Pulse

Chapter 27

Cian

Lucie fell back asleep in my arms; she was exhausted, couldn't cry and shudder and scream any longer. She was tired of working herself up over things she couldn't change; that much was evident in the way she spoke and even in the gleam in her eyes. With a sigh, I snuck out from underneath her, pulling my comforter up to her shoulders, pecking her lightly on the forehead, and slipping out the door.

Vinny was leaned back against the wall. He glanced up at me as I clicked my bedroom door shut. "Hey. Is she okay in there?"

"Lucie?" I said, then mentally snapped at myself for being dense. As if there were any other she that was as important to me, to us. "Yeah, she's fine. Sleepy, frustrated, but fine. Did Eden leave yet?"

Vinny stared at me, shoulders going rigid. "Eden? You're not telling me you want to talk to her? She's just going to feed you more lies."

"She won't lie to me. Not me," I corrected him with dignity, rounding the corner to the staircase. I saw Eden's head, covered in dark hair, step down into her Tesla, and gritted my teeth. Then I flew down the stairs, ignoring Vinny's calls after me.

I threw open the front door and bolted out into the driveway, craning myself over Eden's window. "We need to talk."

She started her engine and shot me a look as keen as a dagger. "I don't need to talk to anyone."

I curled my fingers across her window, brushing the leather inside. Eden bit her lip, scowling at me. Again, I wished for the innocence she'd had before: the joyous expression on her face, the flyaways in her hair, the childish flush at her cheeks. Where was that Eden? Where was the Eden I never, ever fought with, where was the Eden that bribed me into studying with king size chocolate bars? I sighed. I saw nothing of that girl now. "You knew that was Vinny. Not because I called his name, either. You saw him. Don't even try lying to me, Edie."

She looked away. Edie. I hadn't called her that in years. "I have no idea what you're talking about. Your brother's dead and gone. He drowned because he was weak, just as weak as you are to even think for a sliver of a second that he's still here. He's gone, Cian! Let him go!"

It took all my effort not to strike her car and dent it. No one talked about Vinny like that. "You're a liar. A liar, Eden, you know that? I saw you. And I know you know something about Lucie's brother, too! You know everything, don't you? But you won't tell a soul. Why? Because you're cowardly? You call Vinny the weak one?"

"Shut up!" Eden snapped. Her fingers splayed across her steering wheel, trembling. The engine shut off again, silencing the hum of a journey not yet begun. Her dark eyes zipped to mine, as fiery as I'd ever seen them. There was the hiss of dislike in her voice. "I don't know anything about Dempsey!"

I had not mentioned a name.

I had never mentioned a name.

Eden stopped.

"You've got some nerve, you know," she said, restarting her engine. "Look, I don't know what the hell's wrong with that house or what the hell's wrong with you, but leave me out of it. And for God's sake, get over Vinny. He's not coming back. He's never coming back."

Her slender fingers reached out and grappled the gear shift, putting it in reverse. A cruel smile gripped her lips. "You poor thing. The doctors may have sewed up your skin, but that didn't fix everything, did it? It's a shame. You were handsome once. The scars ruined you."

I touched a tentative finger to my cheek, then to my lip.

Eden drove off.