Page 24 of Pretty Little Lies

She’s only meant for royalty and power.

Everyone else is a worthless pawn to someone that fucking magical and intoxicating.

“Wildes, do you wanna another drink, man?” I glance over at Tank, the dude’s birthday bash that I’m attending tonight, and shake my head. My expression must state everything, because he doesn’t push it, and knows that even half in the bag, I’m not in the mood to be peer pressured. I only want to storm across the floor and rip Bay out of Levi’s liplock, then beat his face in.

“You need to stop staring. You’re starting to look like a fuckin’ creep.” I don’t do what my best friend tells me to do and watch as Levi’s hand begins to drift too close to her ass.

“I told you not to come here tonight.”

“And miss seeing my girl?” Reeve muses at my side. Always the fucking idiot. “Never. I had a feeling she was going to show up tonight.”

Really? Because I didn’t.

And I’m starting to think I’m losing my touch.

“Is that why I just heard Phil fucking Collins?” I solicit evenly, right when Bay and Levi part swapping saliva.

He chuckles, watching what I am, but he doesn’t seem a bit fucking pissed off like I am. I’m fucking raging at this point, and it’s taking everything in me not to break Levi’s balls. “Inside joke.”

I scoff. Since when do Bay and him have jokes?

“So, what’s this show all about?”

“What do you mean?” I press. “They’re fucking together.”

“Sure about that? It only took the man eight years to kiss her. And, even then, she initiated.”

“Wallace doesn’t come off as a PDA kinda guy,” I reply through clenched teeth. “Maybe you got a little too close and he’s feeling territorial.”

“Seems pretty pointless since I’m supposed to be halfway to Mexico by now.”

I steal a look at him, finding him viewing the same show I am. “Which is why you shouldn’tbehere. If one of Wallace’s men sees you, your cover is blown.”

“It’s going to be blown sooner or later,” he affirms. “I’m not going to go under witness protection just because Wallace has a problem with me seeing my girl.”

I just stare at him. Words evade me because, what he’s got going in his head is denial.

Maybe I have it, too.

And, the fact that he just said that doesn’t bother me either. Especially since I’m not used to sharing anything.

“All in due time,” Reeve says before he slaps a hand to my shoulder blade. He takes note of me and smirks. “Just remember, I’m marrying her. So, whatever the fuck long-term plans that you have forming in your little head, just remember that.”

“Yeah, whatever,” I mutter, scanning the space again for Levi and Bay to see what other body part I need to break of Wallace’s, but they’re gone.

NINE

bay

REEVE: I need to see you.

My heart thrashesagainst my ribcage in excitement but equal disappointment. I know what this is, and I’m fully aware of how I feel.

My emotions over Reeve being alive send my mood sky-high in happiness that he’s home and safe, but it quickly plummets and crashes to Earth, because Levi doesn’t know and that, in turn, will make Reeve not safe again.

With my legs resting in Levi’s lap and a pizza box in the middle of us, we’re watching a few guys do some test runs with their cars down an abandoned road. Levi has a blanket laid out on the grass for us, dropping his boss duties tonight to hang out with me. It’s another place where we’re seen together in public to show that we’re an official couple so it can get back to where it needs to go, but even if we didn’t start this, we’d still be right here together.

“Hey, Lev…I need to tell you something,” I disclose, shoving past my anxiety and watching Levi shove half a piece of pizza in his mouth like a starving animal. The man has no decorum whenit comes to dining etiquette but I can’t help but be used to it and it doesn’t gross me out.

---