Sicko

“Fine.” I laugh. “But nothing goes online. I don’t want to stress him out even more.”

“Promise.” Sloane chuckles, fingers flying over her phone with her wild blonde hair whipping her across the face. She doesn’t look up when she asks me her next question. “So where are we going?”

“To Matty’s house.”

Sloane stills, her hand pausing over her phone. “Why?”

I tuck my hair behind my ear and make my way toward Matty McAlister’s house. “Because I know that he was there last night, and I also know that he’s going to tell me everything that went on.”

Sloane nods. “Seems legit.”

We continue the short drive to Matty’s house, it’s almost dark when we finally pull up to his gated community. The security passes us through as I roll Royce’s Chevy up to the circular driveway.

I slam the car door closed and make my way up the steps leading to his house. Just as I come to the door, it swings open and Matty stands on the other side, his innocent hair ruffled, and his pearly blue eyes dipped in sadness.

“What happened?” I ask Matty. Matty and I are a long story. We’ve shared stolen kisses since we were young, but it was all innocent. Sloane has been saying that he’s in love with me for years, but I don’t buy it.

Matty runs his pale hands through his hair, flexing his muscles. “Listen, I think you should ask Royce.”

“I’m asking you…” I try for the gentler approach, seeing as he’s quite clearly upset.

Matty takes a seat on the step, his mouth covered by his hands while his eyes come to mine.

“Chambers said something about you, Royce flew off like Royce does, and this time, instead of Chambers retracting his bullshit comments, he tried to fight Roy. Shirts came off, Royce was on fire, ready to pound on some flesh and enjoy it—which he did. He beat Chambers pretty bad, but he went to walk away, and that’s when Chambers said—” Matty pauses, and anger flashes over his eyes, his teeth clenched.

“Said what, Matty?” My patience is running thin. I can feel my frustration wavering and my muscles tighten.

“He said that as soon as Royce is away that he’s going to put his dick so deep inside you that you will never want Royce again.”

I still, my mouth agape. “And?”

Matty’s baby blues slide between Sloane and me. “And what? And that’s what he said, so Royce lost it. His hand went to his throat, he was straight-up choking him out. He lifted Chambers off the ground with one hand, Jade. One fucking hand. Our linebacker. With one hand.”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you, one hand. Then what happened?” My foot is tapping furiously, because I’m not one bit convinced that what Chambers said warranted Royce almost losing his life. In fact, I’m even more angry than I was before I got here. There better be something else.

“There’s nothing else. He choked him until Chambers went purple, and then Chambers pulled out a knife and stabbed him in the stomach. We all scattered after that.”

I sink backward, dropping down onto the steps with my face buried in my hands.

“Why is he like this?”

“Why?” Matty gasps with wide eyes, seemingly stunned by my question. As if I should know why, or that the answer is obvious. “Aside from the fact that he’s your brother, are you blind?”

I shake my head, swiping the tears off my cheeks. “What do you mean ‘am I blind’? He could have died. All for what?” I turn, facing Matty. My lips tremble as I swipe my runny nose. “To protect my virtue?”

Sloane pats my hair. “I know you don’t want to hear this right now, but those boys—especially Royce, put you on a pedestal so high that no one and nothing can touch you.” A sharp ringing sound stings my eardrums as the realization of her words touch me. I should start pulling away from Royce, to save him from making this same mistake again. He’s not smart when it comes to me. He’s irrational, impetuous, and borderline psychotic, but even as I think those words, I know that I can’t give him what he needs. That may be selfish of me, but I just can’t. Not right now.

Matty’s arm hooks around my neck, pulling me in closer. “I heard that Chambers is in the slammer, his old man is refusing to bail him out.”

“He was always a good man,” I sob. Chamber’s father is the coach of our football team. He’s the good kind. Not sure what happened to Chambers.

I stand from the steps and make my way back to Royce’s car. “Thanks, Matty,” I call out, opening the door. I had plans to go see Chambers, but with him in a jail cell, I think I’ll sleep easy tonight.

“Anytime. Hey, Jade?” he calls out, leaning against the porch railing. “I know this is shit timing, but it’s my birthday in two Saturdays, not sure if you remember—”