“He did. But just the parts I mentioned downstairs. Nothing about the video calls or the masked man or anything else. Just that.” Parrish sighs and scrubs a hand over his face. “He’s testing us. He wants to pit us against each other.”
“Why do you think that?” Maxx asks softly, staring down at his lap before looking back up at Parrish. We both agree with Parrish, but I think X just wants to get his friend’s perspective on the matter.
“Why ask Dakota to …” Parrish trails off, his eyes flicking over to Chasm. Poor Chas. He goes completely still before turning slowly around to stare at Parrish. Their eyes meet, and the energy in that room is intense enough that it sucks all of the oxygen right out the window. I find that it’s suddenly hard to breathe. “He wanted to me to squeal and get your sister killed, that’s what.” Parrish scowls, the expression so menacing that I actually reach up and touch the side of his face to calm him down. He shudders and snatches my hand in his, closing his eyes so tight that his face scrunches up. “Before we talk about anything else, I just need to know how many times you … the pair of you …”
“Three times,” Chasm murmurs, looking down at the floor. He finally gives up on the cigarette, slipping it back into his pocket and then moving into Parrish’s bathroom. When he comes out, he has a pair of black metal rings in his palm. I think about that night where I helped him change out his lip rings, and my heart breaks all over again.
“Three times,” I agree, and Parrish shudders again, eyes still closed. “But we kissed and touched and flirted much more often than that. Justin said to ‘act on our feelings’, and he didn’t like that we were being standoffish about it. He kept threatening to hurt you.” My voice breaks, and I look away. Parrish keeps my hand against his face, and I can feel him trembling slightly. Whether that’s from exhaustion or pain or jealousy, I don’t know. “There’s something else I have to tell you.”
“Can it wait? I’m processing a lot,” he says, but it can’t. I look up and meet Maxx’s eyes, but his face hardens, and I can see that he’s about to beat me to the punch.
“Parrish,” he starts, and my stomach drops. This is going to hurt. It’s going to hurt so bad. I hate this. I hate Justin. “Justin asked us to do something else that you’re not going to like.”
Parrish opens his eyes to stare at his friend, his face that of a prince looking upon a duke that’s unsettled the careful balance of his court.
“Tell me,” he commands, and Maxx exhales, looking back toward the door.
“This is all on me,” Maxx starts, but I’m already shaking my head.
“That isn’t true,” I interrupt, but X cuts me off.
“Yes, it is. It is because I fucked up.” He turns fully to look at Parrish, and my admiration for him grows even more. He isn’t afraid of the truth. As hard as it is to give it sometimes, it’s the only acceptable option in Maxx’s world. “I punched Justin Prior in the face.”
“Wait,” Parrish starts, lifting up a hand. “You’ve met him? Like, in person?”
“He technically has full custody of Dakota,” Chasm inserts, and Parrish’s eyes go wide.
“He fucking what?” he snarls, but that’s a whole other part of the conversation. We have hours of catching up to do, at the very least.
“I punched him without thinking. He just kept taunting Dakota, making her hug him, calling himself daddy. I snapped.” Maxx scoots a little closer and Parrish starts to get wary.
“What’d he want in retaliation?” he asks, his voice strained.
“He gave us until sunrise that night,” I begin, trying to cut Maxx off. I should be the one to tell Parrish. But X’s green eyes war with me and he blurts it out before I can stop him.
“He made us have sex with each other,” Maxx whispers, and Parrish’s entire body goes still. “So we did. It wasn’t easy on either of us although I can’t deny that I enjoyed it. Or that I like Dakota.”
Chasm groans, slapping his hand over his face.
“Your honesty is so annoying sometimes. Ease him in, you idiot.”
Parrish looks over at Chasm and then over at Maxx and then … down at me.
“How many times?” he manages to grate out, but his voice is a honed blade, deadly and sharp.
“Technically once,” I start, maintaining eye contact. “And then he fingered me after …”
“Fuck.” Parrish shoves up from the bed and starts to pace. He runs his fingers through his hair and then pauses with his hands on his hips, dropping his head down. His body is laced with tension. His eyes when he lifts them up again are dark with rage. “Fuck. I told you. This is what he wants.” Parrish throws out a hand to point at me. “He’s trying to strip Dakota of all her allies; it isn’t going to work.”
