Page 17 of The Spare
I was lost. Usually puzzles and ciphers were a breeze for me, but with this group, they were impossible. My side felt an emptiness when she moved away from me in favor of retreating beneath my brother's arm.
In seconds, Rohan, Tristan, and Jackson surrounded them. Xander turned for a second, his eyes meeting mine, and he motioned for me to follow.
They were stone-faced. A departure from their normal demeanors, their expressions were serious. I complied, wondering what caused my little brother’s serious tone. I caught Sloan's eyes darting across the room as they left. The frantic search stopped when she saw something.
I got delayed when trying to find Henry to let him know we were leaving. By the time I made it outside, I caught only the end of their conversation.
"She's right," Rohan agreed to whatever Sloan just said. "If he wants to fuck around, he can find—"
"No.” Xander wasn't convinced. He looked down at Sloan.
He?A bolt of protectiveness shot through me. It was Julian, her ex. I saw him from the corner of my eye but didn't register it until I was halfway out the door. Why did seeing him summon that type of reaction?
"I don't want to leave," she said. I couldn't hear the rest, but her lips read: "We did nothing wrong."
Xander’s eyes were reluctant. He was worried. "Is it worth it?" I could barely hear it. With that, she caved.
There was so much I wished I knew.
"What was that?" I finally managed to find my voice.
They gathered on the sidewalk; Xander’s jacket was draped over Sloan’s shoulders. They exchanged looks. The group had struck a silent agreement, one I wasn't privy to.
"Nothing," they said almost in unison, with a casualness that felt rehearsed.
"Let's go to Xander's," she squeaked out a few moments later. "CeCe is going to meet us there."
"Not until someone tells me what just happened," Henry demanded, finally stepping outside. He trailed behind me when I finally got a hold of him.
"Nothing." Again, in robotic unison. Their little clique wouldn't let Henry or me in on the real reason. They were annoyingly loyal to each other. I should’ve been thankful. I knew enough to know they'd looked out for Xander.
"Come with us or don't, Henry." Sloan rolled her eyes in agitation. She was hiding something. Her fidgeting was her tell. "It couldn't matter any less."
“You’re okay?” I looked directly at Sloan; the desire to protect her overrode everything else.
She nodded and smiled.
I called it a night.
Sloan had her knight in shining armor, who happened to double as Prince Charming whenever she needed, and an entire royal guard to match. She was in good hands.
If I told myself over and over that it didn’t bother me, I was bound to believe it at some point.
CHAPTER9
Marcus
Sloan’s Park Avenue townhouse oozed of old money. It was a beautiful stone structure with a grand entrance that you’d see on the pages of architecture magazines.
“Coming!” I heard in the distance after knocking on her door. Aclackingsound neared. Unlike the rest of the family, Sloan refused to have staff. She was hell-bent on defying any expectation set for her.
At times, Sloan was a walking contradiction, a puzzle I couldn’t figure out. But fuck, I wanted to spend all my time trying.
A wealthy heiress who pursued law rather than live as a socialite with a multibillion-dollar inheritance. Independent, almost to a fault, she nonetheless did everything to keep our little group together. Immovable one moment, incredibly accommodating the next.
Only after she began law school did I realize she was very serious about being her own person. I respected it. Not to mention, it was sexy as hell.
She opened the doors with a swing, the cool fall breeze pushing her hair back and lifting the edges of her dress. Her dark lashes lifted to meet my gaze, and she smiled. Her expression was soft and inviting. I silently reminded myself not to say something rude and push her away. Now that I was back, an actual friendship was the endgame.
