Page 113 of Seeds of Malice

More anger rages inside me.

I tug her tighter into me, and I'm no longer pretending. "All of you, stop being cruel to Ivy."

"Since when are you a prude, Dax?" Cindy asks.

"I'm so over you, Cindy. If I never see you again, it won't be soon enough," I seethe.

Hurt fills Cindy's expression.

Bobby crosses his arms. "Is this really who you want to be with?"

Why can't they understand I don't want to play this game right now?

He adds, "Cindy's right. She's a prude and turning you into one."

In the past, this situation would be perfect. Right now, it's only making me ill.

And pissed off with a rage I've not felt in a long time.

I step forward and push Bobby.

He pushes back, shouting, "What the fuck's gotten into you?"

"I'm over this and you."

Avery interjects, "She can't handle being here. You shouldn't have brought her."

"Would you shut the fuck up?" I bark.

Avery crosses her arms and pins her gaze on me. "Fine, I'll shut up. Or I'll shut up, and I'll never talk about any of this again."

And here's the wild card.

I cautiously ask, "If what?"

But I shouldn't. I know better. I just stepped into Avery's trap.

She glances at Ivy, then me. "I won't make fun of Ivy ever again. I won't even claim that she doesn't belong here. I'll be nice to her."

"You're a liar," I state.

"Why am I a liar?"

I stay quiet.

"So you don't want that for Ivy?" she taunts.

I glance between Ivy and her. In a normal game, I want Avery to keep harassing Ivy. Yet everything in my head is screaming for her to stop.

"Guess Dax doesn't care about you that much," Avery says to Ivy.

I blurt out, "Of course I want you to stop."

"Good. Then Ivy only has to do one thing to earn my approval."

My gut drops to my toes. "What's that?"

Avery turns fully toward Ivy. "Ivy, show us you aren't a homophobe. Kiss me."

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