Page 70 of Pretty Little Lies

Her nostrils flare at my nonchalance. How I can’t fake giving a flying shit. “We haven’t discussed what youdid,” she leers, manicured hands clutched into fists. “How you almost let medieout there.” I blink at her, which only clicks the notch on ramping her anger higher and her heels hitting the hardwood floors toward me. “Did you want me to drown?”

“Honestly, Vivian, it wouldn’t have been my worse day.” Her hand suddenly slams across my face, but I welcome the pain.

I deserve it.

I allowed her to send my brother to prison when I should’ve seen the signs sooner. When I should’ve stopped her ordering him around and making him into her little puppy. I just thought he needed the attention and that one day he’d grow the confidence that I know resided in him.

I failed.

She fucked everything up.

And I can’t even pretend to be sorry about it.

“You need me,” she quips. “More than I need you.”

True, but I’ll find another way to gain a cop to do my bidding. I definitely don’t need her fat piece-of-shit father to do it for me.

“Then leave me alone,” I counter. “I’ve told you over a hundred times that I don’t give two shits about it anymore. You fucked up a long time ago. I don’t understand what you thought was gonna change. You following me around like a lost puppy is only pissing me off. We’re done. We’re over. We’re fuckingthrough. You keep doing this to me…and I’m gonna make you disappear to the point where you’ll be on one of those missing persons shows that you like so much.”

Vivian pushes out her lips. “I messed up. I know. However, he’s out of jail on good behavior. He’sfinenow.”

“He lostout,” I snap, my jaw tightening so hard that it feels like one wrong move and it’s gonna snap. Just because he got out of prison doesn’t mean shit. He should’ve never been there in the first place. “You took years from his fucking life, Viv. I’ll never forgive you for that. We’re dead and gone. I don’t love you anymore. So, you may as well stop trying and save yourself the energy. Go harass some other poor, innocent soul.”

“Stop trying?” She steps closer to me, determined as all hell to change my mind. She’s been on that kick for years andnothing’s stuck yet. It’s like beating a dead animal. You can’t resurrect the thing to feel anymore and I’m never going to revive what we once had. “We’re getting married?—”

“Are you fucking slow?” I leer, my temper finally breaking through to all this bullshit that I’m still dealing with years later. “I’m not marrying you. I’m not dating you. I don’twantto be with you. Do you understand me, because you’ve never answered that question?”

“You don’t mean that.”

Oh my fucking God.

“Don’t get it twisted,” I reply through clenched teeth, wanting to throttle her already and just get it over with. “You’ll never wear my name. I don’t want to protect you forever and always. I’m notattractedto you, and I sure as hell don’tforgiveyou. If you keep pushing me, I swear to God, I’ll make it so you wish you never would’ve laid eyes on me in the first place.”

“Don’t say things you don’t?—”

“Mean?” A mirthless chuckle reverberates in my chest. “Nah, it’s a fucking fact. When I run Wharf Bay and take over for my father, youwon’tbe pulling the shit you are now. This is leniency, Viv. A gift. The only one you’re ever going to get from me.” My cell goes off again, and I use that opportunity to dip out and end this worthless conversation. “Thanks for another waste of my time.”

“Cairo, don’t you dare leave.”

I do just that, and I’ll let you guess what she does.

Her voice begins to blur, words not even forming into sentences as I’m sure she’s arguing with me about what I should and shouldn’t be thinking or feeling.

It was always going to come to this.

I knew it a long time ago; I just wanted it to be different. I had always hoped Vivian would find some other asshole to harass, but she’s always had her eyes set on me. I’m not sure if it’s thepower or the fact that no one else will ever give her the time or space.

Her hands start flying around at my side, deep in conversation with herself, with me as the main character, when I start to slow my steps for her to get ahead of me and lost in the crowd.

Vivian gains a few feet, still going at it with herself and getting a few weird looks from passerbyers when I’m suddenly linebacked in the side, stumbling into between two food trucks before I can catch my footing.

But my spine is slammed into the side of the nearest metal vehicle when I’m presented with something hard in my gut, accompanied by someone soft pressed against me.

“You really need to set her straight, Black,” the female voice muses. “You’re starting to look weak.”

Bay.

The woman Vivian just spent a whole two minutes bitching about.

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