A High so Sweet (Thornes & Roses 2)

Even though I tried to help, tried to steer her clear of the bullshit I was so accustomed to, the lure of forgetting, of ignoring the pain with the sweet high was too much, so instead of being the boyfriend she could’ve had, I was the savior she didn’t want.

“You look like shit.” Finn’s amused tone comes from the doorway, and I look up to find my brother leaning against the door frame, arms folded.

“Thanks,” I throw back before swallowing the coffee I’d been pondering over. “Good party last night.” My voice is croaky as I speak.

“It was,” Finn agrees as he enters the room, heading straight for the coffee machine. Once he has his mug, he joins me at the table. “You get to talk to her last night?” he asks the question I’ve been waiting for.

Nodding, I answer, “I did. She had the audacity to apologize to me. As if saying sorry is going to make it better.” I lift my gaze when he doesn’t respond, and I find my brother’s wary stare on mine. “What?”

“I don’t know, I just…” Finn shakes his head, running his fingers through his hair, before he continues, “I think there’s more to why she’s back than meets the eye.”

“Like what?” I challenge, leaning back against the chair. I narrow my gaze, focusing on him as I wait for him to explain. I’m not sure what Kalyn could be hiding. She seems happy enough with her new man, and I’m still here, left in the background with her fake apologies and fake smiles.

“I don’t know what, not yet. But I intend to find out.” Finn drinks his coffee before he speaks once more, “I noticed something strange last night with that man on her arm.”

“Strange?” This piques my interest. All I remember from last night was drowning my anger in vodka. Yes, I did watch her for a long time as the night wore on, but when Paulo pulled her in to plant a long kiss on her lips, I walked away, just like she did that last time I saw her all those years ago.

“Don’t worry about it,” Finn says as he pushes to his feet. “Once I’ve figured it out, I’ll—”

“Tell me, Finn,” I urge, needing to know what my brother is talking about. There are so many secrets that already fill the walls of our town, but right now, I’m done with games. I need the truth.

“The fiancé,” Finn starts, “I don’t like the look of him, of them together. There’s something not right about him.” There’s a cautious tone to his voice, one that’s not always present in my youngest brother, and that’s why I take note.

“Like what, though?” This has me leaning forward, my elbows on the table because he has me intrigued. If there is something off about Mr. Fiancé, then I want all the details.

“I don’t know.” Finn pulls out his cell phone, unlocks it, and hands me the device. There, on the screen, is a photo of Kalyn and Paulo, which I now know is her fiancé’s name. They’re at a party in the Hollywood Hills. But it’s not the bright lights and champagne that catch my attention; it’s his hold on her arm. The way his fingers dig into her flesh, the way she smiles isn’t genuine; it’s… pained.

My gaze snaps to Finn’s. “Let’s get this fucker,” I murmur, anger taking hold, the need to hurt him burning through my veins. Yes, I do want Kalyn to pay for what she did, but if anyone is going to hurt her, it will be me. Not some piece of shit who thinks he can rule her life. “He must have something on her. There has to be a reason she hasn’t walked away because if there’s one thing I know about Kaly, she wouldn’t sit around with a bastard ruling her life.”

“She has too much fire,” Finn agrees, knowing the girl I’ve been obsessed with all my life. And he knows I’m right. “I think it’s time we call Harris,” he tells me, but I’m already pressing the call button on my phone and holding the device to my ear.

“Harris, I need your help.” It’s time to figure out why my girl is back, what’s brought her here, and who the bastard is that she’s agreed to marry. “I need everything on Kalyn Narro since she left Thorne Haven. Also, there’s a fiancé in the picture, and I don’t like the look of him.”

“I’m on it. Do you have a name for him?”

“Paulo?” I offer easily. Even saying his name leaves a bitter taste in my mouth. Finn’s right. I didn’t notice it at the party because I was too focused on Kalyn. If I had stopped losing myself in the bottle of vodka, I would’ve realized there was something off about him.