Coldhearted Heir (The Heirs 1)

Jase and I turn toward the trail that runs into the woods behind the campus.

“How do you feel?” Jase asks.

I glance around at the lamps lighting up the pathway and throwing shadows on the trees and shrubs, then admit, “Confused. Fuck.” I let out an aggravated breath. “Actually, this whole situation is starting to piss me off.”

Jase lets out a sigh. “Yeah, I would’ve lost my shit months ago.”

“It’s been two fucking years,” I snap, letting all my frustration bubble to the surface as I open up to my best friend. “Two! God, how much more do I have to take?”

And now the damn kiss has gone and fucked even more with my mind.

“Honestly,” Jase shakes his head and gives me a somber look, “I would’ve given up a long time ago. I understand Jade’s grief for Brady, but it gives her no right to blame you.”

“And no matter how many times I tell her I had nothing to do with Brady’s death, she refuses to listen,” I grumble.

We reach the lookout point at the end of the trail and stare at the night sky.

Jase tucks his hands into the pockets of his pants as a frown forms on his forehead. “I don’t get it. You were always so close.” He nibbles at his bottom lip as he thinks, then murmurs, “Maybe Jade’s taking her pain out on you because deep down she feels you’re the strongest out of all of us.”

I consider Jase’s opinion on the matter but shake my head. “I don’t think so.”

The sounds of the night fill the silence between us, while memories of the past two years flash through my mind. Yeah, we used to be really close, but all the fights have caused a lot of damage to our relationship, and deep down, I know things will never be the same between Jade and me again.

“It’s fucking sad,” I admit to Jase. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe how bad things have gotten between us.”

“Not for lack of you trying.” Jase pulls his left hand out of his pocket and places it on my shoulder. “God knows you’ve tried, but Jade’s out for revenge. I have a feeling things will just keep getting worse.”

I cross my arms over my chest and lock eyes with my friend. “Yeah, I have the same feeling, but I’ve reached the end of my rope with her.”

“What are you going to do?” Jase glances out over the dark landscape.

“She wants revenge,” I murmur, and as Jase brings his gaze back to mine, I state, “I’ll make it so damn sweet she’ll be begging for more.”

If Jade hated me so much, then why did she kiss me back? Was it to play with me?

The thought only makes my anger grow because she’s fucked enough with my heart. I seriously can’t take more.

“You’re not going to back off?” he asks.

Deep in thought, I shake my head. “A man can only take so much before he’s had enough, and I reached my limit a while back. Jade started this war.”

Jase worries his bottom lip again, then whispers, “And you plan on finishing it.”

Nodding, I stare into the night. “It’s time to end things between Jade and me.”

Before, there’s nothing left of my heart.JADEI’ve been lucky so far and haven’t seen Hunter this morning. When Kao opens the door for Miss Sebastian, I let out the breath I’ve been holding, knowing I can relax while she’s around. Hunter won’t try to talk to me in front of my godmother, and I’m so not ready to face him after the kiss. I’m still trying to figure out why I kissed him back.

“My angel-children,” Miss Sebastian practically croons as she first hugs Kao, then Noah and Mila. When she gets to me, I school my face, so none of my worries show. Miss Sebastian is like a dog with a bone when she catches whiff that one of us might have a problem.

“How was everyone’s first week?” she asks. We all ramble an answer, then she says, “Show me around this bedazzled monstrosity of a campus, then we can go eat something.”

Mila glances down at the glittering purple heels Miss Sebastian is wearing. “Did you bring a comfortable pair of shoes for all the walking?”

Miss Sebastian looks down at her feet, then frowns at Mila. “These are comfortable.”

My eyebrow pops up, and I mumble, “Yeah, I’d probably break something if I had to wear shoes like that.”

“No pain, no gain,” Miss Sebastian quips. “Also, the mother of all fashion will curse my bedazzled ass if I stomped around in anything less than perfect shoes.”

Miss Sebastian’s clothing is extravagant and glittering, and it only adds to her larger than life personality. My dad and Kao’s father helped Miss Sebastian go for a sex reassignment surgery before I was born. To me, she’s always just been Mamma G, my larger than life fairy godmother.