Savage Little Lies: Chapter 5

Sloane

My text messages to Dorian had gone unanswered last night, my calls straight to voicemail. I wasn’t sure if he had his phone off or was simply shutting me out.

Yesterday hadn’t made sense.

He’d accused me of leaking his location yesterday. Initially, he’d demanded if I snitched to the cops myself, but I hadn’t. I mean, I’d called for reinforcements to get him out. Of course, I hadn’t wanted him arrested.

I supposed he could believe that considering I’d made calls for him, but he also could believe I may have simply slipped something to someone, Bru or someone else, and that had gotten around. This was a town where people seemed to like to get in each other’s business, but I hadn’t done that either. I’d never do that to him, betray his confidence…

He clearly didn’t believe me, and unfortunately, I couldn’t justify blowing up his phone outside of the few messages and calls I had made to plead my case.

His family was going through some epic shit right now.

The news had his family and the Prinze name all over it. My brother Bru and I had spent most of last night watching everything go down. Dorian’s family was being harassed, and it was only by the grace of God Principal Mayberry’s kidnapping had all but disappeared in all this. The media was talking about the viral video, yes, but not much surrounding who’d done it. They didn’t seem to be concerned with that.

I mean, the woman was dead.

All this was fucking crazy, the added layer that Dorian believed I’d betrayed him on top of that. I hadn’t. I had no idea how the cops had found him to even arrest yesterday.

I tried him one more time when I got up that morning, but when I got voicemail instantly again, I couldn’t help my frustrations. This was probably completely selfish of me feeling frustrated, and there was a strong possibility that his life was chaos right now and he simply didn’t want to deal with his thoughts about me on top of it.

I’ll talk to him at school.

That was if he was at school. I hadn’t received any messages that classes had been canceled again, but that didn’t necessarily mean he would be there. In fact, I wouldn’t blame him for taking the day off if those thirsty pricks known as the media were still cluttering his neighborhood. My brother, Callum, and I watched them literally broadcast outside of the gates of Dorian and his family’s cul-de-sac.

Callum really had been a godsend in all this. After I got back home, I’d found him there with Bru in front of the television, but the older man hadn’t been watching TV. He’d been on the phone looking into the situation with Dorian, but not for the same reasons as the media.

“Just want to make sure the boy and his family are faring well since he’s your friend,” he’d said to me. “I figured you’d want some actual news and not this chaotic drivel.” His expression had gone serious. “That is one thing I don’t miss about living here. This town is small enough where everyone wants to know everything.”

I was starting to see that, all of this a mess.

I’d been shocked to see Callum making calls on his own and on my behalf. I hadn’t asked him to do that, but I couldn’t be more grateful. His news updates had actually kept me sane last night since Dorian hadn’t texted or called me back. He was able to confirm the media was only talking about Mayberry’s murder, and with the updates he and the news did give me, I was able to see that Dorian and the guys would not be implicated for her viral confession. That had been my biggest worry.

When things started getting late, I figured Callum would stay at the house with Bru and me last night. I mean, the place had enough bedrooms, and he technically owned the space. He’d given us literally the roof over our heads, but he’d been adamant about checking into a hotel downtown when he finally wrapped up his calls.

“This is your space,” he’d said, his driver behind him and waiting to take him. “But I will see you children again before I leave. I want to check on everything with the house and make sure it’s running smoothly. And of course check in with you too and hear your updates.”

We all hadn’t gotten to talk about my brother’s and my updates. We’d all been too busy watching Dorian’s with the rest of the town, but obviously for different reasons.

Our guardian had left after that, and again, he hadn’t asked for anything from Bru or me. My brother and I had never been ones to have a lot of luck. In fact, we could definitely be considered unlucky. We both barely remembered our mother since she’d died when we were so young, and our father had had a slew of mental health issues. My brother and I had constantly moved because of that, and we’d never had much.

Since Callum had come into our lives, we seemed to suddenly have someone looking out for us, someone we could rely on. My brother and I basically had a fairy godfather, and I was so happy to not have to do all this by myself. I was only eighteen and had nothing to my name besides my father’s Chevelle.

It was just my brother and me, and I forced myself to believe everything with Dorian would be okay. There were a lot of emotions that had gone on yesterday, and I just had to stress to him that I had his back the next time I did see him. He and his may not be my family, but I was certainly invested in his well-being. In fact, certainly more than I wanted to admit. It had been my brother and me basically taking care of each other for a while, so trying to wrap my head around being anything to anyone else was hard for me.

So damn hard.

Things would be okay, and I just had to believe it. If Dorian wasn’t at school today, at least Bow may be. I’d tried texting her too last night, but Dorian’s family was basically hers as well. I wasn’t surprised to not hear anything back from her either and tried to be patient with the situation. They were all probably really freaking out right now with everything surrounding Mayberry and Charlie, Dorian’s uncle. I needed to respect that.

Things are going to be okay. Things are going to be okay.

This was my mantra as I showered, then got my uniform on. I hadn’t heard Bru all morning in the house, so I decided to bug him before getting breakfast.

“Bru?” I knocked on his door, a mumble on the other side. My brow shot up. “Are you still sleeping?”

I normally ran into him at least once in the halls during our morning routines, but I noticed I hadn’t today. I’d been so focused on the Dorian stuff I hadn’t thought about it.

He didn’t answer after my second knock, and I turned the doorknob.

“Cover whatever you don’t want seen,” I announced, but pushed open the door when I found him still in bed. He had a sheet over his head, and I sighed. “What are you doing? Get up.” We had to be at school in less than an hour. I let go of the door. “Come on.”

“Nah, man. I don’t feel good.”

He moaned under his sheet, and I rolled my eyes. He’d tried similar tactics when we were kids. I frowned. “You’re not getting out of school just because you fucked up.”

Him and that stupid fucking haze I definitely hadn’t forgotten about. He’d tried to get in with Dorian and his clique.

Maybe he thought he might have to answer to that today. From Legacy’s Court minions maybe. Either way, he was going to school.

My brother’s response was to moan again, and I came over to his bed. I ripped the sheet off and found him down to his boxers, his arms hugging his big body. He was basically in the fetal position, and my brow shot up. “What the fuck?”

I sat on the bed, touching his brow. He was clammy, and his forehead heated my palm the hell up.

Fuck, he is sick.

“I told you I wasn’t lying. Fuck.” He pulled the sheets back up, covering himself. “I’m not going to school.”

“Okay.” Christ. He hadn’t been sick since we were like kids. I’d gotten sick more than him over the years. I touched his brow again. He was burning up. “Let me go take your temperature.”

“Don’t bother. Already did. It’s ridiculous.” The bedding shook when he closed his eyes. Shit, did he have chills too? “I have a fever. I’m staying the fuck home.”

He burrowed into his bedding, and I agreed. I sat back. “Well, do you need anything? Should I stay home?”

He laughed a little, shaking his head. He still had his eyes closed, but he smiled. “I’m seventeen, Noa. I’ll be fine. Go to school.”

“You sure?”

He nudged me back, and I smiled, my worry dying down a little. He was obviously sick, but still acting like himself considering. “Okay, well, I’ll make sure to get your school work for everything.”

“Goody,” he said, laughing again. But he sounded so tired. I started to get up, but his hand came out and touched mine.

“Did you ever hear back from Dorian?” he asked, concerned when he opened his eyes. I hadn’t told him about the fallout between Dorian and me, his accusations. For starters, that was between him and me, and after a conversation, I figured I’d get the dark prince to come around.

That issue was personal, and honestly, I hadn’t wanted to think about the alternative. That I might not get him to believe me.

He’d been so angry.

“Not yet, but I’m going to try to talk to him today if he’s at school,” I said. As far as my brother was concerned, Dorian was simply busy with his family and hadn’t been returning my calls and texts.

Bru pulled his bedding up, and I snuggled him in. I hadn’t done that for him since we were kids. My brother was this big tough football player now. He rested his arms on the bed. “Well, when you see him, tell him I feel for him. The other guys too if you see them. I still haven’t heard back from them, but I’m not surprised.”

I wasn’t either. They were all hella close, family.

I guess my brother knew that too.

I patted his hand. “Sleep and don’t play too many video games, please.”

I got nothing but a chuckle from that, his eyes closed. “I make no promises. And hey, can you talk to Coach for me? I’m obviously not going to be at practice today.”

After promising him I’d do that, I got up. Before I headed downstairs, I told him I’d get him stuff out of the first aid kit for his fever, Tylenol. I headed downstairs to do that and jumped when I came across Callum. The older man had been making coffee, a cup in his hand. He wore a suit, and seeing me, he raised a hand.

“Sorry. Did I scare you?” His head tilted. “I hope you don’t mind, but I let myself in. I have a man coming through the house today to check the filters and make sure everything with the house is running smoothly.”

He had mentioned he was going to be doing that, and of course, I hadn’t minded. He owned the house. “No, you’re fine. I’m just jumpy.”

A lot had fucking happened in the last few hours, another added layer with my brother being sick.

I came into the room and noticed Callum had two coffee cups going. He gestured to one for me, and I appreciated that. Did I mention I had a fairy godfather? I mean, this man left no stone unturned. I noticed he had a laptop up on the kitchen island like he’d been working, and he sat in front it while I got my breakfast together. I chose cereal.

“How was your evening, Sloane?” he asked me from behind it. I turned, and his frown greeted me when I swiveled in his direction. “Did you ever hear back from your friend?”

Yeah, I’d texted Dorian. Yeah, I’d called Dorian. I shook my head, and Callum’s frown deepened.

“I can imagine all this is hard on the family,” he said, sighing. “I brushed up on the controversy. A terrible sequence of events.”

He’d put that lightly. What Dorian and his family… his friends and his family, were going through was something out of a nightmare.

“I’m going to try to see him today at school,” I said, my and my brother’s guardian also unaware about Dorian’s heated issue with me. Again, that was personal. I appreciated Callum and everything he did, but he was still a stranger. “And I never really got to thank you for making those calls on his behalf.”

The man had stepped in like a knight, no questions asked, and that meant so much to me.

He raised a hand, his smile lifting. “It wasn’t a problem. In any sense, it sounds as if things were going to work themselves out anyway.” I eyed him, and he nodded. “The actual murderer coming forward? It seems your friend really does have some luck on his side.”

He did, and thank God for that.

“You met the boy at school, then?” he asked casually. “I don’t believe you ever said.”

“Yeah, school.” And it was crazy how far we were away from that initial place we’d met. There’d been so much tension there and misunderstandings even back then. Dorian had never been easy.

“He’s just a friend, then?” he asked, bringing me out of my thoughts. His smile was small. “Sorry. I don’t mean to be intrusive. I suppose I was just curious after seeing you both together yesterday. You seem close.”

I wondered if that had been obvious, us looking like we were together.

I mean, the way he’d hugged me…

If was as if I’d given him life when he saw me at the police station, but that had changed so quickly. I didn’t know why, and we needed to talk.

“He’s just a friend,” I said, and I didn’t find the question invasion. I mean, the man had been willing to open his pocketbook for Dorian. That warranted the question, and I was being honest with him. I didn’t know what Dorian and I were. We’d been enemies, heated ones, and somewhere along the way that had changed into something else. That something else was just as heated, passionate, and where we were at now I didn’t now. I hoped friends at least.

I couldn’t reach my thoughts higher at the moment, never good at emotional things. Because I wasn’t, I forced a smile, putting on that strength I didn’t feel I always had. It’d always been needed, though, for my brother and me. We were survivors.

I noticed Callum’s attention while in my thoughts, and I was grateful he didn’t push the issue. I couldn’t talk about it anymore anyway.

“I’m glad you’ve been able to find friendship in your short time here,” he said, his eyes warm. “And I hope you don’t mind, but I’m going to work here for a few hours this morning. I plan to step out when maintenance gets here, but I want to at least wait for the doctor.”

“Doctor?”

His gaze lifted from his laptop. “For your brother? I ran into him this morning, and he said he was sick. I figured I’d call the doctor for him just in case. There’s an excellent physician I know not far from here. He’s coming down to see Bru and make a house call.”

I mean, I couldn’t even think after he said that. That he’d been willing to do that. I swallowed. “Do you think it’s serious? Bru?”

“Probably not, but it’s better to be safe than sorry.” His smile widened. “I’ve also called someone about your car. Your brother mentioned it was giving you issues. They’ll be through to tow it to a local shop. Since Bru won’t be at school today, you can use his, or if you’d like to have your own, I can work that out too.”

I blinked, truly awed here. He’d done all this?

I must have been silent for too long because he made eye contact with me then. He frowned. “I can have whatever you want delivered. Maybe you want Bru to have something here to drive just in case? I can…”

“No, no. It’s fine.” I waved him off, floored. “And I guess, just thank you.”

I didn’t feel that warranted any further explaining. I was thanking him for everything.

His eyes warmed. “Not a problem. You have a good day at school, and if you need anything, I’ll be around. As you know, I have a room at the Bellaire downtown. I’ll either be there, here, or in meetings. I’m looking into some business endeavors based in Maywood Heights. Would give me more of an opportunity to see you children.”

Bru and I would be going off to college soon, but I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t mind him around. Coming downstairs, it was like those times back when Dad had had his good days. When he was there in the kitchen and things were just normal.

I couldn’t thank Callum enough for giving me that feeling. Even if it was only temporary. In fact, he said he was leaving in a few days. He ran businesses all over, and the fact he’d put my brother and me, of all people, in his schedule to simply check on us?

I simply didn’t have words.

“I appreciate everything you’re doing for us,” I said. “I’m sure Dad appreciates it too.”

God, he’d love all this, the security and comfort Callum gave us was something he’d always reached for. He’d wanted to do that for us himself, but his own internal limitations had always kept him guarded. He hadn’t been able to keep a job, so we were always struggling.

“Again, it’s not a problem,” he said. “I’m happy to help.”

He went back to work after that, and smiling, I finished up, then headed to school. I drove that morning with finally a little bit of peace when the last few days had been anything but. I was so hopeful when finally showing up to Windsor Prep. Especially when I did spot Legacy.

The boys were by their cars, Bow with them. The little rabbit was digging in her school bag when I drove right past them, and I hurried into a spot.

I hadn’t seen Dorian.

Thatcher and Wells were there, Ares too, but no Dorian. The large boys stood in conversation by their cars, Ares’s Hummer in the center. He’d chosen not to park in his Student of the Month space today, and I was surprised to see Bow with them. I figured she drove herself.

Maybe she hadn’t today considering everything. Quickly, I got out of my brother’s car, wanting to catch them. I got my bag, but by the time I made it around the car, the group had already moved on toward the school. They were moving with a group of kids, people I recognized as Legacy groupies around them. I waved my arm. “Bow!”

She started to turn in my direction, like she heard her name, but Thatcher put an arm over her shoulder. He kept her moving forward, and when the others fell in close behind, I lost sight of her all together. All their fan boys and girls seemed to crowd around them as they headed toward the school.

Huffing, I banked on being able to catch them later, Bow later. I tried not to let the anxiety hit me that maybe they wouldn’t want to talk to me. I mean, Dorian definitely could have talked to them.

I bet they just didn’t hear you.

That was what I made myself believe. At the present, I had no other choice.