Page 164 of Deceit

Her green eyes knit on us. “Could ask you the same question.”

“So which one of you wants to tell us what the hell is going on? Believe it or not, I’m running out of patience.”

Blue reenters the room, standing alongside Mills, and I don’t miss the reasoning.

She’s supporting him.

And Blue doesn’t support shit besides dick when she wishes for it.

“Why does something always have to be going on?” Blue rolls her eyes as if Kyson’s questions are exhausting and sometimes they are. But something must be vibing him weird. “I’ve been telling you that you need to get that paranoia shit looked at.”

“And you need to practice your adult skills and answer a question when it’s asked instead of avoiding.”

She shrugs dismissively. “I didn’t like it.”

It’s then that I realize this is it—us.

The four of us, minus Marty, and how empty it feels. How no one tries to say her name anymore. That it weighs like a brick wall, that it hurts too much to admit, that we’ll never ever be the same.

No one will ever take her place.

“Blue—“ Mills exhales a defeated breath. “—it’s hopeless at this point.” She glances over at him before moving to the other side, standing directly next to Atlas as if she’s protecting her from us.

“I’m not going to take her away,” I defend sharply. “If y’all body-snatched, I’ll help…take care of them. Just tell me what we’re up against.”

“Remember you said that,” Mills recites cautiously before the baby he’s holding belches out. For something so small, it’s loud, and Mills quirks a small smile.

I shrug. “Alright, what you need me to do?” Mills casts another worried look on Blue. “Did you off Alexander?”

Some people may say they’re sorry they said it, but I’m not.

I just wish I was there to participate.

He shakes his head to my disappointment. “Nah…not yet. Atlas and Alaric—“ He gives us one more look over. His jaw tightening in aggravation and alertness. “—they’re mine.”

My face contorts at the surface of his words as Kyson’s voice booms through next. “Explain.Now.”

“I…” His eyes fasten to mine, glossing over with uncontaminated remorse. “Emmy and I—“ I lunge forward, forgetting that there is a two-month-old baby between us. That my destructive ways take nothing or anyone into consideration when it rears its ugly head.

Kyson catches me by the back of the shirt and hauls me backward, getting me to trip on my own feet, but I catch myself.

My elbow catches Kyson’s ribs as I start for him together.

All I see is him.

“Bish.” My best friend gets a hold of me again, arm wrapped around my middle to keep me from advancing any further.

My eyes bore sharp daggers into Mills, and I’ve never wanted to kill someone as much as I desire to do right now. The betrayal on both sides is immediate, but it surfaces on him first and foremost because he’s in front of me, explaining that he fucked Emmy behind my back.

He knows what she tastes like. How it feels to have her—

“Motherfucker!” I roar out, the possibilities of everything they’ve done together starting to close in around me.

My chest heaves in unsteady and shallow inhales of air. I opened up to her. I fuckingmarriedher. I loved her more than anything in my fucking life, and she fooled around with the ass clown known as Mills?

Whendid she fuck him?

I mean, they’re together a lot, but…I search around Mill’s place as though a glowing circle is going to point out where they’ve screwed in this house.

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