The Next Line ( The Lineage Series #2)

Chapter 8

"Hey."

"Hey," Preston says. His voice is smooth as usual, but there's a tightness in it I can feel even through the phone. "So... you're still at the fight?"

I glance back at the ring, where Joshuan's got his arms in the air, the crowd chanting his name like he's some sort of king.

"Yeah," I say. "Jamie wanted me to come. You know how he is with these things."

There's a pause.

"You could've told me."

"I didn't think it was a big deal."

"Really? You didn't think it was worth mentioning you were going to see him fight?"

And there it is.

The real reason he called.

I close my eyes for a second. "Preston..."

"What? I'm just saying. Seems like I hear more about Joshuan lately than anything else."

I glance over my shoulder.

And of course, Joshuan's out of the ring now, making his way toward our section, wiping sweat off his face as people stop him for congratulations.

And yeah.

Okay.

Maybe Preston's got a point.

But this isn't the time.

"Look," I say, keeping my voice low, "tonight was about Jamie supporting his best friend. That's it."

Another pause.

"Are you sure that's all it is?"

I freeze.

Because no matter how badly I want to say yes...

I don't know if I believe it anymore.

"Preston," I start, but the words don't come.

Not the right ones, anyway.

Not the ones that fix this.

"I'll call you later, okay?"

"Yeah," he says. Flat. Cold. "Sure."

And then the line goes dead.

I stare at my phone like I don't know how it just happened.

One minute I'm living in the high of watching Joshuan take over the ring, and the next?

I'm crashing back down into reality, where Preston's waiting for me to keep choosing him.

But part of me is starting to wonder...

If I ever really did.

When I turn around, Lena's giving me that look.

The one that says she heard enough of my side of the conversation to know exactly what's happening.

"You good?"

I nod. "Yeah. Fine."

But it's a lie.

Because the second I spot Joshuan coming toward us, running a hand through his messy hair and looking like trouble in every way that matters...

I'm not fine at all.

And I think my life just got a lot more complicated.

After dealing with Preston's bullshit, I need a second.

A second away from Lena's knowing smirks and Jamie's loud bragging and the weight of that call from Preston still sitting heavy on my chest.

So I slip away, telling Lena I'm running to the restroom.