Savage Little Lies by Eden O’Neill

Chapter Twenty-One

Sloane

A crash jerked me awake, my head rising from a couch pillow.

What time is it?

I looked around for my phone, but then I realized I’d left it in my bag. I pulled my legs off the couch only to hear a thud hit from inside the house. It sounded like something literally hit a wall.

“Dorian, bro, calm down.”

What the fuck?

Wide awake now, I got feet to the floor. That sounded like Ares’s voice.

“This was your plan the whole fucking time?” Another thud, something physical colliding with something else. “Alcohol and shit? You fucking sleep with her?”

“Nah, man. It’s not like that.”

This time, there was no thud. There was no crash.

This time, it was a smack like flesh hit flesh, and I got up, stumbling a little. I was disoriented. I’d fallen asleep on the damn couch, and I’d also had shots last night. I didn’t feel hungover or anything, but I definitely had a strong headache.

I padded my way through the house, pausing when I made it to the foyer.

My lips parted where I stood.

Down the hall, Dorian Prinze had Ares against the front door. He had his fist raised, his hair tousled. His shoulders roved under a thin T-shirt, and a crush of red tint crept from the neckline of his shirt all the way up to his chiseled cheekbones. He looked pissed, and his fist raised in his friend’s direction only made the fact more obvious.

Dorian’s nostrils flared. “What the fuck, Ares?”

“Come on, D.” Ares’s voice was even, calm. He was clearly trying to talk down whatever this was. He placed a hand on Dorian’s fist. “It’s not like that with her. Believe me. It’s not like that at all.”

“What’s it like, then, Ares?” Dorian’s jaw worked, and between the two boys, they filled the small hallway. Ares had height, but Dorian was huge too. The football player crushed dudes well beyond his height, and I’d seen it on the field.

Really, the two of them barely fit in my entryway, and what the fuck was all this? I started to move in that direction, but Dorian slammed Ares against the wall.

“You let me in here, and all I see is fucking shot glasses and hersleeping on the goddamn couch.” Dorian leaned in, his Adam’s apple flicking. “So tell me what it’s like?”

“Not what you’re thinking.”

“Fuck you, Ares,” Dorian growled. “The guys told me you were hanging with her, but I passed that shit off until your phone showed me where you were. We can track each other’s phones, and you know that.”

Ares’s blink was slow. “I had to. She needed help and texted me. Her brother—”

Dorian’s fist collided with Ares’s jaw so sharply I screamed, both boys whipping in my direction.

“What the fuck!” I charged over, stepping over an actual plant. It lay shattered on the floor like something had been tossed into it.

Or someone.

Both boys watched my strides with wide eyes, but it was Dorian to pin me still. His body heaved with charged heat, and I hadn’t seen him in so long.

I hadn’t been in his presence.

He absolutely filled the entire space he was in, and I was only ninety percent sure that had to do with his actual size. Lips parted, that flush blazed all over his face, his hair silky and curled over his eyes. It appeared longer, blond spools cutting over his dark irises. He was still ridiculously beautiful.

And I hated him for that.

I hated him for what I still felt, and forcing myself to ignore it, I shoved him off of Ares.

Dorian’s eyes twitched. Like actually twitched as if I’d slapped him. He watched in what appeared to be shocked fascination as I got between him and his friend. I put a hand out. “What the fuck is your problem, Prinze?”

Another eye twitch, a tic this time in his right eye. He said nothing, his full lips closing, and when I spotted Ares, he stood the same way.

Ares exchanged a glance between both me and his friend, not a word said, but I had enough for both of them.

I shoved a finger in Dorian’s direction. “How fucking dare you? What the fuck is this, huh?”

My words ricocheted off the walls like I was in my own amphitheater, and I noticed neither boy was immediately speaking. Dorian stood there, just looking at me, and on my other side, Ares just rubbed his jaw. It seemed that was where his buddy had hit him, and that just pissed me the hell off.

I heard what it sounded like I came in on, Dorian in a jealous rage that made no fucking sense at all. He’d left me.

He’d left me.

He’d abandoned me here and what was worse about that was it had nothing to do with the obligations to his family. He’d called me a liar, thought I’d betrayed him.

I fought the quiver in my lips, standing tall. “You have no right.”

“Sloane…”

He had no right to say my name, and I shoved at his meaty chest. He didn’t move an inch, but that wasn’t the point. “You and I are nothing. You left me over bullshit and then you come back in here and pull this shit?”

His jaw locked, and the muscle that feathered in it pulsed his skin. He obviously had something to say, but he was going to fucking wait.

“This fucker was actually there for me, you know?” I stated, directing a finger at Ares. “Last night he showed up, and it didn’t matter if he believed in me.” I got in Dorian’s face. “It didn’t matter what he believed you told him. He came through like…” I raised and dropped my hand. “Like an actual friend.”

It felt weird saying the words. The term friend was nowhere near where Ares and I were.

But recently, it felt that way. It did. Especially when I looked back. He did look past things he believed about me, and when things had been rough, things with my brother, he didn’t hound me about them. He took me to do street art. Shared his weed with me and that’d been even before last night and our binge fest. He’d showed up.

He’d acted like a friend.

Dorian hadn’t been the only one shocked by the words. Ares stood ramrod straight as if he too didn’t know what the fuck I was talking about. I would admit I came in here hot with some madness backing me, but I wasn’t going to let Dorian Prinze push anyone around. Especially me.

Ares studied me a second, a long hard second before he faced his friend. He wet his lips. “D…”

Dorian had his hands up, backing away. His attention jumped to me, the dark prince borderline snarling. I’d seen his rage in my direction before, his hate. That I recognized and completely understood, but this now was harder. Before, he’d looked like I had betrayed him.

But now, it was as if I disgusted him.

Dorian’s attention cut to his friend. “Then go be fucking friends.”

He left in a sharp pivot and threw the door open so hard he broke the glass in my window. He stalked down the stairs with Ares striding after him.

“Dorian!” he called, but I noticed he passed a glance back. He stood in the middle of my entryway, as if conflicted.

In the end, he chose to whirl in the other direction, after his friend, and I might have given the situation another thought had my phone not rung. Since I was in the hallway, I heard it.

I’ve got my own shit to deal with.

That was what I put in my mind as I went in the closet and pulled my phone out of my bag. Seeing Callum’s name, I felt a sense of relief. He seemed to be the only thing I could rely on these days, the constant and always supportive.

I hadn’t called him back last night it’d been so late, and I was happy to hear from him. “Callum?”

“Sloane. Good,” he said, sounding busy in the background. He was always busy, so this didn’t surprise me. “I’m glad I’m getting you. Did you not get my calls last night?”

“I did, but it was late. I got your messages, but I didn’t know if I should call you.”

“I’m always available to you, Sloane. Especially now, considering the situation.”

I swallowed. “Have you heard anything else about my brother?”

“I did. Actually, I just got done talking to Dr. Richardson. He’s taken over his care this morning, and he apologizes for not being around for you both last night. He and his family left for a family vacation after he saw Bruno. Didn’t even know anything was wrong until I got a hold of him last night.”

Oh my God.

“He caught a quick flight this morning. He’s with Bru now, and from how it sounds, your brother is doing very well.”

I couldn’t believe he’d gotten the doctor to come to him. Leave his vacation. My lips parted. “What’s wrong with my brother?”

Callum’s sigh was heavy into the phone, and even though he said Bru was doing well, my heart raced. “Unfortunately, Dr. Richardson is still unable to diagnose. What appeared to be a temporary virus your brother obviously can’t seem to shake. His fever keeps coming and going. Your brother collapsed last night due to lack of fluids. He was severely dehydrated amongst other things.”

I was sure the vomiting contributed to that. My throat constricted.

“Good news is Bru’s fever has come down this morning,” Callum continued. “He did very well through the night, and Dr. Richardson is hopeful.”

“Did you speak to him? Bru?”

“I have, and he does sound good. I’m trying to do everything I can to be there. I was on a flight myself last night, which was why I missed your calls. I was working on a deal overseas.”

He was always working and had no obligation to us at all.

You should have called him sooner.

My brother had just been sick for too long, his meds making him sleep all the time. He hadn’t been well at all, and if I’d been proactive, maybe more could have been done to prevent all this. Obviously, Dr. Richardson was a doctor, but to him, my brother was a patient. He cared for him like a patient, facts only and not instincts. Instincts, a gut feeling, came from those closer to home, and I should have pushed more.

That was all in the past now. Things were what they were, and this was the hand we all had been dealt now.

An engine charged in the air, and my gaze shot outside to see Dorian’s Audi.

He peeled off out of my driveway, Ares physically behind him. Ares had his hands up, his head shaking. The next thing I knew, he was getting into his Hummer.

I watched as he cut after him too, chasing after him, and I realized Ares must have fallen asleep too. He couldn’t have gotten past the gate if he hadn’t.

I realized exactly how this did look to Dorian, but I couldn’t bring myself to care. He had no right to come here.

My heart surged as Callum continued to speak.

“I’m doing what I can to get there, but just wanted to give you the update. I assume you’re on your way to the hospital this morning? I’m sorry they blocked you last night. Dr. Richardson spoke to Bru’s attending, and he told him they wouldn’t allow you entry. From what I hear, there was some type of traffic collision?”

“Yeah, there was.” I pulled my keys out of my bag but decided to head to my room for a fresh change of clothes first. I was still in my pajamas. “The place was full. They wouldn’t let me back.”

“Well, I’ve made a few calls, and that shouldn’t be the case now. You should even be able to stay there while your brother is admitted.”

“Do you think he’ll be there long, or…” I chewed my lip. “Callum, how bad is this?”

I hated how worried I sounded. I hated that I was asking him, a virtual stranger in my life only a year ago again, for aid but I couldn’t help it. I couldn’t do this on my own. I had nothing. I was no one.

“We’re going to figure this out,” Callum assured. “For now, I don’t want you to worry. The doctor sounds hopeful. All Bru’s vitals are stable. He was even joking this morning on the phone.”

Of course he was, the fool. He was also the same one last night who didn’t want to go to the hospital. It hadn’t been until he’d passed out and had no way to protest I finally got him into an ambulance.

“Thank you, Callum.”

“Of course. I’ll keep you updated on my status. As soon as I can, I’ll meet you, and don’t hesitate to call until then.”

He really was the only thing constant in my and my brother’s lives. And I also noticed, he was the one person who never asked for anything. He hadn’t left me broken. He hadn’t left me hurting, but most of all, he hadn’t abandoned my brother and me. Even with his distance, he hadn’t. He was always there, no questions asked, and never, not once had he abandoned us.

He’d never abandoned me.