Total pages in book: 169
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 167671 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 838(@200wpm)___ 671(@250wpm)___ 559(@300wpm)
I didn’t just get my temper from my dad, who’s already out in the yard gathering the logs.
Melody tags along. “Don’t forget about me!”
“Not you too,” Alistair groans. “Oh fuck. This is not going to end well.”
Mom begins to scream and picks up a piece of her own sludge pie with her bare hands. Dad immediately drops everything and runs towards the back door, shoving Dylan aside. “What happened?”
Too late because Mom just threw her own food … right at his face.
She pauses and blinks, her face growing white. The rest of us are frozen in the backyard, staring through the back door at the horror that just unfolded. My dad’s face turns redder by the second—not from embarrassment but from rage.
Fuck.
“Penelope …” Felix growls as he wipes the sludge off his stone-cold face.
She seems absolutely mortified. I’d be, too, if I’d thrown lukewarm food at my dad’s face. He will literally kill people over that shit.
All of us kids get up close to peer inside and see what’s about to go down.
“Get out. A bomb’s gonna explode, and as much as I love a good blowout, you do not want to be caught in the crossfire of this one,” Dylan says, shooing us away with a grin on his face.
Felix’s lips curl up. “Motherf—”
Alistair puts his hands against his mouth. “FOOD FIGHT!”
He picks up a handful of the pie and throws it at Dylan’s face, which hits him right in the teeth. Dylan splutters and coughs, and everyone bursts out into laughter.
“Okay, that’s it.” Dylan, and practically everyone else, storms at the table to grab a handful of food, throwing it around at whoever is in their vicinity. And after five throws, even my mom pitches in, chucking bits and pieces at whoever gets in her way.
“Here! Have a fucking taste of my pie!” she yells, laughing out loud just like the rest of us. “Doesn’t it fucking taste good?!”
I manage to dodge most hits, trying to empty the pan before they all come after me.
“Aw, this was my good shirt!” Xavier pulls the fabric over his head.
“Stop whining, bitch.” Mavis throws a full hand at his chest, making everyone else laugh.
“I’m so glad you all came home. It’s no fun without you guys!” Melody says, throwing small hands left and right despite hitting very few people.
I’m still clean, but the second they all look at me with suspicion, I turn around. “Oh fuck no.”
I bolt outside through the back door with everyone on my heels.
“Come here, you little shit!” Felix roars, throwing the biggest load of pie.
I laugh maniacally. “Fucking catch me if you can, cowards!”
Maybe this dinner wasn’t so bad after all.
Heath
Max is on the couch in the common room of the Skull and Serpent Society, reading a book intensely. I throw my bag down on the floor and grab his shoulders, but he swiftly closes the book and tucks it away under his ass.
“You scared me, Heath,” he says, looking over his shoulder.
“Why? What’re you reading?”
“Nothing,” he says with big doe eyes.
I roll my eyes. “Fine. You don’t wanna tell me, then don’t.”
He scratches the back of his head. “It’s nothing you’d find interesting anyway.”
“Thanks,” I say, squeezing his shoulders as I lean in. “So, have you talked with Ivy recently?”
He tenses up. “No. Why do you want to know?”
“I’m curious if she still lets you get close to her.”
He lowers his head. “She doesn’t trust me because of what you did.”
“What we did.” I pat him on the chest. “You’re part of our group, remember?”
“Right, but I don—”
I grab his face and turn it sideways until those submissive eyes bore into mine. “You always do what I want. Don’t you?”
He gulps. “If you ask me nicely.”
“And if I don’t ask nicely? What will you do then?” I’m so close, he’s beginning to sweat, and I lean in to bite the air between us, making him jolt up and down in his seat. “Cry?”
He jerks his head free from my grip, and I’m thrown off by the sudden defiance, which is unlike him.
“Fine. Whatever you want. Can I read now?”
I sigh. “Why don’t you just come along with Silas and me tonight?”
“Where are you two going?” he asks.
I pick up the bag, and the metal inside makes a lot of sound. “We’ve got something special planned.”
His eyes home in on the bag before they narrow. “Like what?”
A grin slowly spreads on my face. “Something fun … and wicked.”
He licks his lips. “I… I’ll pass, thanks.”
“Aw, c’mon. You never come along.” I throw my arm around his neck. “I’d love to have you there.”
“I’m busy. Sorry.”
I frown, disappointment marring my face. “Fine. Suit yourself.”
I walk off, my stomach churning with resentment. He’s never been this apathetic about hanging out with me, and it dulls the happiness I nearly felt at the prospect of showing him just how devilish I can be.