“You’re lying.” But even as I said it, there was a look in her eyes. I grew up with liars, and there was something truthful coming from her. And I hated that. I didn’t want to wonder what part was true. I refused to believe all of it was.

Still. I didn’t have to take her condescension with a smile.

She laughed, saying, “I can see it in your eyes. I’m not, and you know it.”

She moved past me, but I moved so I got to the door first. She paused, a question in her eyes as she watched when I grabbed the door handle, but I opened it, a nice fake smile plastered on my face. Her eyebrows knitted together. She wondered what I was doing, so I stepped back even more. The path was open. She could exit freely.

Her eyebrows cleared then, and she moved forward a few steps. Once in the hallway, she turned around. “I’m a lot of things, but right now, I’m being the best friend that you’ve never had. Leave him. Don’t let him use you anymore—”

I shut the door in her face, and I slammed it hard enough to make a bang.

Then I stared at it. She was Kian’s sister, and a part of me felt obligated to let her talk, but after hearing what she said, I didn’t like it. I didn’t like her. I didn’t like how she drove a knife into her own brother’s back. Justin raped her. I felt bad for that, but the rest of her actions, I crossed my arms over my chest. Hell no. I did not have to feel sorry for the kind of person she had become. A bad past doesn’t make a bad person. She could’ve done better, but even as I was thinking all of that, a nagging voice was in my head.

Kian wasn’t using me. There was no way. I remembered what he said earlier. “You are good.”

But then I heard her parting words. “Don’t let him use you anymore.” And I remembered another thing he said. “My father is the last person who would help me.”

Snark’s words were next. “Don’t trust anyone.”

My stomach dropped to my feet because I knew, right then and there, that I was going to read that message. I had to. I had to make sure I wasn’t being used, but as I went to the bed, my body started to shut off. I wasn’t sure what I was going to read on his phone, but whatever it was, I couldn’t let it break me.

Kian was still in bed, sleeping. Sprawled out, lying on his stomach, his head was turned toward my empty spot. He had an arm out, as if he searched for me but fallen back asleep before realizing I wasn’t there.

The room was warm, but I didn’t feel it. A full-fledged shiver wouldn’t stop going up and down my spine, and my teeth were damn near chattering, but my focus was on that phone and whatever the message said.

My hands were slick. I rubbed them off on the robe and picked up the phone. My hands were shaking, too. I willed them to stop, as I keyed in the code. The phone unlocked, and I hit the unread message. It had been sent from Carl Maston. I paused for a second, my eyes flicking to Kian once more. I felt a pang in my chest, but opened the message. I had to know.

It worked. You’ve been voted back in. Call me ASAP to go over everything.

A second message came through as I was holding the phone. I almost dropped it but tightened my grip.

It was from the same Carl Maston.

Well done, son.

I left.

I called Snark, but he couldn’t come pick me up. He suggested not going to Erica and Wanker. They were known as my friends now, so the media would be on them. When Snark asked why I needed another hideaway, I didn’t answer. He just heard a slight sniffle from me and said I should go to the one place no one would think to look for me.

I called Jake.

He sounded surprised on the other end, but he’d be there in ten minutes. I was waiting in the back entryway of the hotel. If anyone looked for me, they could easily find me. My nails were digging through my sleeves and into the palms of my hands as I waited. I needed Jake to get here now.

I called Snark back. I didn’t want him to worry.

“What did he do?” Snark asked, distracting me.

I knew he didn’t mean Jake. “He used me.”

He was silent on the other end.

My frown deepened. I didn’t know what to think of his non-response.

He asked, “Are you sure?”

“Snark.”

“I just…” He let out a sigh. “Look, I’ve not been a fan of that kid since I heard he wanted to talk to you, but since dealing with him during this whole debacle, he doesn’t strike me as the using type.”

“I don’t,” I clipped out. But I had to ask him a question. “You said that Kian’s dad wanted him back for the company. You were going to go and see his parents to talk about keeping Kian away from me. Did you?”

“Oh.” He got quiet.

My eyebrows lifted. “Oh?”

“I don’t know what it means, but I never told you about that meeting because it didn’t happen.”

“You don’t think I should’ve known that information?”

“Want and should are completely different. I think you should’ve known, but I didn’t think you wanted to know. It doesn’t tell us anything, except that his dad is a jackass. That’s it, but we all knew that already.”

“And you’re telling me that you don’t think Kian’s using me after that?”

“What did he use you for?”

“To give him a recommendation or something. His sister said the investors of his dad’s company didn’t want Kian in, but now that I’ve spoken out, they’re letting him back in.”

“His sister?”

“Yeah, Felicia Maston.”

“Ah, cripes. She’s a piece of work herself. Are you sure you believe her?”

I leaned back, resting my head against the wall. “No. She’s shady. I can tell that much, but she was telling the truth about this. She didn’t strike me as the loving kind of sister, but…” I couldn’t shake my gut. She told the truth. “I’m over being hurt.”

Not from Kian, not after I gave him everything.

“Well, okay.” Snark was resigned. “I mean, if this is what you want to do, I’ll get back as soon as possible to help you.”

“No.”

Jake’s car turned around the corner.

I straightened from the wall. “I’m okay. My ride’s here.”

“Listen, I got called back to headquarters. I don’t know. Maybe that was the kid himself, or maybe his pops called in a favor and got me hauled back here, but my supervisor is stalling. The case they want me on isn’t panning out, and I’m on leave. Technically, I don’t have to stay here. Do you want me to come out there? I’ll fight them here, if you want me to.”