“I went looking in Becky’s closet for something to use against her, and it was in a box she brought with her from Collins.”
Her eyes drop back down to it, and she grips it tightly.
“I read it,” I admit.
When she just stares at it with terror in her eyes, I feel bad for giving it to her. I should have just thrown it away. I’m sure she wants to forget many events in there. Cole may have fallen in love with her in the end, but there’s more than just him and the sharks in there. There’s a lot of Phillip—her mom’s boyfriend. He touched her. Hit her. And I have no doubt he would have done much harsher things if she hadn’t moved to her dad’s when she did.
I’m not going to apologize for reading it because I’m glad I did. It taught me a lot about Austin and helped me understand her more. Not only is the girl beautiful, but she’s fierce. No wonder Cole fell for her. What guy wouldn’t? I believe her when she says friendship means something to her. And that she is loyal, but I’m just not sure she considers me a friend.
“I …”
The opening of my bedroom door cuts her off. She spins around to face it, and I look up to see my sister barge into my room. “You fucking bitch—”
“What the fuck were you doing with this?” Austin interrupts her. And the look on my sister’s face tells me all I need to know.
She’s fucked!
CHAPTER NINETEEN
BECKY
I STAND IN Demi’s room. My plan was to come in here and beat the shit out of her, but that is clearly not going to happen for two reasons.
One, because I’ll have a witness, and two, because my best friend looks like she will be the one beating some ass.
I swallow nervously, looking at her journal in her hand. How did she find that? “Where did that come from?”
“Why did you fucking have this?” Austin demands, taking a step toward me.
I take a step back out of the bedroom. Austin and I have never had a falling out; she’s always been nice to me, but I’ve read her journal. And you don’t want to be on her bad side. “You asked me to take it.”
“No. I told you to fucking burn it!”
Five months ago
I walk over to her hospital bed and sit down. We weren’t even sure Austin would survive the shooting, and now here she is, wide awake and asking for a favor three days later. She just asked me to go back to her father’s house with Cole. By myself. Not sure what the hell she wants me to do for her, but no was on the tip of my tongue when she asked the guys to leave the room so she could talk to me alone.
“I need you to grab something for me.”
“Can’t Cole get it?” I ask, not wanting to be left alone with him. The last time I was alone with him, his hand was wrapped around my throat, and he told me that I’d owe him a favor. Then Austin showed up. And being her friend was my favor. What started out as payment for my sins ended up becoming my best friend. Although I have a bad way of showing it.
“No.” She sits up better in her bed and flinches from the pain. “I have a journal.” I frown. “I need you to get it. He can’t see it.”
“You want me to bring it to you?”
She shakes her head. “Burn it.”
“Burn it?” I repeat.
She nods. “Yes. It’s in my nightstand.” She grabs my hands and squeezes them. “One more thing. Don’t read it.”
“Okay …”
“Promise me you won’t read it and will destroy it. Immediately.”
I nod slowly, wondering why in the fuck she wants me to burn a journal. What could possibly be in there that she doesn’t want us to see? Him especially. “I promise.”
“You promised me.” She growls.
“I didn’t get the chance.” I lie.
She doesn’t believe it. “How in the hell did you not get the chance? It’s been five months.”
I don’t answer.
“Did you read it?” she demands.
“No.” Another lie. Of course, I did. And I haven’t looked at her the same since. I always knew Cole was a fucked-up kid, and her journal just proved I wasn’t wrong. And honestly, she’s not far off from him. That’s probably why they are so good together.
“Demi?” she snaps. “Did you read it?”
“Yes.” She answers without hesitation, but I have a feeling that Demi already divulged that information.
The more important question is how the fuck did she find it? What was Austin doing in my room? I had it hidden in a box. I knew I should have left it in Collins.
“You know what, Becky? I thought we were friends, but I guess I was wrong.” She shoulders past me.