Lies We Tell (Thistle Cove 3)

Something in my brain snaps, all sense of control, and I punch him. My fist connects with his jaw, snapping it back. Pain shoots through my hand but it’s overtaken by adrenaline. I lunge for him. He catches me mid-lunge and we fly across the desk, crashing off the other side. His chest heaves as we squabble, and he gets me pinned to the ground. I wait for the beating, but he just holds me there, face red and angry.

“Ezra! That’s enough!”

We stare at one another for a long beat. If I wanted to take him, I could, but I’m not going to jail for assaulting my dad. When he thinks that I’m calm, he lets me up. I shake out my arms and step over the mess on the floor.

“This can’t happen again,” he says. “You’ve got to get a handle on your temper.”

“Then keep your damn mouth shut. Don’t you ever talk about her again. Don’t breathe her name or look in her direction.”

“Fine, but you may want to tell her that she needs to stop nosing her way into the affairs of the adults in this town. You saw what happened to Jacqueline and Rose. There’s only so much you can do to protect a girl that’s determined to get in trouble.”

“Is that a threat?”

“It’s a warning, son, one I’ve been trying to make loud and clear for months now. You’re just too ruled by your cock to see what’s really going on. For her own good, tell her to drop this and if you’re smart, you’ll drop her.”

I stare at him, sensing his sincerity—the truth behind his words. Rebelling against my father is my norm—it’s how I live—but this is different. This is about Kenley and keeping her safe.

17

Kenley

Dave’s party is in full swing by the time we get there. We rode separately, me and Ozzy, Finn drove his dad’s truck.

“Do you think he’ll come?” I ask Finn. It’d been his idea to come to the party, which lately hadn’t been our thing. We’d rather hang out at Ozzy’s without having to worry about slipping up with our classmates. But Ezra needs a distraction and in a small town those are hard to come by—the party seemed like a good option.

“He said he would.” He checks his phone and shrugs.

Waiting on him is why I have my eye on the front door, checking each guest to see if it’s him. Thirty minutes pass and he doesn’t arrive, but unfortunately someone else does.

Alice.

Fortunately, she doesn’t seem interested in getting into it with me tonight. She crosses the room and gets a cup of punch before striding across the room.

“It’s so weird seeing her like that,” Ozzy says.

“Like what?”

“Confident?” Finn says, but it’s more of a question. “Like, she’s never been shy or anything but now she has like, an attitude.”

I can’t help but wonder what put that swagger in her hips.

I’ve felt that confidence. It’s how I feel after Ozzy and I make love. Or when Finn makes me see stars. It’s knowing someone worships your mind and body.

I don’t want to think about who’s worshipping Alice’s body. I notice Juliette watching her as well, our eyes locking briefly. What does she suspect?

I could ask her but that’s risky. We’re barely on good terms ourselves. I don’t need to stir that pot.

“Hey,” Ozzy says, head jerking toward the driveway. Over the music the rumble of Ezra’s motorcycle echoes against the hills, announcing him long before he actually arrives. I feel a sense of relief knowing he’s here.

Finn wanders off to talk to some teammates, while Ozzy and I stay put. We’re in the kitchen when Ezra strides in wearing his snug, black leather jacket and carrying two bottles of vodka in each hand. A cigarette dangles from his lips.

He looks less like the football player of the last three months and back to the Ezra Baxter everyone knew before that. His expensive jeans fit like a glove, his boots are perfectly scuffed. He pulls off the jacket, revealing a tight black T-shirt. His muscular torso is exposed through the cotton.

I’m pretty sure half the girls in the room need to change their panties after an entrance like that.

I know I do.

“What the hell?” Ozzy asks, as Ezra walks right up to the punch bowl and pours in half the bottle. “This may have been a bad idea.”