Page 151 of Devious Knight

“I don’t want to.”

“We’ve never cared about right and wrong before. But I think this situation calls for it. She should know everything, Kade. Especially about the consequences of her actions. As innocent as it was, you can’t keep something like that from her.”

He’s right. I already feel like I’m trapped in a lie every time I see her. “She won’t want to be with me when she finds out.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Dmitri, if I knew I had something to do with her mother’s murder, I couldn’t be with her. The guilt would be too much. She’s a better person than me. So, I know if I tell her, I’ll lose her.”

His shoulders loosen, and he drags in a deep breath. “Maybe you should give yourselves the chance to figure it out. Trust me, nobody knows more than me that you can’t build anything based on secrets and lies.”

He’s speaking from experience again. I can always tell. And he’s right again.

Building a life on secrets and lies is one sure disaster.

In this case, that disaster would be one I created all by myself.

Fuck my life. My damn plans blew up in my face.

I have to tell her. But not yet. It has to be soon, but not just yet.

I want her to be mine for a little longer.

My girl. My Lolita.

I didn’t torture her. She tortured me every step of the way, and I had to learn the hard way that there is no one else for me but her.

Chapter Thirty-Five

Isabelle

I approach the garden outside the performing arts building and spot Mackenzie walking down the wide stone steps.

Good. I’m just in time. I decided to meet her here after seeing Parker.

She’s treating me to ice cream at the parlor, then a trip to the salon to get our nails done. There we’ll meet the other girls.

When Mackenzie sees me, she runs up to me and gives me the biggest hug.

“Oh, Isabelle, I’m so, so sorry.” We pull apart, and tears fill her eyes. She holds on to both my hands. “I can’t tell you how sorry I am. Every time you go out with me, something happens to you. But this is by far the worst.”

“It’s not your fault.”

“Are you kidding me? I would understand if you didn’t want to be friends anymore.”

I smirk and shake my head. “That’s not going to happen.”

“But I'd understand if you chose to.”

“No. I’m not doing that. I guess I’m just one of those unfortunate people shit happens to.”

“Don’t say that.”

“It’s kind of true.”

“Michael is the least likely person I thought would do that to you.”

“You and me both.”

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