me asking. “I know everything Brooke. Now I do, anyway. Maybe not at first. But definitely now.”
He was crunching casually, comfortably beneath his robe. God, he looked like such a shithead. I couldn’t believe I’d ever slept with this loser, much less dated him.
Christmas parties. Never again…
“Look Chris,” I tried reasoning with him. “Enough’s enough. We’re not dating. We haven’t been for a long time.”
He kept crunching and swallowing. Smirking down at me in that disgusting way, like he had something I really wanted or needed, and enjoyed keeping it from me.
“Drop the charges,” I said again, “and we can all move on with our lives. The police have your baton. There’s a knot on the back of Trey’s head, bigger than—”
“He attacked me,” Chris said simply. “I defended myself.”
The infuriating curl at the corner of his mouth told us both it was a lie. Chris let his words hang in the air for a few moments before scooping another spoonful.
“You were on his Campus,” I said thickly. “Stalking his place.”
My ex shook his head gravely. “I was there for you, Brooke. You needed my help.”
It was astounding, watching him work. Seeing him try to convince himself of his own bullshit.
“I found the tracker in my keychain,” I said icily.
That seemed to give him pause, even if just for a moment. Chris regained his composure quickly though. In the end, he only shrugged.
“Like I said, everything I did was for your protection. That guy was dragging you down the sidewalk, trying to pull you into his place,” Chris went on. “Who would’ve known what might’ve happened if I hadn’t shown up to—”
“YOU FUCKING LIAR!” I screamed. Somewhere behind me, I heard the sound of two car doors immediately clicking open. “What do you want from me, Chris!? I don’t get it! Why can’t you live your life and let me live my—”
“Three guys, Brooke?” he suddenly hissed. The smirk was gone now, and there was anger in its place. “Not just one, or even two, but you’re dating three guys at the same time?”
He was glancing over my shoulder warily, keeping close tabs on the street. I didn’t have to look back to know Adam and Dante had exited the car, and were probably standing there, arms crossed.
“Not three,” I said defensively. It came out weak, though. “Not at the same time, either.”
“What, do you think I’m stupid?” Chris laughed. “My sister let me read your article, Brooke. And holy shit! I couldn’t believe it. I just couldn’t comprehend it! You and three. Fucking. Guys.”
He spat on his own porch, a grotesque mixture of milk and yellow cereal. But he was genuinely upset. So freaked out by everything, he couldn’t even control himself.
“My sister doesn’t even know you’re Hannah,” he laughed again. “Can you believe that? She hasn’t made the connection. But she will, Brooke. Trust me. And when Cosmo prints that article?” He stared straight into my eyes, and the look he gave me caused my blood to run cold. “Everyone will.”
For once I was speechless. I could feel my heart pounding. My throat, slowly closing.
“I have their names. Their addresses…” My ex’s expression was hopelessly manic now. “I know what they do, Brooke. Where they work. Who their families are, even.”
“Chris,” I somehow managed to gasp. “Chris, no..”
“I know how to dismantle them. How to destroy them.” He started nodding suddenly, in a wild and crazy way. “They’re taking advantage of you, Brooke. But not for long. Not when they can’t even go anywhere, or do anything, or—”
I turned and ran. Straight down the cobbled path, right back to where Adam and Dante stood waiting for me. What Chris was saying was totally horrifying. There was no reasoning with him, none at all.
“Good luck with the article!” Chris called back, cheering for me like a fake asshole. “You’re gonna do great!”
For a split second, I considered ordering Adam and Dante to run back there. To thrash my ex so hard on his own porch, he’d need to have his lying jaw wired shut. It would only take a word, a single solitary word. It would be so good, too. So fucking satisfying…
Instead I pulled my lovers back into the car, before they did anything rash on their own. I had only one avenue left to explore. And right now, only one word to say, as my whole body shook with frustration.
“Drive.”