Page 42 of Endo
Cece nods, her grin widening. “Yeah, because you don’t look this nervous when someone just gives you a ride. So what is it? Did you two talk?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. He was just teaching me how to change the oil on the bike when you called, so it was easier for him to give me a ride,” I say, my voice high-pitched andwaytoo defensive.
Cece lets out a dramatic gasp. “Oh my God,did you two kiss?!”
Bexley’s eyes practically sparkle as she grabs my arm. “You kissed him, didn’t you?!”
“What? No!” I sputter, yanking my arm away and standing up. “Nothing happened! You guys are being ridiculous.”
Bexley crosses her arms, tilting her head like she’s trying to read my mind. “Mhm. Sure. And that blush on your face? Totally nothing, right?”
Cece snorts. “She’s blushing so hard I’m surprised her hair’s not catching fire.”
“Oh, please,” I retort, crossing my arms and narrowing my eyes at Cece. “You’re one to talk. Aren’t you the one who got all red in the face the other day when Revel offered to ‘help’ you with your car? Like he wasn’t already halfway under the hood before you even asked.”
Cece’s mouth falls open in mock outrage. “Excuse me! I wasnotblushing! And for the record, my car runs just fine, thank you very much.”
“Uh-huh,” I say with a smirk, leaning back against the couch. “And that’s why you conveniently called him when your ‘check engine’ light came on? What was it again? Oh, right—a loose gas cap.”
Bexley bursts out laughing, clutching her stomach. “Oh my God, Cece, you’re so bad at this. A loose gas cap? Did he at least look hot while pretending to be helpful?”
Cece groans, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at me. “Alright, fine,maybeI like having him around. But at least I’m not the one gettingmysterious ridesfrom Reign and acting all weird about it.”
I dodge the pillow, laughing despite myself. “Touché. But for real, you two are reading way too much into this.”
The laughter settles, and Bex’s expression softens as she leans forward. “Lena, we’re just messing with you, okay? But seriously, I hope you know none of us are judging you. And if…ifthere’s something going on with Reign, it’s not a bad thing. Cruz loved you. He’d want you to be happy, no matter who it’s with.”
My chest tightens, the weight of her words hitting me harder than I want to admit. “There’s nothing going on,” I say, my voice quieter now. “Reign’s just… He’s been there, that’s all. And I don’t want anyone thinking I’m… betraying Cruz or something. Because I’m not.”
Bex nods slowly, her gaze steady but understanding. “We know you’re not. And no one would think that, Lena. You deserve to feel good again. To feel alive.”
I press my lips together, not trusting myself to say anything else. The truth is, I don’t even know what I’m feeling, let alone how to explain it to them—or to myself.
Before the conversation can go any deeper, the doorbell rings.
“Thank God,” I mutter, pushing off the couch.
“The seamstress is here!” Bex announces, springing up and clapping her hands. “Time to measure those bikini bodies you fuckingputas.”
Cece groans dramatically, flopping onto the couch with a hand over her face. “¡Ay, Dios mío! Why do I let you talk me into these things?”
“Because you love me,” Bex says with a grin, grabbing her by the arm and dragging her toward the guest room.
I follow behind, grateful for the distraction. The weight in my chest doesn’t fully disappear, but as I step into the room and let the seamstress start her work, I focus on the chatter and laughter around me. But in the back of my mind, Reign lingers. His kiss, his touch, the way he looked at me like I was the only person in the world.
I feel good being here with my friends, surrounded by their lighthearted energy. But underneath it all is a gnawing sense of guilt and confusion. Am I betraying Cruz by feeling this way about Reign?
And yet, no matter how much I try to push it away, I can’t deny it. For the first time in months, the emptiness inside me doesn’t feel so overwhelming.
Maybe that’s what scares me most of all.
17
REIGN
I’ll Be Damned - gavn!
I can’t fucking sleep.
