Page 88 of Pretty Little Lies

“You don’t seem to understand me, do you? I would doanythingto keep you safe, and this isn’t it. This was thewrongchoice. I fucked up. I never should’ve left you?—”

“This is theonlyway,” I retort, clasping the top of his hands and giving him a slight squeeze. “I’m sorry that I called.”

His brows clench. “Don’t ever apologize for needing me. You know I’m always here for you, Astor.”

My lips attempt to heave into a warm grin, but the situation is just too grim to allow them. “I know. What would I do without you?”

“Probably date a bunch of assholes.”

I tsk and half-ass roll my eyes. “I don’t date anymore.”

“You should.”

“I don’t want to. I should, but…” Everything is a mess and I have to put my family first and Levi. “I can’t juggle all thisandMatteo. He’s a loose cannon, and he’s trying to trip me up. First showing up at my school, then Emilio’s party, he thinks I have information.”

“He’s desperate.”

“And he’s getting a littletooclose.”

One of Levi’s thumbs grazes my cheek, warming my insides at how perfectly content I feel right now even though the world outside is havoc and bullshit for us. “What do you want to do?”

“I want him gone.”

“And how do you want to do that?”

I don’t know. However, this whole popping out of nowhere crap is getting old really fast.

“You need to meet him.” I gape at Levi because that’s literally thelastthing I want to do. “Take Reeve with you. He’s the only one who’s going to allow you to do it. I’ll be there as well in the background. Meet him at the park, take my gun?—”

“Why would I do that? That’s just putting it in his head that Iwanthim to keep doing this to gain my attention.”

“I…” Levi presses his lips together and swallows down the rest of his statement. That alone only tells me that he doesn’t want to put me in another situation.

“You need to get the one-up on him,” I supply. “We have to get inside his head.”

“With me out of the way, I thought the boys would cock-block him, but he’s stupider than I thought.”

“I can do it.”

Levi leans in and my breath catches. Ever since that kiss, my reactions are slightly different than before, and I think my brain is latching onto him because he’s the safest I’ve ever felt.

Pressing his forehead to mine, Levi breathes me in before saying, “I know you can. I just don’t want you to. You’re carrying South Shore on your back, and I’m supposed to be the king.”

“Then maybe you should step down and let me be queen.”

It’s definitely not on my agenda of things to do nor a piece of my bucket list, but I can’t miss a moment to outrank Levi any day.

“If you want it, it’s yours,” he concedes softly. “Though, it’s a lot of work and guys complaining about shit.”

“Pass.”

A deep chuckle rumbles off Levi’s chest. “I thought so.”

“I need Matteo’s number.”

“I’ll get it. You just let me know when and where. And, soon, I’ll let you do the honors right before he’s dead.”

TWENTY-EIGHT

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