Page 23 of Pretty Little Lies

Slowly descending back to my feet, it forces us to break the kiss as I peel my eyes open, just to fall into Levi’s now dark greens that are filled with hunger.

I try to swallow down the lump in my throat and say something, but it’s lodged. Levi’s tongue traipses along his bottom lip, as if tasting me again, and my pussy clenches, goosebumps lining every inch of my flesh.

Now,it’s not normal anymore.

“Do you think you’d be okay handling Wildes alone? I need you to pack this into cement with him.”

I don’t want to see Torin for many reasons.

First and foremost, I can’t move. I’m tightly cocooned in this little ball that Levi just put me in, and I don’t want to leave it. Second, I can only imagine how pissed Torin is going to be. Third, he’s going to start interrogating me on the spot. Fourth, he’s going to try to kiss me, touch me, get me alone in a corner somewhere to remind me of before. Of all the times he stole me away from Matteo and I craved all those things.

“I think we just did,” I finally manage to get out. “And…if we really were dating, you probably wouldn’t let me out of your sight.”

Levi stares at me for a few more seconds before giving me a curt nod. “I wouldn’t.”

Lifting my drink, I silently cheers my best friend and plan to down this thing like I’ve been in the Sahara desert for the last eight days. “Then let’s make some money, dance, and have a good time. When’s the last time we’ve been able to do that?”

Levi gives me a small smile. “Don’t remember.”

“Then it’s been too long.” I reach for his hand and squeeze it, needing some sort of physical contact that persuades me that we’re still okay. “I think we need it.”

My best friend raises our joined hands to his lips and kisses the top of mine softly. “Whatever the Queen of South Shore wants.”

EIGHT

torin

I’ve never enjoyed takingthe high road, nor do I enjoy watching Bay make out with Levi Wallace after all the things I’ve done with her.

But I stay rooted to my spot, watching the scene play out in front of me as I curl and uncurl my fingers into tight fists, just waiting for it to stop so I can breathe again.

So, I was wrong.

Each time I had Bay up against me or my fingers were somewhere on her skin, I swore she was playing me with this fairytale of being Wallace’s girl. That it was some sort of shield to keep me from her once again because I’d be scared to endure his wrath.

I’ve been here before, fantasized over this woman time and time again, and she’s still out of my reach. I can’t fully lay claim on her as mine until I deal with Wallace and the little stunt he pulled with Reeve.

Yeah, I know about it.

I’ve also reamed Reeve out about stepping foot into South Shore without backup, because the reality of whatcould’vehappened could have been so much worse. He’s just lucky asfuck that he has a dark guardian angel hanging over his shoulder or he’d still be in a metal shipment container with no way home.

And I never would’ve conjured up Wallace’s game plan of shipping him off instead of killing him like I thought he would. But maybe he didn’t want to dig a hole.

Regardless, he’s on my shit list, and I’m going to get his ass at the first given opportunity. Wallace is only making it worse on himself.

Bay is mine.

I’ve said it time and fucking time again and bitched at myself for it. That no woman is worththis,but I can’t stop the carnal need to own that blue-eyed vixen with every ounce of me. I’m starting to realize how Matteo felt minus the small-dick energy and the weak-ass gang he manages, but to let her go is losing. It’s not having the one piece of light that I think we all crave within the depths of our dark. Nothing compares or has even come close to Bay Astor in my lifetime.

And I’ve never wanted anyone more.

She may hate me for pushing the bar and getting in her space while Matteo was around. She might loathe my cocky and entitled ass to where I want everything my way or the highway.

Shit, she may even despise me for not fucking her way back when, even though I wanted to, but this little shitshow that I’ve been watching for three minutes too long is where I’ve come to a crossroads.

Is this woman worth the destruction and work that my crew would need to go through to obtain?

Wallace obviously wasn’t a fan of Reeve randomly showing up to her house. And I can only imagine how he’d feel if he knew that I’ve already had her, but I’m never going to bring that up, and I would never put her in a dangerous situation in front of one of the most cutthroat assholes I know. It’s only annoyingly fitting that Bay may belong to Wallace.

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