Page 45 of Vicious Sentiments

I flip my hair to the side and try to smile.

Ew.

I click the phone off quickly and sigh. What am I even doing? I don’t know how to entice a man, unless you count just existing. But is that enough to keep a man like Julian? To make him want to hurry home? He could have any girl he wants. Was I too eager when he was in my bed? Will I be easily conquered and tossed to the side?

My body sags. I like it here. I like Margo, and Marney, and all the safety that comes with them. Dillon might be annoying, but nothing isperfect. And as long as Julian is right about Cape, then I have nothing to fear. I may even have something to be excited about… both of them?

I have no idea what twisted game I’ve gotten myself into but on par with being fucked up in the head, I like it.

I snap my head up when the door cracks open. Marney slips her head in, and I quickly pull up on the collar of my shirt to cover my shoulder.

She grins and speed tip toes to me after shutting the door behind her. She’s wearing little black sneakers and a black hoodie over her black silk pajama bottoms. She looks like a very fashionable ninja.

She cannonballs onto the bed, grinning ear to ear. “We’re breaking and entering,” she giggles, throwing her head back like a little maniac.

“What?” I gasp.

“Well, like, it’s not really breaking in because we have the key, but we are definitely entering!”

It takes me a second for my mind to catch up and then my eyes bulge.

“Julian’s?”

“Yes! We can go out the back. Margo is asleep in her room.”

I bite my lip. Of all the things I thought this could be, raiding Julian’s house was the farthest thing from my mind. I eye the drawer of the nightstand where I tucked the keys and money.

“But… But for what?” I ask.

“Just because! It’ll be fun. We’re like bandits, or criminals.”

I resist the urge to tell her that she—we?—are already criminals, being in the arms dealing business.

“Will he get mad?” I ask stupidly, realizing that I don’t actually know Julian. Does he value his privacy? Did he only give me the keys to make me feel better and not actually go over there?

“Not at you.” She deadpans.

“But you?”

“He won’t find out! He doesn’t even have cameras.” She makes a face. “He thinks that anyone can access them.”

I wring my hands together, not knowing if I should be entertaining this idea. Iamthe older one. Shouldn’t I direct Marney back to sleep?

“It’s too dangerous,” I try to tell her.

“He gave you the keys! It’s three houses down. And think of all the juicy secrets we can uncover.”

Juicy secrets? I’m hard pressed to think he has any, and if he does, I don’t think he would be stupid enough to leave them lying around.

At my hesitation she grabs my shoulders and shakes. “He. Gave. You. The. Keys.”

“Yes, but…”

“If he finds out you can say you were feeling scared, like he said.”

He did give me the keys. But it feels wrong to go rooting through his house in the middle of the night, with basically his little sister in toe.

“Pleaseeeeee. It will be fun. I promise. Julian has a tanning bed and it’s about to be winter.”

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