re going? Did you know Tristan was my husband when we first met?”

He looked calm, but annoyance lingered below the surface that put me on edge. If the prick put his hands on my mom, I’d fucking bury him.

“I didn’t know who you were when we first met. It wasn’t until we were introduced properly?—”

“You didn’t think to tell me that he—” She stopped, taking another large mouthful of wine as unshed tears filled her eyes, her heart breaking for a girl that no one had given a shit about before. “How could you let someone touch your own child like that? That sweet girl?—”

“There’s nothing sweet about my daughter,” Max grunted. “She’s been a problem since she was a little girl. Smart-mouthed, stubborn, selfish. She loves violence and giving me grief.”

“Because she’s traumatized!” Mom screamed, stalking towards him and shaking her fist. “She’s been taught to stand on her own two feet because no one is there for her, so that’s more of a show of your parenting, Max.

Why would she speak nicely to you when you’re trading her like a pawn in whatever sick and twisted games you concocted? ”

“I had no choice!” he argued, trying to stand over her but failing. Mom didn’t cower to anyone when it came to protecting us kids, not after what she’d survived with Dad. Part of her knew that if Max stepped out of line, she’d have the four of us to protect her too.

“I’d rather die in a cardboard box in the gutter before sacrificing Caden like that.

Have you no shame?” She jabbed a manicured finger against his chest. “You’re so lucky to have a daughter like her.

She’s obviously had to go through a lot, thanks to you, but she’s still here putting up with it. No wonder she’s never respected you.”

“Like you’re the perfect parent. You didn’t even know your son was fucking his stepsister!”

“Neither did you!”

“We’ve already established that I’m a shitty parent. She’s not your kid, so stay out of it.”

“I’m the only person who seems to care about her!” Mom was crying now, and I wanted to comfort her but knew she wouldn’t let me. “No one’s ever protected her, but she has me now. She always has a safe place with me. You will never hurt her again, you monster.”

“Stay the fuck out of it, Josie,” Max snarled, shoving her back and almost making her fall. My patience snapped and I lunged at him, my fist slamming into his cheek as his back hit the wall.

“Don’t fucking touch her, you piece of shit, or I’ll fucking kill you,” I growled, fisting the front of his shirt to hit him again, but Mom pushed between us.

“Caden, stop!”

“He doesn’t get to put his hands on you, Mom. I watched Dad do it every day, and no one gets to treat you like that again.” I stepped back, glaring at Max. “Touch Rory or my mother again, and it’ll be the last thing you’ll do.”

The bastard actually smirked, his amused eyes on me.

“Like you care. You only used her as a hole to stick your dick in until you got bored. It’s all the little slut is good for anyway.”

Tyler wrapped an arm around my chest and hauled me back before I could lay Max out, speaking under his breath. “C’mon, we’ll deal with him later. Your mom doesn’t need to see something like that.”

I glanced at her to find a slight tremble in her hands, and I instantly calmed myself. She was scared, her past coming back to slap her in the face, and I didn’t want Max to see her like that. Hell, I didn’t want to see her like that.

“You don’t deserve the air you breathe,” I said bitterly, making him shrug.

“You boys can go upstairs so I can talk with Max alone,” Mom said gently, trying to diffuse the situation.

“I’m not leaving you with?—”

“Go. Now,” she bit out, giving me a pleading look with her eyes. I knew she could handle herself, but the thought of seeing bruises and cuts on her again made me hesitate.

Tyler nudged me, motioning to the stairs. “C’mon, let’s give them some privacy. She’ll check in with you before bed.”

I gave Mom a kiss on the cheek before turning to head upstairs with the guys trailing behind me, and I paused outside Rory’s bedroom door to hear her sobbing quietly. I wanted to push the door open and fix it, but I’d only make it worse.

Jensen seemed to be thinking the same thing, but he silently followed me into my room with the guys behind us.