Page 41 of Pretty Little Lies

“You’re better off,” Reeve points out, as if I needed his opinion on the matter. “You belong with me anyway.”

My eyes spin on their own cognizance. “Haven’t we been through this? I don’t want you caught in the crossfire again.”

“We have. However, it’s like school, baby. I need to keep ramming it into your head until you start picking it up.”

“I hate school.”

“Why is it hard?” It’s only difficult because of the constant bills and everything else going on.

I shake my head and then give a slight shrug. “Depends on the class.”

“And you have your hands tied, to which, I won’t hold you any longer.” He wipes out a foot of space between us, encasing me in his existing gaze that holds so much promise and words of guilt. “Hold your head up, McQueen. The sun’s going to come out soon.”

“Will you keep the clouds away?” I counter, causing him to frown before recognition dawns on his face.

Torin.

“Easier said than done,” he emits. “Wildes isn’t used to liking someone.”

I hum my skepticism. These boys…I’m striding onto their turf with my so-called right to the throne. And maybe Reeve holds the key to what they’re all about, as far as their plans with the Forsaken Crew. If everything goes right, Emilio will be dead. Ramsey, I’m allowing Levi to handle that too. I didn’t sign up to spill blood, but to be the little rat that gets the big, bad cat inside the house.

However, Torin is my biggest obstacle, because I’m not entirely sure how he’s going to feel about being fatherless.

“I’d kiss you,” Reeve wields like a jagged sword, but the fucked-up thing is that I want to be cut again. I want to feel the slices of his tongue and arch into the painful pleasure of trying to keep myself impassive, but that’s impossible.

It’s unachievable, point-blank.

Reeve is my blind spot.

“However,” he continues. “Prying eyes and all that. Your sister hasn’t stopped looking over at us.”

“Good job,” I half tease, half scold. “Now I have to explainyou.”

“Not for much longer,” he vows, that easy simper playing along those lips again and seeding an unruly shiver to cast over my frame. “But, for now, just imagine my lips on yours…my tongue slowly sliding into that pretty little mouth.” His russet greens fall directly to them. “And how I’d cup your hip just so…hinting to the fact of how much I’d want to hold them while I’m driving into you.”

I feel my cheeks flush, but I refuse to look away. “Reeve…”

He cocks his head slowly to the side as if he’s as innocent as a young child. “Bay…” Those eyes glimmer in mischief, fully awareI can’t be fooled. “Don’t worry, I won’t keep you waiting too long. I’m not sure how much longer I can take it anyway.”

Stepping away from me, he salutes me with two fingers over his forehead before turning away. “Text me back if you want me to tell you more. I have thousands of scenarios residing in my head.”

And he did, in his own non-sexual way.

Because when I get home, there are five different pizzas on the porch and a bouquet of yellow roses with the card signedReevie.

I might be playing a game right now.

But Reeve’s playing to win.

FOURTEEN

bay

The last twodays have been like living outside of my body.

Nothing has really changed besides Levi not coming to the house to keep up with appearances. He texts me over a hundred times a day to check on Dad, the girls, and my mental state, I’m sure. He admitted that he’s having withdrawals from seeing us all and he plans to sneak over tonight to visit. Especially since the girls know nothing about what’s happening and a sudden disappearance of him would get them to question where he is eventually.

And the universe doesn’t want to cut me a break. Because the next two seconds come to a literal screeching halt. Even the person behind me runs into my spine from the abrupt malfunction of my feet from the blast from the past currently standing in front of me who I never wanted to see again.

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