Page 52 of The Villain

“She did?” Tera asks in surprise, drawing me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah. I told her she had to tell me something about herself and the story of how you met was what she gave me.”

“Really,” she sounds enthralled with the simple story. “She definitely likes you.”

“Because she told me something that could have been a simple sentence in your diary? She basically had zero emotion talking about it,” I scoff. Inside, I’m so fucking confused and hopeful. You would think removing emotion from a person would make things easier.

“She told you about something that she has feelings about. It’s something simple to you. For her, she just gave you a very private glimpse to the fact that she has emotions. It took me years for her to show me that. This is so exciting!”

“There’s a chance that she can feel something for me?” I sound so fucking needy. I swipe that thought aside and focus on what I want. I need this info.

“She already does, Shade,” Tera tells me smugly. “South is doing so much for you and you don’t even realize it. She warned me to be nice to you. She gave you a personal story just because you wanted one. She’s playing games with you. She hasn’t hurt you for upsetting me. She met up with you and she never meets with anyone unless she owes me. All little things to you. To me, those are big effing signs. You’ve unlocked my Southie and I’m so happy about it!”

Fuck. Yes!

13. Feel Nothing

Shade

The decision to break into the team’s house is easily made. I want to look around and see what else I’ve missed with my pathetic blinders. Then I can make amends with Evie and keep moving forward.

I make my way inside, shaking my head at their stupidity. They haven’t changed the code since I left. I’ve been working with children this entire time. Not exactly a surprise since they were children when they were picked out by Matthias. We all were.

I wonder if any of us have had a chance to just be kids? Would we be different? I know I would probably be dead. My mom was a druggy at that point, in a bad neighborhood, and no money for bills without Matthias’ little job offer.

But everyone else on this team has someone out there that cares about them. Someone they still have to lie to for safety. They could leave this life without any type of repercussion. Be normal like nothing ever happened.

Why don’t they?

Maybe because, like me, this is the only family we’ve ever known. At one point I trusted them enough to have my back. Enough to spill truths about myself none of them deserved. Wrongly as it turns out.

If I had been honest from the start things might have been different. Probably not but that’s fucking life. It would have led me straight into a trap I wouldn’t have wanted to get out of.

I’m not expecting to see anyone as I walk through. They’re supposed to be on Judge Fullerton like flies.

A mistake.

Felix looks up from his phone as I walk into the living room. We stare at each other blankly.

“You’re back?” The look of shock on his face is priceless.

“For my shit,” I explain in a cold tone. The lie I came up with in case someone showed up. I don’t want anything from this house. Or the people in it.

“I’ve been wanting to talk to you. Alone,” he clears his throat and looks away.

We really are just giant toddlers, aren’t we.

I look around the living room. Absolutely nothing has changed. Not one item. Whatever Evie broke has been replaced without a dime from me. The not so subtle manipulation to get me back with them through money is pathetic. And I was ready to give it to them. Partially to give them zero reasons to contact me other than work. And because I actually felt bad about bailing out completely. That feeling is long gone now.

He takes my silence as permission to speak.

“You never gave me a chance to explain,” he starts, his hands tightening over his phone.

“Explain what?”

“Melissa. That night.”

I raise a brow. Not much to explain. The cliff notes version was enough. Not to mention the fact that Tera has seen a video if I need proof, not that I’ve ever asked.

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