Chapter 22

Chapter Twenty-Two

Landon

Listen to Burn the House Down

by AJR

I t was as if the scene happened in slow motion. I was outside my body as I stared back at my friends, who gaped at the show Adam and I had just put on for them without our knowledge. Emotion smashed through me at the look in their eyes and matching expressions.

Shock.

Hurt.

Anger.

Betrayal.

I blinked, hoping I’d conjured up a nightmare, but it was real. Adam’s grip tightened around me, and I unconsciously leaned against him, needing his strength. The plan had backfired and now we couldn’t control the narrative.

Now, we were the ones who’d wrecked the trust and for the first time, I wondered if we’d ever be able to pick up the pieces.

The stunned silence suddenly gave way to a roar of voices as they all began shouting at once.

“What is going on?”

“Are you both fucking with us?”

“Oh, my God, are you two sleeping together!”

“What the fuck is happening right now?”

I winced and Adam stepped in front of me, his voice low and calm. “Hey, before we all lose our shit can we go talk?”

Elle’s gaze found mine and she slowly mouthed, I tried to call you . My eyes widened as I realized my phone had been in my purse and I hadn’t checked it the whole time. Somehow, they’d all showed up early and Elle had tried to warn me. A crazy urge to laugh overcame me. My phone was tattooed to me twenty-four seven, but the fateful hour I needed it most, I’d locked it away. Poor Daisy looked crushed, staring at both of us as if we’d deliberately tried to hurt her.

“You want to talk now, asshole?” Max’s voice held both ice and rage, making my stomach clench with nausea. He flicked a hot glance to me, but he was focused completely on Adam. “I can’t believe I’m even surprised. You’re such a piece of shit, of course you’d take advantage of Landon just to get laid. We all know you don’t know what loyalty or friendship is. With you, it’s always the Adam show. But you’ve gone too far.”

A flash of light hit my vision and I shook my head. Gabby came tripping up behind them, stopping short as she spoke into her phone, then staring at us with a frown. “What’s going on?”

Coop practically growled back. “Adam’s fucking Landon behind Max’s back. We found them all over each other.”

My heart sunk as I noticed a small crowd gathering interest around us. Gabby cocked her head and took in the scene, then let out a small laugh. “About time they stopped sneaking around. Good for you.”

I swayed on my feet. No, no, no .

Elle and Daisy swung around to face her. “Wait—you knew about them?” Elle asked.

Somehow, Gabby was still holding her phone, but looked completely chill and poised. “Of course. I knew months ago.”

A deadly silence settled. I stumbled over my tongue in a haste to beg that they listen to me; to explain I’d told Gabby nothing and she’d only suspected; to make this whole giant dickwad of a mess narrow to something I could actually control, but it was too late.

A wall dropped in front of Elle, as if she’d distanced herself from me and the entire scene. Gabby made it seem as if I’d confided in her way before I told Elle. “I guess Landon was able to trust someone,” she said with bitterness.

“No, it wasn’t like that!” I burst out, taking a few steps toward them. “I never told Gabby—she figured it out. You were the only one I confided in, Elle.”

Gabby cocked her head. “But I mentioned it to you when we were in AC, remember?”

The blood drained out of my face and I almost thought I could faint. “Why are you saying this stuff? I never said anything!”

Elle shook her head. “My God, this was happening back in AC? When you were still with Max?” Hurt shimmered in her gaze. “I don’t understand you, Landon. I don’t understand any of this.”

“I was the only one who knew nothing, then?” Daisy asked. “Shows where I rank in the ladder of this friendship.”

A sob caught in my throat. The whole thing was spinning out of control faster than I could contain it. It was as if I was losing my friends all at once, like watching a fire burn everything you love slowly to the ground. “Guys, please let’s go talk. We need to explain some stuff—I swear we planned on telling you tonight!”

Noah shook his head. “This is too much,” he muttered. “I don’t have time to sort out this clusterfuck. I gotta set up and be in a mind space to play.”

Daisy looked torn but took Noah’s arm. “I’ll go with you. I’m really confused.”

“Daisy, Elle, I’m sorry. Can you please listen to me?”

“All this talk about Max and getting on your high horse,” Coop said, pointing angrily at Adam. “All your holier than thou bullshit about not cheating and you go screw the woman he loves. Un-fucking believable.”

Adam’s jaw clenched but he stayed calm. His hand grabbed mine, interlacing his fingers within mine for comfort. “I get it. You have every right to be pissed and freak out. Noah, go set up, I don’t want to mess with your job. Want to head outside? Or can we just walk over to the booth I reserved to talk?”

“You keep talking about talking,” Max ground out, stepping closer. His features were so tight it looked like he’d shatter. He kept his gaze off me, focused on Adam. “But it’s too late for that. You should’ve talked to me before you stuck your dick where it doesn’t belong. You should’ve talked to me when I opened my heart up and told you Landon was the one for me. You should’ve done a lot of things.”

“Max—”

Adam tried to speak but suddenly Max was in his face a few inches away.

Noah looked uneasy as he spoke to Max. “Hey, let’s bounce, dude. Get a drink and get our shit together. I need to DJ tonight.”

I watched in horror as more attention was pulled to us and people began to gather to watch, like we were on some type of reality show. Gabby held up her phone. Holy shit, was she videoing this?

Max shook his head in mockery. “At least you kept it easy for me, man. A clean break. Showed your true colors and there’s no more regrets. I’m just gonna ask for one thing. Do this one thing and we can all walk away.”

The pause was terrible, a silence filled with gossipy comments around us, and music streaming from the speakers and the clatter of glassware as tables were cleared and drinks poured. Adam kept me shielded, as if he was afraid Max would hurt me, and I could tell it made Max even more furious.

“What’s that?” Adam asked, his voice giving no hint of the screaming tension swirling around them.

Max’s voice was soft and deadly. “Get your fucking hands off her. Now.”

“Guys, please stop!” Daisy wailed. “Let’s not do this here!”

Automatically, I tried to step away from Adam to calm things down, but I couldn’t move because Adam kept his grip firm and assuring, not allowing me any space. I didn’t know if it was a fuck you to Max or to reassure me he wouldn’t let anything happen; that we were finally a team. Either way, no good could come of it.

“I can’t.” His tone held a flick of regret. “Because now she’s mine.”

Coop cleared his throat. “Max, come with me.”

Max gave a terrible smile. “Wrong answer, asshole.”

His arm snapped back and he punched Adam in the face.