Page 6 of Ruthless Blade

There’s no way he could know, unless...That knowing smile he had at the arena...

No, there’s no way he knows. If he did, he would lose his fucking mind.

Ben tore away from Mom, and his green eyes met mine. I gulped, not knowing what to say, or do.

“Alexis,” his smile dipped into a frown when he saw the reaction on my face.

“Mr. Daniel,” I said, the last name rolling off my lips with venom.

He came closer, but I stepped back. “Please, call me Ben. This is your home now.”

No, this wasn’t my home. Had Mom lost her freaking mind? Her dead husband’s best friend?

What. The. Actual. Fuck.

“Dad, are you here?” Fuck, fuck, fuckity fuck.

He’s here.

I wanted to disappear, be invisible. Anywhere but here.

“In here, Son,” Mr. Daniel yelled back.

My hands clenched into fists, and I took several steps back. My head was shaking, not believing this was my actual life right now.

I met Mom’s gaze, and for the slightest moment I thought I’d seen a pinch of regret on her face, but it was gone as quickly as it had been there.

“Mrs. Carrington, what are you doing here?” I swallowed, the lump in my throat growing bigger. He was here, and I could feel his gaze on me, but I didn’t dare look. Instead, I was too busy glaring at Mom, wishing she would look at me and take me home.

“Well, Son, I called you here so you could...”

I cut him off, my eyes turned to slits. “So you could what? Tell us you’re dating? Tell us you’ve moved in together? I mean, what the actual fuck, Mom? Have you lost your goddamn mind?”

“Hey now, don’t talk to your mother that way!” Mr. Daniel said, his voice low, dangerous. It reminded me of his son and how he was when he was pissed off...

Kayden didn’t say a word, and I’d never wanted to know what he was thinking more than right now.

I glared at him, “Oh, you mean the same way she talks to me? I find that interesting, seeing as how she doesn’t even talk to me unless it’s something hurtful to say.” My gaze went straight to hers, and I didn’t feel bad for throwing any of this in her face.

“It’s only been a year, Mom. How do you go from being someone’s girlfriend to moving in with them a year after your husband and son leave this earth? How could you not think to see how I would feel, or even Kayden would feel in this situation? This was his best friend’s dad for fucks' sake.”

“Lexi,” she tried, but I held up my hand.

“I’m going back to campus. Clearly, coming here was a mistake.”

I didn’t wait for any of them to say a word. I went back the way we came in, through the garage that was still open. I’d walk myself back to town and find another ride out of here.

Screw this.

Chapter Three

KAYDEN

I blinked several times, hoping I could go back before this moment, of me walking into a literal shit show.

In all my years of knowing Lexi, I have never seen her as pissed off as this, and who could blame her? Our parents? I wanted to fucking puke.

I didn’t know what to say to them; I couldn’t figure out the words to tell them how pissed off I was. They’ve known each other for years. Gross! How did they think this would be a good idea?