Page 61 of Rat Race

It was high up, between one of my ribs… and right where my lungs were.

It would kill me.She’s trying to kill me.

Anger. Betrayal. Anxiety. All of it exploded inside me. My skin itched with it. My hands shook. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. Couldn’t believe?—

How fuckin’ stupid you are.It was Pa’s voice again. This time I didn’t tell him to shut up. He was just whispering my own thoughts back to me.

I watched in slow motion as Aubrey moved closer to us, oblivious to the shift in power. The annoyingness on her features hadn’t yet changed to rage. Those sharp eyes of hers had yet to home in on Ella.

I had but mere seconds until she came to the same conclusion I did.

It was one thing for her to stab me in the back, but…

I didn’t know what I was more worried about. Ella hurting Aubrey, or what Aubrey would try to do to the girl once she found out she had a knife to my back.

"Peaches, stay right there," I called, putting my hand up to stop Aubrey from advancing.

Maybe this is the test. Maybe it’s not Aubrey at all.

It’s Ella.

I hadn’t once suspected her. Not even when Aubrey had so unabashedly called her out on it. Because, in my mind, thetemptation of Aubrey should have been the sin. That was the easiest to pinpoint.

But that was the whole point of a test.And I had almost failed it.

Almost.

The whole time in the maze, God had been showing me flashes. Reminding me of what I needed to do. And I ignored it. But now His message was clear.

Make a show of it.

And fuck me, I was ready to spit venom. Making a show was the least I’d do.

I still had a chance. And I wasn’t going to let it slip through my fingers.

Aubrey rolled her eyes, continuing her path toward us, my heart beating a thousand miles an hour in my chest with every waterlogged step.

Now it was a game of who could move the fastest.

If Ella did, and punctured a vital organ, I wasn't entirely sure I'd manage to survive long enough to crack her skull open.

A sort of wave washed over me, pushing away all my fears and worries about Aubrey.

She was never the test.

I almost felt… giddy.

Like the knowledge of that alone would be enough to push me to do what I needed to.

Now, I was a good old-fashioned southerner, and when I needed to apologize to my girl, it was customary to bring a gift. Usually, I would’ve opted for flowers, maybe something sparkly to take the edge off. Aubrey was just going to have to make do with what I had on hand—the severed hand of her enemy.

If ya bite the hand that fuckin’ feeds ya, expect them to take yours clean off.

God gave me a hell of a reminder of who I was, and I was keen to make good on it. Now that IknewI could have her, my little bloodied angel, I sure as shit wasn't going to let no traitorous little witch take her from me.

"One more step," Ella called. "And I'll run them through with this knife. You think taking out a Weston will give me a nice final score boost? Only one way to find out, right?"

My watch buzzed on my wrist, not that I had an opportunity to look at the messages... Or that I could deal to see what Hope had to say about the damned predicament that I’d gotten myself into.

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