Page 46 of Pretty Little Lies

I’ve never met someone equal enough to me, and it almost scares me. And nice compliments and promises aren’t the easiest way to get to us.

“Stay away from me,” I grumble, keeping his stare locked on mine. “I don’t want you near me. I’m not looking to take The Landings. I don’t want a relationship ofanykind. Every time I’m with one of you, something happens. And I can’t afford it anymore.”

“I can solve that, ya know?”

“Since when did you start giving a shit? Did you leave your cloak of invisibility at home when you decided to show up the other night at the race? That Levi wasn’t going to see you?”

Torin moves, and it’s like whatever power he possesses holds me to the cement and keeps a tight hold on me.

I swallow, literally getting eaten up by Torin’s golden eyes and the way he doesn’t appear pleased by anything that’s happened in the last few days.

So, to keep my vulnerability in check, I pop off at the mouth again.

“Talk your shit because I know you’re not here for a social call.”

“How do you know?” he challenges back. “I didn’t break up with you, and?—”

“We were never athing. We fucked. That’s it. I’ve told you personally to fuck off like a million times over already. Take the hint.”

Torin looks over my shoulder, but still moves forward, towering over me with his handsome features and bad attitude. “We fucked. We’ve said some things. Just keep doing what you’re doing. Pretend we’re not here. Pretend that this never happened—us.” He bends forward and drops his voice, which drips with so much disdain that it causes goosebumps to slowly run up my body as if I hurt his feelings. “I’ll let Reeve know how hisgirl’sday at college was, since the idea of being mine disgusts you so much.”

Then he strides away, spine steeled against my bitchy words, and motions for two men who stand by a tinted-out SUV to follow.

I didn’t notice them before.

I didn’t heed a fucking thing because I know what lies on the other end of Torin Wildes.

It’s pure devastation.

I survived Matteo. I’m not so sure I have it in me to keep my body and soul together when it comes to him.

FIFTEEN

bay

Levi saidhe’d find me.

With the girls and Travis at my side, I’m a coat rack, a shelf, and a moneybag for all the shit my sisters wanted to do today at the Beach Fair.

Thankfully, Ellie dipped to hang out with her friends; however, she took fifty bucks from me and promised to be back by nine so we can leave. However, Mae has been running me from game to game, from ride to ride. Every food truck we pass, she wants something. Then she has to go to the bathroom. Then she wants to play another silly-ass game and win the biggest stuffed animal there.

I’ve run out of hands.

But my patience has stayed intact, probably because my anxiety has taken a front seat, waiting for Levi at every turn or corner. Pending the moment when he and I go at it again for the last time.

Not surehowhe’s going to pull this off since he’s aware I have my sisters with me, but I’ll let him solve that problem. I have my hands full.

Literally.

“Bay, I have to go to?—”

“My God,” I whine, yeah, whine, because I swear, we were just in the bathroom five minutes ago. “Girl, we’re cutting back on the liquids. How do you have to pee again?”

She shrugs, gnawing on a sucker and looking up at me expectedly to take her there.

“I got it,” Travis says, coming in for the rescue, then dips his tone. “We’re gonna hit up a game on the way back. Levi is down the way.”

Key for—game time.

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