Page 13 of Unmask (Crew of Elmwood Public #2)

“Okay,” Kenny said, eyeing me over her bowl of popcorn. Strands of honey hair spilled out of her messy bun. “I know he is a touchy subject, but we’ve got to just get the elephant out of the room. Rip it off like a Band-Aid. Let’s talk about Kreed.”

I groaned and buried my face in the blanket. “No.”

“Yes.” She nudged me with her foot. “You’ve been so MIA since transferring to Public, and now you’re texting us in the middle of the night like a horror movie finale girl. It’s so obvious you’re not okay. Spill.”

I peeked at Carson, who looked suddenly interested in the popcorn bowl in his lap. His jaw was tight, his shoulders even tighter. I missed it at first, but Kenny didn’t as my gaze slid to her.

She saw it. She always noticed Carson’s mood because Kenny was in love with him.

And Carson… Well, I didn’t know who he was interested in.

He never had a serious relationship or dated.

Sometimes I wondered if Kenny and I were the problem.

We were always around, which could be intimidating to potential partners.

“I don’t even know where to start,” I said, scooping a handful of popcorn.

“Try,” Kenny said softly, her bravado slipping. “It’s me. Us. We’ve always talked about everything. There’s nothing you can’t tell us. This is and has always been a judgment-free zone. We love you.”

So I did.

I told them everything. The lies. The setup.

The betrayal. The way Kreed looked at me like I was his beginning and end, and how that look infuriated me.

What I didn’t say was how it felt when his hands found my hips again, firm and certain.

Or how part of me wanted to fall into him, to forget everything just for the heat of his skin against mine.

Even when I hated him most, my body betrayed me.

Kenny sat cross-legged at the edge of the couch, her fingers tapping a restless rhythm against her thigh. Shock and disbelief glinted in her big brown eyes.

Carson leaned forward, forearms braced on his knees, his gaze unfocused—haunted. He hadn’t spoken since I’d started. He didn’t need to. His silence said enough.

When I finally finished, the room held its breath. Just the low hum of the TV playing some sitcom neither of us cared about filled the dead space.

Kenny blinked. “What the fuck, Kay. That is some seriously messed-up shit. It doesn’t seem real.”

“Tell me about it,” I mumbled.

“He hurt you,” Carson muttered.

I looked over.

His gaze was fixed on the screen. “You don’t need someone like him.”

“I know,” I whispered.

Kenny’s fingers brushed mine. “But you still want him.”

My heart ached. “I don’t want to. I’m working on it. The anger helps. As long as I stay mad at him, it’s easier.”

Carson finally looked at me. “I should never have let you leave the hospital with him.”

The guilt on his face broke my heart. “This isn’t your fault. We can’t begin to understand the mind of a madman.”

“But you’re willing to go back to that school.”

I understood Carson’s hesitancy. “I have little choice if I want to graduate.” I sank deeper into the cushions, exhaustion lacing my words. “It’s only a few months. Despite knowing the truth, on paper, Donovan is my godfather. I don’t have the energy or resources to fight him on this.”

Kenny shifted beside me. “You know Brock and his family would fight it for you.”

“They would, but by the time the courts got involved and overturned the guardianship, I’ll be an adult. I’m not giving up, not on my inheritance. I’m just conceding to the guardianship until my birthday.”

Carson rose from the couch and crossed to the window, his arms folding across his chest. “I don’t like this.”

“When do you ever like any of our plans?” Kenny pointed out.

Carson glanced over his shoulder, the flickering of the TV hitting the side of his handsome face. “They generally suck, as does this one. Several things could go wrong.”

I gave a ghost of a smile. “That’s why I have you guys.”

“We can’t be there with you at school,” Carson said, the helplessness in his voice a slow punch to the gut.

“No,” I admitted. “But Poppy will be.”

Kenny raised a brow. “You trust her?”

Before today, I would have answered without hesitation, but her blindsiding me with Kreed gave me pause.

Her intentions were good, but I just wish she hadn’t brought him here.

Now I had to worry about Kreed showing up whenever he damn well felt like it, which I feared would be more than I liked.

He wasn’t someone who was easily deterred when he wanted something, and somewhere along the way, Kreed decided that what he wanted was me.

The idea shouldn’t make my stomach feel funny. I shouldn’t feel anything but disdain.

If only I could control the way I reacted when it came to Kreed Corvo.

“Are you sure you’re okay with this?” I asked, crossing and uncrossing my legs for like the tenth time.

Carson drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, his eyes flicking between the road and me like he wanted to say something but kept swallowing it back.

“It’s more than okay. I’ll swing by after school and pick you up.

It will hopefully give you enough time to get all your missing assignments together. ”

I took my cousin’s advice and decided to go back to school.

I couldn’t hide out in his house forever.

Carson and Kenny weren’t keen on the idea when I brought it up a few nights ago, justifiably worried about me, but seeing Kreed made me realize I wanted to get on with my life.

He tortured me, and I planned to return the favor every day at school until I graduated, and then I’d never have to see his damn face again.

Except in my dreams.

Which happened far too often. Last night had been the worst, filled with restless sleep, twisted blankets, and dreams that started with Kreed’s hands on me and ended with the sound of a girl screaming in the distance.

I cursed him for showing up and reminding my body of shit I wanted to forget. Dreaming of him was preferable to living the nightmare of my parents’ death, but only marginally, as it reminded me of what we could have had.

“I don’t mind waiting. Seriously,” I assured Carson, not wanting him or Kenny to worry more than they did. “I wouldn’t be able to do this without you.”

“Are you nervous about seeing him?” Carson asked, his left eye twitching as if the thought of Kreed made him agitated.

“Yeah, but not as much as I thought. Seeing you guys really helped.” I felt stronger. They reminded me of the girl I’d been before my life got blown up.

“I don’t like this, you going back to Public with them ,” Carson said finally as we pulled into the lot behind Elmwood Public. The vein in his neck pulsed.

My stomach turned at the unspoken names—Kreed, Mason, and Maddox. “I’ll be fine,” I said unconvincedly, but I was committed, so I continued the facade. “I swear. Plus, Poppy will be there to keep me from doing anything stupid.”

He shifted into park and turned toward me, his jaw working like he was trying to bite back another dozen words. “I’ll be here after school. Right here. Don’t wait around. Just come straight to the car, okay?”

I nodded, clutching the strap of my bag tighter. “Thanks for the ride.” I moved to get out of the car, but Carson’s fingers wrapped around my wrist.

“Kay, I…”

With my hand on the door, I glanced back at Carson, waiting for him to finish.

“Just be careful.”

I leaned over the center console and hugged my best friend before stepping out of the car. He might have held on a few seconds longer than necessary, but he was worried. So was I.

Here fucking goes nothing.