Tainted Forever (Tainted Knights 5)

“I know, I know,” she said, her voice sad. “He’s an idiot. What he did wasn’t right. I hate him for breaking your heart, Kin. But he’s still my friend, and I care about him almost as much as I do you. He doesn’t eat, looks like he never sleeps, and the first thing out of his mouth every time he sees me is to ask about you.”

I was not going to let that make my heart hurt. I wasn’t. I wasn’t. All of those times he’d left me hanging, thinking he was cheating, shutting me out… I wasn’t, damn it. “What do you tell him?”

“I never tell him anything other than you’re okay. But I’m really glad Aunt Emmie wouldn’t tell me where you were because I honestly don’t know if I would have been able to keep that from him.” She rubbed her hand over her stomach, and I saw her belly moving even through the dress she wore. I didn’t know if it was the food Lucy just ate or what she was feeling, but Hayat was super active all of a sudden.

“He and I are over, Lucy.” My gut clenched at those words.

“I know that. Honestly, I really do. You know I’m behind you one hundred percent. I watched you for months as he lied over and over again, and then when everything came out, I was just as pissed at him as you were.” She bit her lip, her hand moving in little circles against the tiny feet kicking her. “I just don’t like seeing either of you in pain like you have been.”

“We will get over it eventually,” I assured her, not completely sure I believed what I was saying. “Stop worrying about us so much, babe. I’ll move on, and so will he. It’s just going to take a little time, is all.”

But I knew I was only kidding myself. Four months had already passed, and I still felt as hurt and angry as the day Jace shattered my heart. I didn’t know how I was going to move on without a lobotomy to erase him from my memories.

I just knew I couldn’t go back. No matter what I still felt for him under the anger and the hurt, I couldn’t go down that road with him for a third time. He’d broken my heart twice.

No way in hell was he getting a third shot.

Chapter 7

Kin

The apartment was empty when we got to the large three-bedroom rental in West Hollywood. From what my stepsister had told me, I knew we had a roommate already, and even though Angie had been there for a little over two months, she hadn’t met the other chick yet.

Probably because Angie was rarely home, spending most of her time at work or with Jenna, only coming home to sleep.

I liked the place as soon as I entered the apartment, maybe more than the apartment my stepsister and I had shared the past few years. The only downfall was that I couldn’t see the ocean from my bedroom window, but that was more than okay with me.

“Nice,” Lucy commented as she glanced around the living room and kitchen. “Really homey. Any idea who your roommate is?”

“No clue. Angie probably knows, but we haven’t really talked about it. I was just happy not to have to come back to the old place and all the memories.” Especially my old bedroom. I didn’t need to be haunted by all the times Jace had slept in that room with me, made love to me there. It would have been unbearable, and I would have lost my freaking mind.

The sound of keys and the door opening had us both walking out of the kitchen. My breath caught as I waited to see if maybe it was the new roommate, but Angie came in with Jenna and Santana right behind her.

Seeing me, she screamed, and seconds later, the small blonde was throwing herself in my arms. I caught her at the same time her legs wrapped around my waist. Laughing with pure happiness, I swung her around.

“I missed you,” we both said in unison, making us giggle.

Jumping down, Angie gave me a tight hug before stepping back, her eyes scanning me from head to toe. “It’s so good to see you. I was scared you would look like a damned wraith, but your color is good, and it doesn’t look like you’ve lost much weight.”

“Amara kept me fed with some crazy concoctions,” I admitted. Fried Oreos were addictive, minus the sriracha for me that my pregnant manager liked to dip hers in.

Jenna and Santana were glancing around the place curiously, as if they hadn’t been there before.

“Nice place,” Jenna commented.

“You haven’t visited Angie here yet?” I asked.

The tall brunette shook her head, but it was Angie who spoke. “About that…” She started hesitantly. “The truth is, there was only one room available when Emmie and I talked about moving in here. I took the offer because it was lonely in our old place, but I always planned on letting you take the room. Jenna and I have been talking about me moving in, and now that you’re back …”

“Really?” Lucy squealed excitedly.

Jenna grinned, her blue-gray eyes shining with happiness, and nodded. “Really.”

“Oh my gods!” she screamed and threw her arms around the older girl, her long curly hair tangling around her. “I’m so happy for you.” Tears started pouring from her eyes as she laughed and hugged her friend. “I can’t wait to tell Harris… I can tell him, right?”

“I called him earlier,” Jenna admitted. “But I was going to tell everyone else Saturday at your baby shower.”

My eyes were on my stepsister. Moving in was a huge step for her, especially when she hadn’t officially come out to her dad yet. Angie never hid who she was from Caleb or me, but she’d never openly admitted she was a lesbian before. Even though she and Jenna had been officially dating since right after Thanksgiving the previous year, she still hadn’t told Carter as far as I knew. If she was moving in with her girlfriend, that meant she was going to have to face others’ opinions about her sexuality.