Page 213 of Pretty Little Lies

I mindlessly step around Reeve, wanting the gun out of Torin’s risky grip before he does any permanent damage. He might be scratching the side of his head with it, but everything on him is trembling with grief and sadness. It vibes off him in a way that cuts through me. I haven’t felt guilty about Judah in a long time, but it feels raw and open again.

And it only feels that way because Torin is suffering the consequences of my actions before I even knew him.

Pretty Boy notices my movements like a raptor waiting on something to walk by to bounce on and returns the gun to me. “Don’t fucking come near me.”

I’veneverheard him sound like that.

Torin’s voice emits absolute devastation and misery. I think back to years ago and if Judah ever mentioned a brother, but nothing comes to mind.

Nothing at all.

“Torin—” Reeve is cut off by the swing of Torin’s glower before it returns to its rightful place.

Me.

“You’re the girl”—Torin lifts the gun up and down as if putting me on display—“the one he wrote about. The one he spoke about when I used to see him at the Coney Island.”

I shake my head. “No, Torin, he dateda lotof girls. I remember?—”

“Shut up.” He takes a menacing step forward and oxygen refuses to enter my lungs because everything on me is numb and labored. “You think you know everything? That you’re gonna brainwash things that actually happened in my life? Stunning blue eyes, that’s fuckingyou. He wanted you, but didn’t want to taint you. He said you were special. That you were the pandemic that was going to destroy his relationship with De Leon. I never put two and two together…” He stares off at something behind me and doesn’t continue his words. So lost in his grief that I’m sure everything he wants to get out dejects him.

Reeve, on the other hand, has already reached for my hand and laces his fingers with mine. Slowly, pulling me back and close to his side.

“Let’s go home, brother,” he says. “We’ll talk more about this tomorrow.”

“I don’twantto talk about this anymore,” his best friend responds back, his tone placid and placed as though he’s already a million miles away in his head. “I want it to stop.”

I squeeze Reeve’s hand, hinting that he needs to take him before one of us gets shot.

Thankfully, my surfer boy understands me and moves so that he’s blocking Torin’s shot of me.

“Alright,” he says. “We don’t need to.”

“She’s going to destroy us,” I hear Torin say. “She’s already starting.”

“Nothing is going to pry us apart. I promise.”

“You’re here, aren’t you? You’re here to see her, protect her. I got the message from?—”

“C’mon,” Reeve urges. “It’s been a long day. Let’s go home and eat.”

Torin surprisingly doesn’t argue as Reeve wraps his arm around Torin’s shoulders, guiding him away to another aisle of cars to take him back.

They disappear, and I force myself to get it together. My heart absolutely aches for Torin, and I don’t know how to fix this. How I could possibly make this right when I’m incapable of bringing someone back to life.

Sounds like you being Penn Northcott’s granddaughter was the issue.

I need to talk to Levi.

Everything in my existence is so fucked that I’m not sure how much more I can literally take.

Pivoting, I slowly make my way back to my car when my phone buzzes with a message.

REEVE: We’re not done talking. We’re not done, period.

Tears burn the back of my eyes with relief.

I didn’t lose him.

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