Never His Girl: Dark High School Bully Romance (Kings of Cypress Pointe Book 2)

WEST

Moment of truth.

I stare at her, seated on the edge of her bed, looking every bit as nervous as I feel. But surprisingly, she hasn’t said a word yet. Maybe she’s not sure what to ask first, isn’t sure where to begin.

Her gaze shifts to the floor where I sit against her door, elbows propped up on my knees.

“Why?”

That one word falls from her lips and my gaze meets hers, letting every emotion she holds bleed from her and into me.

“Why… what?”

The question comes out quieter than I mean for it to. Kind of like I’m already shaken by this conversation. A conversation that’s barely begun.

“You’re going out of your way to convince me there’s something between us, but the last few months of my life have been hell because of you.” She pauses, shaking her head. “I need to know why. I need you to tell me what you think I did to deserve that.”

Her voice breaks when asking and it tears me apart on the inside.

There’s a short answer to that question, and then there’s the one that lets her into my world a little more. And seeing as how I’ve stormed my way into hers uninvited, I decide she deserves the whole truth.

“Our lives—yours and mine—they’re different, but not as different as you might think.”

Her brow quirks when she scoffs. “How do you figure that?”

I’m sure she’s thinking about the money, the material things, but I’m talking about a fundamental similarity. One that, at the thought of opening up about it, I’m already feeling exposed. I hardly even talk to my brothers about these things.

“Our fathers,” I reveal. “Neither of them really gives a shit. Not like they should.”

Southside’s expression shifts, softening just a little as she draws both legs onto the bed to cross them.

“Not sure about your dad’s history, but mine is a serial cheater with one foot in the door and one foot out. I’ve known he steps out on my mom since I was eight,” I share. “That was the first time I caught him.”

Her head tilts and I sense she has a question before she even asks it.

“You… saw him?”

I nod and hate that I remember that shit like it was yesterday. “Unfortunately,” is all I say, seeing as how I’m pretty sure she doesn’t want the details.

“Infidelity is about the only sin my dad’s not guilty of,” she shares. “My mom’s the one who steps out. Way out. So far out she seems to have forgotten her way home this time.”

Southside lets out a humorless laugh before lowering her gaze to where she fidgets with the hem of her shorts.

“Sometimes, I think it’s the reason he drinks so much. Kind of like, it’s his way of numbing the pain of being so attached to someone who’s not nearly as devoted. When she’s here, they fight like cats and dogs, but when she’s gone, he’s never quite sure what to do with himself. So, he drinks more, passes out more. Sucks more,” she adds.

I’m fixated on her, on her story, wondering if she fears she’ll become one of her parents one day. That’s something I wrestle with all the time. Not wanting to be a total asshole like my father. Also, not wanting to be the doormat my mother’s turned into. Deep down, I know this fear is what’s turned me cold.

“I found something this summer,” I reveal. “Something I didn’t question at the time because I didn’t know the whole story, but I damn sure know Vin Golden.”

I watch her when I say his name, and she doesn’t even flinch, just holds my gaze as I speak. It adds to what I’ve started to believe over the past couple weeks—that she has no fucking idea who my father is, meaning he’s woven this entire story on his own.

But why?

Why lie and pretend to know her? Why lie and pretend she’s one of his side bitches just to keep me away?

When I reach for my phone, I feel Southside’s eyes on me. My hands are shaking like crazy, but I’m not changing my mind about what I plan to do next. Even with the possibility of her freaking out on me again.

I scroll to the pic I keep of her. The one that’s fueled untold anger that I aimed right in her direction, without question.

Her gaze follows when I stand and walk closer to hand over my phone.

And when I finally do… blank stare.

No words.

I lower back down to sit on the carpet, but closer this time, leaning against the bedpost. That’s probably a pretty stupid idea, since she’s known to punch me when I’m least expecting it.

“Where did you get this?” Her voice is quiet when she asks, as if she’s equal parts stunned and confused.

“My dad had it in his phone. Well, he had it in a secret phone he keeps locked in the safe in his study,” I clarify. “I found it before the school year started, after I saw you at the bonfire a couple months earlier.”

“And you thought—”

“I thought this was more evidence of Vin being Vin,” I cut in.

She’s quiet again, staring at the image on the screen.

“And you never thought to just fucking ask me?” she snaps.

When I peer up, I’m not surprised she’s furious now—red in the face, angry tears gathering in the corners of her eyes.

She shakes her head at me, disappointment marking her expression, and I feel like shit.

“It didn’t seem necessary, because I thought I knew everything I needed to know,” I admit.

She swipes at a tear and turns to look out her window, instead of looking at me or the naked image on the screen.

“A simple conversation, West. One conversation could’ve cleared all this up.”

I’m completely aware that this is how a normal person probably would’ve handled the situation. Instead, I saw the picture and saw an opportunity to right a wrong. Unfortunately, I never even took into consideration that Southside might be innocent in all this.

Which I’ll never let myself live down.

“This is bullshit,” she hisses, drawing her knees against her chest.

My gaze lowers when it becomes hard to look at her, knowing how royally I’ve fucked this whole thing up.

“For what it’s worth, I’ve never met your dick of a father,” she hisses. “Couldn’t pick him out in a damn crowd even if I wanted to.”

Feeling like shame has me in one hell of a chokehold, I nod. “I think I already realized that.”

I’ve done some pretty ugly shit to her, all in the name of revenge. Not realizing at the time that she didn’t even deserve it.

I peer up and she’s glaring at the photo again, concern marking her expression.

“I did send this picture, but not to your dad,” she clarifies, wiping more tears half a second before she reaches for her own phone, putting it on speaker while it rings.

Late as it is, whoever she’s called picks up on the second ring.

“What’s wrong? You good?” someone answers in a mild panic. Someone I’m ninety-nine percent sure is fucking Ricky Ruiz.

Breathing deep, I beat a spike of rage into submission, convincing myself that’s all I feel when it comes to him and Southside.

But that’s a lie. Anything involving the two of them interacting makes me want to level this entire city, and jealousy is one of the few emotions that packs that kind of power. I feel it bone-deep, and I fucking hate it.

“Everything’s fine,” Southside says back, sniffling a little. “Sorry to call so late. Were you busy?”

“Always, but it can wait if you need something.”

I take another deep breath. Fucking eager asshole…

“You crying?”

When he asks, Southside’s posture straightens as if he can see her and she doesn’t want him to know she’s upset.

“No, I um… I just need a small favor,” she says. “I know we were in kind of a weird, limbo period this past spring, but do you remember what your birthday present was this year?”

Ruiz laughs into the phone. “It’d be kinda hard to forget. Yeah, I remember.”

“Good,” Southside replies. “This is gonna sound really strange, but would you mind telling me what it was? Out loud, please.”

He laughs again. “Damn, you’re putting me on the spot. One sec. I’m around people.” There’s a short pause and then less background noise. “You gonna tell me what this is about?”

“I will,” she promises. “But I just really need you to tell me.”

My brow tenses because I think I’m starting to understand where this conversation is headed. And if I’m honest, I’m not sure I’m ready to hear it.

Ruiz sighs and then gives Southside what she asked for. “All right. Well, it started with that pic you sent, but turned into a hell of a lot more by the end of the night.”

“Okay, that’s all I needed,” she quickly cuts in, letting her eyes slam shut.

It hits me hard and fast that, when she said he’d been the last, I stupidly assumed the sex stopped a while ago. Now, I know they fucked at least as recently as this dickhead’s birthday.

In spring.

Nice.

Add this to the list of reasons I want to kill his ass.

“Now, you gonna tell me why you called at almost one in the morning to ask a question you already knew the answer to?”

Southside takes a breath, then stares at the ceiling. “It’s hard to explain and I almost feel stupid even asking you this, but… you didn’t share that pic with anyone, did you? I mean, bearing in mind that I would hunt you down and kill you if you did.”

Another laugh on the other end. “You honestly think I’d show my boys something like that?”

“Just answer the question, please,” she replies.

Ruiz sighs. “I’m not fond of sharing you, period. So, no, I didn’t share that shit,” he answers, making my teeth grit together. “Someone say otherwise?”

“Not exactly, but I’ll get to the bottom of it.”

“I’ll be out for a while if you need me to stop over,” he offers.

“Okay, call you tomorrow.”

She hangs up then and I hate how crazy it drives me that they’re still so close. Hate that I can hear how devoted he still is to her, even over the phone. Fucking dick thinks he’s marked his territory for life.

“This doesn’t make sense,” Southside says, breaking into my thoughts.

“Isn’t there a chance he could be lying?”

She peers over at me then, anger still brimming over in her stare, shaking her head. “No. Not Ricky.”

This guy some kind of saint or something? She said that as if it’s not even a possibility that he’d lie to her.

“I’ve known him since we were kids, and he doesn’t lie. Not to me,” she goes on, singing this guy’s fucking praises. “If he says he didn’t share it, he didn’t share it. Bottom line.”

“Okay, I get it.”

I fight what I feel next—inadequate, knowing I’m on the opposite side of the spectrum when it comes to having Southside’s trust. That’s on me, but it doesn’t mean I have to fucking like it.

“Haven’t you at least asked your dad about it?” she asks next, whipping her head toward me.

“That’s… complicated.”

“Well, uncomplicate it,” she says sternly. “This fucker has a nude pic of me, and I need to know why.”

She isn’t wrong, but I don’t think things are nearly as black and white as we think.

“The other week, when Ricky showed up at the school, he said something that stuck with me,” I reveal. “When I told him I’m trying to fix things, he said the last thing your family needs is another Golden with his hands around their throat.”

Southside’s brow tenses as confusion spreads through her expression.

“Ricky said that?”

“Yeah,” I answer with a nod, “but he left before I could ask what he meant, and I haven’t seen him since.”

She’s deep in thought and I can’t help but wonder if she still thinks he’s innocent in all this. Now that I know the pic was only in his possession, and he seems to know more than anyone else about what’s going on, it’s sending up all kinds of red flags for me.

“He wouldn’t lie,” she repeats, sticking to her guns. “If he says he doesn’t know how the photo got out, he doesn’t know.”

As badly as I want to argue that point, I don’t bother. I’m already in the doghouse as it is. Doesn’t make sense to add to the shit she’s already holding against me.

However, I’m now more motivated than ever to have a one-on-one with Ruiz.

“So, your father,” she says, “you need to talk to him.”

“It’s not that simple. He went out of his way to make me believe you two had a thing, which means—”

“He what?” she screeches. “I thought you said you didn’t mention anything to him.”

“And that was the truth,” I assure her, getting frustrated because she’s frustrated. “He cornered me before regionals, grilling me about the pic Pandora posted of you and me in the pool. At first, he pretended he just wanted to know why I was fucking around with a girl from this side of town, but then he flipped the script, leading me to believe you two were a thing and you were using me to hurt him.”

“Regionals,” she mostly says to herself, but I know why that part of my statement stuck out to her. Because, before that, we’d turned a corner. Only to have Vin open his mouth and fuck everything up.

Including me.

“That’s why you were so cold, so… distant,” she says, peering up.

I’m ashamed to admit it, knowing how naïve I must seem in her eyes, but that’s because she has no idea the evil my father’s capable of.

I only nod, letting her know she isn’t wrong.

“He got inside my head, which is what he does best,” I admit. “But whatever the case, he doesn’t want us together, and he wants me to stay as far away from you as possible.”

Southside’s quiet again while she thinks.

“But why, though?” she asks. “Does he think I know something?”

I shrug, because I have no idea.

“He hasn’t revealed all his cards, but I do think we should be careful,” I add, meeting her gaze when she looks up.

“Now you’re starting to sound like my brother.”

I’m not sure what to make of that.

“I went to visit him last month,” she shares. “He was in pretty bad shape, cuts and bruises all over. He wouldn’t talk to me over the phone, though. Just kept insisting that Ricky convince me to come see him. Then, when I got there, he told me to be careful and to watch my back.”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand on end hearing this, making connections I hadn’t before. Like… maybe the Riley’s do have a Golden with his hands around their throat.

My father’s.

And with what Southside just revealed, I’m starting to wonder if her brother and Vin aren’t connected somehow. One thing’s for sure, I don’t intend to take Hunter’s warning lightly. If he went out of his way to get her there, in person, just to tell her to watch her back, I’m willing to bet that isn’t a bluff.