“So, is it true?” Kyle shouldered me with a knowing grin. 

“Is what true?”

“You and Lions? I heard Macey telling Rick she saw you guys.”

Of course, he did. 

I shrugged, slamming my locker a little harder than intended, and hitched my bag further up my shoulder. “I guess. We went to Pattie's and had burgers.”

“And was this burger eating a date?”

“Does it matter?” I levelled him with a glare, and he held up his hands in defence, a hint of amusement shining in his eyes. “No. I'm just surprised is all.”

“Do I even want to know?”

Slinging his arm over my shoulder he guided me toward class. “Nope. It's cool. As long as he treats you right, I'm good with it.”

“I don't need your permission, Kyle.” I snapped. He wasn’t my brother. He didn’t get to tell me who I could or couldn’t date.

“True, but I'm giving it, anyway.”

I glared at him. He was completely incorrigible. But then he flashed me his roguish grin and some of my irritation melted away. He made it almost impossible to stay mad with him.

“Well, thanks, I guess. It's not like it's anything serious. I like him. He's...” Safe, but the word, “Nice,” rolled off my tongue.

“Nice, riiiight,” he drawled in my ear. 

“What's wrong with nice?” I shirked him off as we reached the classroom. 

“Nothing, nothing at all.” His eyes sparkled with mischief. “Nice is warm and cozy and safe. But it doesn't make your heart beat faster or get your blood pumping in other places.” His eyebrows arched mischievously as I barged past him, muttering the word, “Pig” as I went.

But damn, he wasn't wrong. 

~

Morning classes passed without any drama. Kyle didn’t bring up Devon or Maverick again. But when I spotted Laurie waiting for me at lunch, I prepared myself for round two of the Devon-interrogation. She didn't even let me reach my locker before she said, “So...”

“So, what?” I played dumb. 

“Oh, come on, Lo. Devon's been walking around like the cat who got the cream.” She leaned into me. “Did you guys hook up?”

I reared back, my eyes wide. “Why, did he say that?” Because if he had…

“No, God no, he won't say anything, but I heard you guys went to Pattie's.”

“For burgers, Laurie. Burgers. Did I miss the memo? Is Pattie’s a front for some kind of dirty sex club?”

Laurie stifled a laugh. “My bad, I just thought...” she trailed off, giving me a sheepish smile.

“Well, you thought wrong. Is that what you hoped would happen when you set me up?” I gave her a pointed look, and she pouted.

“Oh, come on.” She nudged me with her elbow. “You like him, I know you do.”

“He's... nice.” Ugh. There was that word again. 

Every time I thought about it, all I could think of were Kyle’s words earlier. But nice was safe. It was dependable.

Nice wouldn’t leave me breathless and confused on a beach wondering what I did wrong.

“He's more than nice, Lo. He’s got this whole indie sex god thing going on.”

I choked on the breath I inhaled. “Indie sex god? That's one way of thinking about it.” 

“One way of thinking about what?” Devon appeared behind Laurie and she gave me her 'see what I mean' eyes. 

“Lo was just telling me about your date.”

His gaze caught mine, and I didn't miss the way his smile grew wider. “Oh, she was, was she?”

“Yes, she was.”

I flashed Laurie an irritated look and said, “And now she’s going to get lunch.” 

Their laughter followed me as I stomped my way toward the cafeteria.

~

I didn’t catch a ride home with Kyle and Summer. I wanted to clear my head, and it was a nice day, the sun high in crystal blue skies. It was a world away from my life in England. I went through the main house. There was gated access to the garden, and Gentry had given us the code, but I wanted food, and our small kitchenette wasn’t well-stocked. I suspected it was my Uncle and Rebecca’s way of getting us into the house more.

“Ahh, Miss Lo, good day?” Loretta beamed at me as she went about wiping down the kitchen counters. 

“It was okay.” Once Laurie and Kyle got off my back about Devon. I helped myself to an apple and hopped onto one of the stools. Barely a minute passed before Kyle bounded into the room with his arms thrown wide.

“Ahhh Mama L, give me some sugar.”

Loretta let out a hearty laugh as she hit him with the towel in her hand. “Kyle Stone, boy, keep your hands to yourself.”

He dodged the towel and managed to wrap her into a bear hug before dropping a kiss to her head. “What's cooking? I'm starving.”

She batted his hand again as he tried to intercept the spoon. “Out, it is no ready.”

Kyle gave up and came over to the island, sliding onto the stool opposite me. “Where did you go? I waited.”

“I texted you.”

His eyes narrowed as if he didn’t buy my excuse about wanting to get some fresh air. But he didn’t press. “So, what are we doing tonight?”

“We?” I took a bite of apple.

“Yeah, I figure it's time we did a little family bonding. Stone to Stone.”

“Don't you have football practice or a hot date or something?” Anything. 

“Laurie is still freezing me out and JB is making us run plays tomorrow before school. So tonight, Cous, I am a free agent.”

“Lucky for me,” I grumbled under my breath as I faceplanted the counter. 

“Ouch,” Kyle protested. “That burns, Cous, burns.”

“Okay.” I peeked up through my lashes. “Fine, you win. I'm all yours. Just go easy on me.” 

Kyle fist-pumped the air with a grin. “Hells yeah. You ain't seen nothing yet, baby.”

Oh, Jesus, what had I let myself in for?

Once we had eaten, Kyle told me to meet him at the Jeep in an hour. I went back to the pool house to make a start on my homework. When I was changed, I cut back across the patio. My phone rang, and I sighed when I saw Dad flash across the screen. My finger hovered. Did I really want to hear more of his lame excuses? Hear how he'd already moved on? 

I hadn't spoken to him since running from the house on Sunday. When I finally dragged myself out of bed this morning and yesterday, he had already left for work.

“Hello.”

“Lo, please,” Dad's voice cracked, and I regretted answering. But he was my father—the only person I had in Wicked Bay. If I cut him out, I was alone. 

“You should have told me.” I sucked in a deep breath. “I deserved to know.”

“I know, Lo. God, do I know. But you were hurting so much and I was losing you. I didn't want to push you away for good.”

I doubled back and sat in one of the garden chairs, curling my legs underneath me. “Who is she?”

It hurt to even think the words, let alone say them.

He let out a heavy sigh. “I don't want to do this by phone, Lo. You deserve the truth, but I want to sit down and have this conversation. Like I should have all along.”

“Fine,” I clipped out unwilling to accept what was staring me in the face. There was another woman. Dad had someone in his life—someone who wasn't Mum. 

“I love you, Eloise, more than anything. Losing your mother and Elliot, not knowing whether you were going to pull through or not, almost destroyed me.”

Silent tears trickled from my eyes and I closed them tight, swallowing the rest down. I didn't want to remember—I couldn't. Remembering brought pain and hurt and regret. It left me hollow and empty. 

Numb.

I'd spent the whole summer numb. And although I’d survived the accident, I wasn’t really living.

“Eloise?” 

“I'm here,” I choked out, swiping away the tears with the back of my hand.

“Maybe I should leave work, come back home, and—”

“No, no...” I inhaled, opening my eyes. They landed on a blurry figure across the garden. I blinked until the water dissipated and Maverick’s rigid profile filled my vision. “I'll be fine, Dad.” I didn't take my eyes off him as he watched me fall apart.

“If you're sure? We can talk later? Maybe go for something to eat? Explore?”

“Sure thing.” 

“I love you, sweetheart.”

“I love you too, Dad.”

He hung up, but I clutched the phone in my hand as if it was my lifeline. Maverick didn't approach or speak. He did nothing. Just stood there, watching me. And although we were outside, the air felt heavy, thick, as it pressed down on me.

“Hey, Cous, I'm waiting.” Kyle's voice filtered out from the kitchen, cutting the tension like a knife, and Maverick stalked off just as his stepbrother stuck his head out the back door. “Ready?”

“Yeah, I'm coming.” I jumped up, rubbed my damp hands down my jeans, and started to move.

I just had to keep moving forward and everything would be okay. 

It had to be.

~

“No way,” Kyle tugged his hair, rolling his eyes dramatically. “No one beats me at pool, no one.”

Unable to hide my smugness, I shrugged my shoulders. “First time for everything.”

“Rematch. Rack ‘em up, baby.”

His friends—Matty and Trent—laughed, hurling abuse at him for losing to a girl. I put the cue back in its holder and sipped on my coke. “I’m done for the night. Face it, Cous, you lost to a girl.” I stuck out my tongue for good measure.

“Fucking awesome, wait until the rest of the guys hear about this,” Trent said, earning him a smack around the head from Kyle.

“No one breathes a word. I have a reputation to uphold, you know.”

It was my turn to roll my eyes as I hopped up onto the stool. A night out with Kyle had turned out to be pool at The Shack. It had been fun. No pressure, no questions.

No Maverick.

And I needed the distraction. Dad promised we would talk when he got home, but he’d already texted to call a raincheck. Yet again, I’d been put on hold for work, or worse, for her.

Kyle’s phone vibrated, and I watched as he pulled it out and read the screen. Something was wrong. I saw it in the way his lips pulled into a flat line.

“Kyle?” I said, but he glanced at Matty and Trent and they shared a look.

“Time to get you home, Cous.” He turned to me and I stared at him in disbelief.

“Are you kidding me? What’s going on? Who was that?” My eyes dropped to the phone still in his hand. He noticed and slid it back into his pocket.

“Nothing you need to worry about.” His voice was soft, but it only infuriated me more.

“You’re cutting me out? Just like that? If something is wrong…”

He grinned. “Nothing is wrong. Are you always so paranoid? I have to be somewhere. Somewhere you,” he pointed at me, “can’t be. Guy stuff.” Kyle winked, trying to ease the tension.

Well, screw that. I leapt down off the stool and stepped up to him, my brows knitted together. “What aren’t you telling me?”

I saw it. The brief flash of panic. He was hiding something. And I’d bet my arse it had to do with a certain stepbrother of his. But he didn’t reply. We remained in a stare-down until someone cleared their throat behind us and I blew out a frustrated breath.

“Fine.” I swung around and marched toward the door. The three of them talked in hushed voices behind me, but I didn’t stick around to hear what they were saying.

When they finally exited the diner less than a minute later, Kyle’s face was a stone mask I’d never seen before. He usually wore a smile. The one person you could count on to crack a joke or say something to break the ice.

This wasn’t that Kyle.

And it worried me. Because if Kyle was worried… something was very wrong.

The Jeep bleeped and Matty and Trent piled in the back. I stood, hand gripping the handle. “Kyle…”

“Get in the car, Lo.”

His words were like a punch to the stomach.

I was Lo now? He never called me Lo.

I climbed inside and buckled up, but I didn’t meet his heavy stare, pressing my head against the glass instead. No one addressed the big fucking elephant in the room. But then, I suppose they didn’t know Maverick had taken me to that warehouse. They had no idea I knew about his extra-curricular activities.

When we pulled up outside the house, I climbed out without so much as a goodbye, but Kyle followed me. His door slammed. I sped up, but he was right there, behind me, calling after me.

“Come on, Lo, don’t be like this. If I could tell you, I would, but it’s not my place.”

I spun around and glared at him. “I thought we were family?”

“We are,” he sighed, dragging a hand over his face. “But…”

“Don’t worry, Kyle. I get it. And fuck you.” My hand was on the door handle behind me. Please be open, I thought to myself as I twisted it. It clicked open, and I turned and ducked inside. He didn’t call after me. But then I didn’t expect him to.

The disappointment crushed my chest. I thought he was on my side. When I’d arrived here, I thought Kyle was the one person in this messed up family who would make things easier for me. But I was wrong.

The lines had been drawn tonight.

And he’d chosen Maverick.

~

I sat up for two hours watching the main house for any signs of life. Summer’s bedroom light had turned off almost an hour ago. There was no sign of Macey. Rebecca was out with friends, and I figured—hoped—that Dad was with Gentry.

After running straight to the pool house, I realised I’d overreacted. Kyle didn’t know about my brief history with Maverick. He didn’t know I’d seen his bloody knuckles or gone to a fight with him.

At least, I didn’t think he did.

To everyone else, Maverick treated me with the same contempt as Macey did. I was an unwanted stranger in his home. A home I was realising had its fair share of problems. It was almost midnight. On a school night. And three of the Stone-Prince children weren’t home, and the adults of the family were all out, none the wiser.

Images of Maverick stepping into a crudely formed ring, plagued my thoughts. He harboured so much anger and bitterness. It radiated from him like a forcefield. Maverick was troubled. I didn’t know why or what had changed since that night last summer. But something had happened. I knew because I had also changed.

When I’d woken up in hospital, barely able to speak or move, I knew. Knew something awful had happened. I had no memory, but it was a gut feeling. Intuition. Some higher power because I’d teetered the line between life and death.

Something was wrong.

Of course, I didn’t realise what I felt was grief. I’d lost my mother and brother in an accident that should have also claimed my life.

But it hadn’t.

I’d survived.

Physically at least, I was a survivor.

But I wasn’t the same. Something was missing. Something I doubted would ever return. I was angry at the world. But unlike Maverick, I didn’t beat the crap out of people to deal with my issues. Instead, I turned to drink and drugs. Anything to not feel.

Maybe that’s why I felt drawn to Maverick? Even after last summer. Even after finding out who he really was. The damaged parts of him called to the broken parts in me. They recognised something inside of him and gravitated to him. I didn’t want to. I wanted nothing more than to forget all about him.

But something happened that night—something that tethered us. Only we weren’t the same people anymore. We were both hurting.

Both angry.

Both fighting our own demons.

Maverick’s parting words when he left me cold and alone on that beach were ‘You saved me’. But we’d come full circle now. Because as I stared out of the window, willing for any sign of their return, I knew he had the power to ruin me.