“You still think she did it?” I hear Dash ask. I knew they were talking about me so I stopped around the corner to eavesdrop.

“Hard to tell. She doesn’t seem interested in clearing herself anymore.”

“Why?” Keenan asked.

“She wants me to apologize,” he stated. Dash and Keenan snorted.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen.” Keenan said.

“Well, we at least know she had help, if she did do it.” Dash said

“Or was the help. That motherfucker Trevor is a done deal, the fuck.” Keenan gritted.

“She said she knew I was going to be set up and tried to warn me the day before I got arrested.”

“When you told the whole cafeteria she stunk?” Keenan asked.

“Man, how do you remember but I didn’t?”

“Cause that’s the first time Sheldon ever denied me my pussy. Not even when she caught me cheating the first time.”

“One day my sister is going to leave you.” Dash laughed.

“She doesn’t have a say. It’s us. It always will be us.”

“I don’t get her. Why is she siding with Lake, anyway?” Dash asked.

“She believes she’s innocent and you know she wants new friends. Rosalyn and Anya are a piece of work.” Who is Rosalyn?

“Yeah. Anya seems to think I belong to her. She’s an alright fuck but really she is just something to do when screwing with Monroe gets boring.”

“Does it ever?” Dash asked. It was silent for a long moment and I thought he wasn’t going to answer.

“When she ignores me.” His answer shocked me. Why would he care?

“Speaking of ignoring, what’s up with you and the red head?” Keenan asked.

“What about it?”

“You chasing pretty harder than needed.”

He chuckled before answering, “She’s fun. I’m having fun.”

I pictured the shrug his broad shoulders most likely made and I saw red. I wanted to go down and confront them but knew it would do no good. Willow still wouldn’t talk to me.

“I bet. Her ass looks amazing.” I heard the sound of flesh hit flesh followed by Keenan’s cry of pain. Shit, if they started fighting and broke anything in the house, my aunt would kill me.

“She’s mine.”

“Damn bro! You sure hit hard over fun. In fact you usually share the fun.” He kept emphasizing the word ‘fun’ while my blood continued to boil.

“Not this time. That goes for you too, Keiran.”

“I don’t want her.” Keiran said nonchalantly. The way they were talking about her as if she was a piece of meat pissed me off.

“You know Keiran. He prefers sleeping with the enemy. He’s kinky like that.” They all laughed at Keenan’s crack. Hardy har har. I didn’t find anything funny.

“So what’s the plan, man? I know you need to know if she is guilty and not just for pay back.”

“Wait around for her to crack. I’ve got three weeks.”

“The aunt. She hot?”

“I see where she get’s her looks from.” Keiran stated, not directly answering the question.

“Fuck hot then.” A slap resounded in the air and Keenan cried in pain again. I couldn’t feel sorry for him. I wasn’t even flattered that he thinks I’m hot.

“What are you going to do if she’s innocent?” Dash asked. I held my breath waiting for his response until I was sure I was turning blue.

“Doesn’t matter if she is or isn’t,” Keiran stated with disinterest. “It won’t change anything.”

Chapter Sixteen

I’d given up on eavesdropping and headed back upstairs to shower. There was nothing more that I needed at this moment than my bed. The house was quiet when I finished my shower and left the bathroom so I assumed they finally left. I guess my guns were tougher than Keiran’s after all. He’d probably gotten bored and left, I guessed. I was proven wrong when I pushed open my bedroom door and found him lounging on top of my bed.

“Ready to talk yet?” he asked as his smooth voice filtered through the room. He was holding my journal open in his hand.

“What are you doing?” I shrieked.

“Rereading my favorite bed time story. There are new entries in here,” he said without looking at me. The familiar feeling of dread returned as I watched him read my journal. I started back writing two weeks ago when the first strings of depression and loneliness began to take root. There was no one else I could tell so I told my journal. I usually kept my entries short but it was now almost full. It felt like I was running out of time as well.

“My journal is private. You have no right,” I growled. I looked around my bedroom for something to throw at him or better yet gouge his eyes out with.

“I have every right considering most of it is about me.” He looked way too comfortable lounging against my pillows and reading all my secret thoughts and feelings. They were mine.

“Why are you doing this?”

“You wouldn’t talk so I had to find another way for you tell me what I need.”

“And did you find anything?” I asked sarcastically.

“I found plenty.” He closed the journal but still held it in his hand, probably to drive me crazy. I wanted it out of his hands so bad. I couldn’t erase what he already knew but maybe it would take some of the humiliating pain away.