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I turn to face him, and it’s like all other noise ceases. It’s just Remy’s words and mine. “You just told me to let her go, and now you’re saying that? She’s not like Cindy, man. It’s not the same.”
“I want her.”
“Dammit, Remy,” I bark out, clenching my fists. “I don’t even have her yet.”
“Talia’s coming home next week,” he says before I can leave. “I’ll stay out of your way if you want to pursue her. You’ve had a crush on her since you were twelve…those feelings don’t just turn off, man.”
My shoulders slump. A month ago, that’s exactly what I wanted. I obsessed over Talia for years, but everything’s changed now.
“She’ll need a shoulder to cry on.”
I turn to face him and keep my eyes down. “She killed her last boyfriend.”
He keeps his voice low, his eyes telling me not to say that again. I’m pushing him… “It’s Talia, Tommy. She is complicated and dramatic, but she’s not a murderer; this was forced on her. She’s made her kill based on instincts. Daniel Jenkins was a pompous asshole, and you know it. He didn’t treat her right. He used to hurt her.”
I grind my teeth together, thinking of the bruises she had. I overheard him laughing with his equally douche bag friend, Stephen Garcia, about it. I wanted to kill them both.
Remy stares at me. “She’s poised to take over everything. She’ll be the most powerful person in Kinsmen, and I’m telling you, man to man, you can have her. All you have to do is give me Diana.”
I think about the dark beauty that is Talia Vital. I can’t deny my feelings for her were deep and real…and they still are.
He bends down and flicks a match, lighting another smoke before facing me. I don’t recognize my best friend anymore. We are both aware that eyes are on us, nearly everyone, and so I say through gritted teeth, “No damn way.”
“Fine,” he replies. “Have it your way, bro. I always get what I want, anyway. I was trying to give you the easy way out.” He turns, and in that moment, I slam into him with everything I have. We crash to the ground, a tangle of gravel, arms, and my brute force.
I take a moment to realize what I’m doing as I hear someone call out, “Holy hell, they’re fighting.”
I stumble back, and Remy slowly rises, smiling, spitting blood from where he must have fallen and cut his lip. He doesn’t hit me back…he would never hit me back.
“About damn time,” he jokes. “I probably deserved that two months ago.” He smooths out the leather in his cracked jacket with blood running from his nose.
I want to hate him, but I can’t do it.
“Dude.” I hear Bax’s voice through the crowd and see him walk up with Didi. “That was like, really messed up, man.”
Didi…hell. I hope she didn’t see that.
She’s standing, swaying near Bax, her eyes wide like a deer in headlights.
Remy’s eyes go straight to Didi, then to me, and he wipes the bit of blood trickling from his face. They stand facing each other like a fox facing a fawn.
My stomach does backflips when I watch the two of them looking at each other. Like I might as well not even be here.
“Um, do you still want your popcorn and sodas?” the guy at the concession asks.
I turn to him, yanking the popcorn and sodas from the stand. “Thanks,” I grumble, handing one to Didi and placing my arm around her. She leans into me and gives me a wide-eyed look—one that reminds me there is something real between us, too.
With one last lingering glance at Remy, she follows me, and I realize there is something more between them—something deeper than I ever imagined.
The thing that changed…
And everything’s about to change with Talia coming home.
DIDI
Ihate the actual movie, but I love how into it Tommy seems, and I can’t stop staring at how big the screen is. I look over at him, and he’s running his hands through his shaggy hair and hasn’t said a word to me since the movie started. I’m almost relieved, because that moonshine Bax gave me was strong, and I was woozy afterward.
I’ve also never seen anyone with such a temper. It’s hard to imagine him switching back to the sweet boy after I saw all his darkness splayed out on Remy’s face.
