Page 66 of Dirty Little Saint

“This week has felt as long as a fucking year,” I grumble into my drink.

Villette nods. “Right? Thank God, it’s finally the weekend. I swear all my teachers are on edge right now. I wonder if it has anything to do with what happened the night of the Winter Solstice Ball.”

I shudder as I remember how Jessamine tricked me into going out to the graveyard by myself. The way she set me up, delivering me straight into Zeke’s hands. The other students don’t know what really happened that night. But guaranteed the teachers do.

I push my chips around on the plate, suddenly no longer hungry. “Who knows? Everyone around here is always wound up so tight.”

Villette touches my hand. “Sorry to bring that up again. I know that was a traumatic night for you.”

I shrug and take a big sip of my pineapple Margarita. “It’s okay. I’m working past it.”

“So, how are your classes? How’s my brother treating you?” She purses her lips around the straw, wincing as if she’s expecting me to say the worst.

I’ve been dreading having this conversation but it’s impossible to avoid if I’m going to continue being friends with her. “Yeah, he’s a really great teacher, Villette. So excited to be in his class.”

She breathes out a sigh of relief. “Oh, good. I was worried he was going to scare you off from being friends with me. He’s intense, and his obsession with poetry is borderline manic.” She giggles.

If she only fucking knew.

I chuckle. “Yup. I’m definitely picking up on that vibe.”

The server sets down another pitcher of Margaritas and refreshes our chips and salsa. “Those guys over in the corner bought these for you.”

I let out a sigh as I spot Riot, Atlas, and Valentin at a corner booth on the opposite side of the Mexican restaurant. I give them a little wave. “Well, at least they’re giving me some space.”

Villette laughs. “I think it’s cute. They’re just worried about you.” Her face falls. “Look, I know you don’t tell me everything that’s going on with you, but I’m not an idiot. You’ve been different since we got back from winter break. I just want you to know that you can tell me anything. I won’t judge.”

She’s so sweet and kind, but it only makes me miss Bailey even more. Villette is a good friend though. I just can’t imagine telling her all the horrific things that have been happening lately. There’s a purity to her that I don’t want to taint.

I smile and squeeze her hand. “Thanks, babe.” I feel bad when I see the look of disappointment in her eyes. She wants me to trust her. I give in and spend the next hour telling her about the stalker and how he works for Atlas’s father. I leave out the part where I stab him to death. She would judge me for that, and I don’t want to turn her into a liar.

“Holy shit, Maur. What are you gonna do?” Her eyes are wide as she sucks down her third Margarita.

Kill every single one of them.

“I’m just trying to focus on school and let the guys handle their fathers. But I think we’re going to head up to Ever Graves after the spring equinox.”

The server, a curvy woman with blonde hair and bright-red lipstick, returns again with a plate of street tacos. “Um, those guys said you both need to eat more if you’re going to suck down Margaritas like water.”

I arch an eyebrow at her.

“Their words, not mine.” She raises her hands up in defense.

Villette and I burst out laughing as we happily scoot the plate of tacos between us. “Can we get some more sour cream, please? The biggest bowl you have.”

When the server returns with it, I stop her from setting it down. “I’d like you to give this to those guys, please. Tell them they need to eat all of this using only their fingers.”

The server sighs and shakes her head as she stalks off with the bowl, mumbling to herself, “Fucking weirdos.”

Villette laughs so hard that Margarita almost comes out of her nose. “I see why they call you firecracker now.”

I laugh with her. “Hey, they started it. I’m just better at playing their games.”

The look on Riot’s face is fucking priceless. I laugh so hard my stomach hurts. Atlas dips his finger in first, of course. He moans dramatically as he licks the sour cream off his fingers. Val dips the tip of his finger in cautiously as if it’s going to bite him.

“This is the most entertaining thing I’ve seen in a while,” Villette cackles. “You know you’re the only girl who can get Nocturnus to do shit like this. They are so obsessed with you.”

I wink as I finish a street taco in two bites, my appetite coming back tenfold. I wash it down with a fourth Margarita and finally start to feel a little tipsy. “I wish Libra was here for this. She would have told me to make them lick the bowl clean.”

---