Page 36 of Thorns of Malice

"It's okay, Avery. Nothing's wrong. Dax is just a little off right now," I interject.

"Seeing Ivy, I'm sure he is," Bobby says, stepping up next to Avery and steadying her with his arm around her waist.

She turns her gaze off me, glancing at Bobby.

Bobby nods at me. "Ivy. It's been a long time."

My insides quiver harder. I hate everything about Bobby, especially after what Matt told me.

Not only did I research everyone's names online, but I also spent too many hours on Bobby's legal issues. They all quietly went away, but it made me sick.

I force myself to stand up, put my hand on his chest, and rise on my tiptoes. I go to kiss him on the cheek, but he turns his head and meets my lips.

I want to hurl.

Don't mess this up,I scold myself when I almost flinch.

He puts his hand on my ass. "Ivy, you're looking as hot as ever. Isn't she, Avery?" He glances at her.

Avery puts her hand on my bicep to steady herself, and she nods as if in a trance. "Yeah. You look amazing."

It seems genuine, but I know nothing about her and Bobby is. I remind myself that it's all a game to them. Nothing they say is true.

I pretend I'm Avery when she's not drunk. Putting on a smile and batting my eyelashes, I reply, "Thank you, and you two look…" I run my fingers down both of their chests, stopping right in the middle of Avery's cleavage.

She inhales sharply and holds her breath.

I lower my voice. "Just as amazing." I let my gaze linger on Avery's breasts, then slowly pull it up to meet hers.

The same heat I saw when she tried to seduce me multiple times erupts within me.

I lean in, but I no longer smell the same scent she used to wear. It's a new one, and it hits me that it has to be the Seducing Ivy perfume. It's intoxicating, just like her old one used to be.

Once again, I resist the urge to run away. All the memories of what used to be hit me. Things I tried to force out of my head but never could.

My lower body throbs, adrenaline pools in my cells, and the urge to do things I shouldn't gets stronger, making me loathe myself.

I have to get out of here.

But I can't.

"Well, well. Looks like I'm missing the party," another familiar voice interjects.

I freeze, my heart beating faster. The smell of arousal bursts in my nose, making me dizzy.

I grasp Dax's arm to steady myself and realize it's a memory. I slowly turn to stare at Lilly.

She gives me a friendly look. It's the same one she always gave me when I thought she was my friend.

Was she a victim like me or part of their game?

Lilly was on that tape as well. And there was a blowout afterward, I'm sure, with her father, the senator. Yet I don't know what happened.

My father wouldn't let me turn on the TV after everything went down. And I don't know if she was truly friends with them, but I assume she was also embarrassed to be on that video.

I remind myself that everyone's the enemy, and force myself to be as friendly as I used to be with her. "Lilly, it's good to see you."

She reaches for me, and I hug her. It's just as warm as it always was. There's nothing sexual about it. But once again, I don't know the truth about her.

---