Page 26 of Soul So Dark

“Pull around,” I say. “We’ll stay here.”

Aiden turns on his heel and starts across the lot toward his Lexus, leaving us on the sidewalk.

“Please let me know if Colson’s alright,” Sydney says. “You know, whether he’s hurt or not,” she clarifies, because we all know he is not alright.

Before I can respond, a voice calls out in the distance. “Sydney!”

Sydney turns toward the source with a startled look and then immediately turns away and steps to the curb impatiently. Mason and I step out from behind the oak in time to see Jay coming down the sidewalk. But as soon as he sees us, he comes to a halt at the church steps.

Jay’s smart enough not to come any closer, and looks on as Aiden squeals to a stop and throws open the driver’s side door. He rounds the front of the car, glaring at Jay as Sydney opens the passenger door and ducks into the front seat.

“What the fuck do you have to say to her?” Aiden demands.

Motionless, Jay’s eyes dart back and forth between Aiden and the Lexus, further incensing him.

“Hey,” Aiden barks, getting Jay’s attention, “you look at her one more time, I promise you’ll be blind by morning.”

They stare at one another for a few more moments before Aiden finally turns and heads back to the driver’s side. He disappears inside and slams the door before squealing out of the parking lot. But when Mason and I look back, Jay’s already disappearing around the corner back from where he came.

I’m slightly surprised the interaction ends so abruptly, given the circumstances. But, then again, maybe there’s been enough bloodshed today. At least I’m wearing black; it makes it nearly impossible to see the streaks of Bowen’s blood smeared across my chest.

Or maybe Jay knows the score, just like the rest of us, and he doesn’t want to end up the next one whose rotting corpse ends up in the woods.

CHAPTER TEN

Dallas

“I haven’t made one of these in a long time,” Evie says as she loops the green strand of embroidery thread around the blue and purple ones.

She could’ve fooled me. Her friendship bracelet looks damn near perfect while mine is peppered with knots and holes. But that’s usually how it goes; Evie is good at everything. Well, mostly everything. She kind of sucks at video games.

“I told Colson I’d make him one,” my tone turns sour, “but I don’t think I’m going to anymore.”

“Why not?” Evie asks, furrowing her brow.

“He took my air pods and didn’t even ask,” I scowl. “They’remine.I don’t go around takinghisstuff. Like he has anything I want anyway,” I mutter with disdain. “I wish he would’ve wrecked his car last Saturday.”

I know he was going to some guy’s house in Hellbranch, where they race sometimes. And maybe that’s why I can’t get back at Colson whenever he takes my stuff; the only possession he really cares about is his car and I can’t even drive.

“Don’t say that,” Evie shakes her head, “you don’t want anything to happen to him.”

She’s right, I don’t actually want anything bad to happen to Colson, but I’m tired of him acting like I’m his lame little sister and then five minutes later asking to borrow something—or just straight up taking it. He’s such a douchebag.

“Fine,” I concede. “Besides, I wouldn’t have wanted you to crash if you were riding with him.”

She casts me a sideways glance. “Thanks, but I wasn’t riding with him. I was actually supposed to ride with the guy he was racing.”

“Why didn’t you?”

Evie doesn’t respond at first, just continues knotting her thread, twisting it in and out of her fingertips with her royal blue acrylic nails.

“Col doesn’t like him,” she finally says. “He was really upset when he found out I was going to ride with him, so I didn’t.”

“You didn’t ride with this guy just because Colson doesn’t like him?” I shriek, “But what if he was cute? He probably was cute, wasn’t he? I can’t believe you. I would’ve told Colson to kick rocks!” Now I’m just talking to myself. “What did he do? Hold you hostage?”

Evie goes quiet again, concentrating on the purple thread she’s knotting across the other strands.

“He asked nicely,” she finally says while the corner of her mouth twitches with amusement.