Total pages in book: 177
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 176345 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 882(@200wpm)___ 705(@250wpm)___ 588(@300wpm)
“Yes.”
“Someone called my name?” Penelope comes walking out of the waiting room.
“No,” Felix says. While I say, “Yes.”
“What’s up?”
“Nothing,” Felix swiftly replies.
“I’m just trying to determine if he sees his own hypocrisy.”
Penelope smiles and crosses her arms. “Oh, this should be interesting.”
“You’re dating three guys, right?” I ask her.
“What about it?”
Felix rubs his forehead. “Fuck me.”
“Answer me, please.”
“Fine. Yes, she is.”
“Then you know what it feels like,” I say.
His brow twitches. “But all three of them?”
“Oh … so it’s about those boys,” Penelope muses. “I figured as much.”
I grab Felix’s other hand too. “If you love me as much as you say you do … you’ll let me decide.”
His jaw tenses again, but he doesn’t move away.
After a while, he nods. “All right. I trust you.”
I smile and hug him again, his arms slowly wrapping around my body to return the warmth.
He sighs out loud. “But don’t ever forget you’re a Rivera first.”
“I won’t,” I reply, leaning back. “Oops. I smeared blood all over your shirt.”
“Eh, I’ve had worse,” he retorts, shrugging.
“How’s it going out here?”
I turn my head to see Milo’s happy face peeking out the door, his upside-down cross dangling from his ear.
“We’re finished,” I reply.
“Nosy bastard,” Felix growls.
So I step on his foot like any good sister would.
“Ow, fuck!” he grits.
Milo snorts. “I see he’s as nice as ever.”
“Oh, fuck off,” Felix growls back, so I slap him on the chest.
“Felix will be nice to you from now on. Won’t you, Felix?”
“Sure,” he replies stoically. “As long as you don’t try to take any other lewd pictures of my sister.”
Milo laughs awkwardly and rubs the back of his head. “Yeah, about that …”
Felix’s eyebrow twitches. “Don’t tell me …”
“We have like a ton.” Milo puts his fingers together. “But we won’t share them with anyone, promise.”
I blush. “Oh boy.”
“TMI,” Felix grits.
“Did either of you hear anything from other students yet?” I ask.
“Well, from what I’ve noticed, they all seem to think you got used and that it wasn’t your choice,” Milo mutters.
“Okay …” I breathe out a sigh. “Could be worse.”
“At least no one thinks you murdered the other dude in the picture,” he muses.
“Do you think my dad saw the picture?” I ask.
Felix closes his eyes and rubs his forehead. “Maybe.”
“Fuck. That’s gonna be embarrassing,” Milo mutters.
“You should talk to him,” Felix says.
“And tell him what?”
“We can explain it was an accident.” Milo shrugs.
“What about the body?” I retort, folding my arms.
“Tell him the truth,” Felix says.
“Are you kidding? Really?” I say.
“Why not?” Milo asks. “He sounds like a nice guy.”
“He killed our mother,” Felix growls.
Milo’s face turns white.
I cringe. “Bringing this kind of news to my dad isn’t gonna be easy.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Felix says, placing a hand on my shoulder. “I’ve got your back.”
I place my hand over his. “Thank you.”
Kai’s face appears behind Milo too now, and I struggle to hide my smile.
Even though I was so convinced I hated these boys for what they did …
None of it seems to matter anymore.
My heart’s already made its choice.
“Nathan is up. We’re bringing him home,” he says, winking.
Then he turns around and drags Milo with him.
I’m almost tempted to go with them, but Felix’s hand on my shoulder keeps me from moving.
“Have you decided yet?” Felix asks.
A pause follows.
“I won’t stop you. But I’m just one call away if you ever need me.”
I swallow away the last bit of restraint I still had left.
Felix leans over and whispers into my ear, “Go on then. Follow your fucked-up heart.”
And he pushes me away from his strong grip and toward the door that signifies my demise. But oh, the fall into oblivion has been so fucking sweet.
And as a fucked-up masochist, I don’t think I’d have it any other way.
I look back one more time just to grin, and Felix grins right back at me in that signature Rivera way.
“Don’t let them treat you badly, or I’ll kill them,” he says.
“They won’t,” I retort.
“How do you know for sure?”
“Haven’t you heard?” I wink. “I’m their motherfucking queen.”
NATHAN
Kai and Milo help me out of the nurse’s office and out of the building, praying we don’t see anyone while we’re walking here with bloodied clothes and stitched-up wounds.
I get into the car parked near the fountain and sit in the back seat while Milo jumps into the passenger’s seat and Kai hops in front of the steering wheel.
But right as he reverses the car, someone knocks on our window.
And the sight of the black-haired beauty staring right back at me makes my heart race.
Kai lowers my window.
“Got room for one more?” Lana asks.
A mischievous smile forms on my face. “I don’t know … there might be room in the trunk, though.”
Her jaw drops, and she leans in to grasp me by the collar. “You fucking wouldn’t!”
My brow rises. “Is that a challenge?”