I eye her a long moment, not understanding why she’d open up to me, but somehow knowing she has no one else to admit this shit to.

Her dad embodies Brayshaw, she was born to be a part of it, and she fucked it up.

I get it.

I try to walk back inside, away from someone I don’t trust, who doesn’t trust me, but my feet don’t move me.

I hold in my groan, and dig into my backpack, pulling out a half a joint.

I already ran out of second period, what’s the rest of the day?

It takes Chloe a second, but then she looks over.

A grin twitches her lips, and she shrugs, pushing off the wall.

I follow the brunette Barbie to her little convertible and slide inside.

She adjusts her mirrors as the top goes down and puts the car in drive. “In three, two...”

Her phone rings and she laughs, answering with a wink.

Mac’s voice comes through the speakers, deep and gravelly. “Baby.”

“Baby,” she mimics, turning out of the parking lot.

I pull a lighter from my bag, holding the flame over the end of the joint while rolling it in my fingers to make sure it’s equally lit.

“Don’t make me spank that ass, gorgeous.”

Chloe laughs. “Is that supposed to convince me to go back, because talk about a rebound?”

I want to roll my eyes, but a small grin forms instead.

She laughs silently when Mac growls. “Meet me at my house in a couple hours. Daddy isn’t home until six.”

“Done.”

The line goes dead, and we both laugh.

“Only good thing about my dad working at the school is I’ve got more alone time at home.” She looks over with a grin, holding her hand out, so I pass it over. “So I heard you stole Amber’s shit that night at the warehouses?”

I shrug. “She tried to steal mine.”

“I guess she did, didn’t she?” A loud laugh leaves her, and she smiles. “You should pawn the purse, it’s a limited-edition Cartier. Worth bank.”

“It’s not worth shit now.”

She looks over.

“I tossed it in one of the bonfires with everything in it.”

Her jaw drops, but a giggle quickly follows. “Man. It’s almost cute how clueless you group home girls are.” Her eyes pop back to mine. “I didn’t mean that like a total asshole.”

I can’t help the small grin that escapes, and an easiness settles over us.

Chloe drives a little longer, pulling over at a small park, and we sit silently for a few minutes, smoking and thinking, when she asks, “Do they know?”

She wears a tight smile, and unease creeps over me.

“Do they know what?”

“My dad was head of security, Victoria,” she says softly. “If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s snooping without getting caught. I’ve seen shit the boys never have. How do you think I stayed on top before Raven showed up? I’ll give you a hint—not because they liked me, but because I was aware.”

“Out with it, Chloe.”

“Mallory,” she says instantly.

My pulse hammers against my temples, and I shift to face her full-on to try and hide it.

“What about her?” My voice comes out raspier than I intended.

Chloe offers a sad smile, as if she knows I’m doomed to the end. “Do they know what you did?”

Oh fuck.

“Chloe...” I trail off, shaking my head. “You—”

“We all have secrets, Vee. Some are just bigger than others.”

“Yeah?” I snap, pushing past the pressure in my chest. “And what’s yours?”

“Did you notice how I kept grabbing the joint from you, twirled it around my fingers and passed it back?”

I frown.

“I didn’t take a single hit.” Her eyes fall to her steering wheel before coming back to mine. “Threesomes are fun, but now I’m pregnant.” She gives a small, side grin, and tears fill her eyes. “And I have no idea who the dad is.”

Oh. Shit.

The rest of the day is a blur of nothing, and before I know it, it’s dark out. The moon’s shine wants no part of this night and hides behind a heavy set of clouds, making the tree-covered dirt road even blacker, so I navigate it in the darkness.

I keep forward, surprised to find Maddoc pacing the driveway as my feet meet the concrete.

He’s so out of it, he doesn’t hear me step up.

“Hey.”

He whips around, a hard glare in place, but his eyes are a little wild.

“I thought everyone would be in bed.”

He runs a hand over his mouth before throwing it to his side.

Okay...

My shoulders fall. “Is it safe to go up to my room or not?”

His lips clamp shut, and he curses under his breath before looking me dead in the eye and giving a curt nod.

I can’t help but take it as a warning.

The second I open the door, I hear her, and my foot freezes only a step in.

My head snaps back to look at Maddoc.

The creases across his forehead deepen, and he quickly walks off.

With slow steps, I make my way up the stairs, Zoey’s cries growing louder and louder with each foot closer. She wails, and then little mumbles follow, only for another heavy cry to leave her.

Sweat beads across my neck as I move closer.

Maybell is suddenly coming down the long hallway, she offers me a small, sad smile and then disappears into the bathroom, coming out just as quick with a wet rag in her hand.

I continue toward my room, pausing as I reach my door.

“Daddy, go, go away,” Zoey weeps, exhaustion coating her little voice as she gasps through her tears.

My eyes open and I freeze.

Captain stands a few feet away, anguish painted across his face. His shoulders fall and he looks off, helpless. “She uh...” He swallows. “She has a fever.”

My body instantly settles some, but I don’t show it.

This is huge for him, new.

“It happens,” I whisper, and his eyes slide back to mine.

Zoey cries behind us and he stiffens. “She won’t stop.”

Royce rushes out right then. “Cap, hurry the fu—”

He cuts off, his lip curling when he spots me there, but Zoey’s tired sobs have him shaking his head.

He looks to Captain. “I have tried every movie. She doesn’t want any of them.”

Movie?

Captain sighs, running his hands over his face. “Okay.” He slips by me, into his room and back out quickly, stuffed animal in his hands. “I tried to call Maria.”

A sense of resignation seeps from him and creeps right inside me, his misery weighing like the finest of steel.

“You did?”

I know that was hard for him.

He hangs his head a moment, and then angry eyes come back to mine. “She won’t let us, won’t let me, give her medicine, and I have no fucking clue what my daughter is asking me for,” he hisses, storming off down the hall.

“Maybe I do.”

He jerks to a stop, half his body in the media room at the end of the hall, half in view. His hand curls around the doorframe and he hesitates a moment.

He licks his lips and looks to his brother.

Royce eyes him a long moment and then turns to me as Captain disappears into the room. “Go, but don’t do anything stupid.”