Page 120 of Forsaken Oath

I roll my shoulders back and roll my eyes. “We didn’t make a fucking video, Margot.” My voice is dry, deadpan.

She flings her arm toward the door. “Well, what the fuck is he talking about! Talk to me, Louie.Please.”

I rake my hand through my hair and blow out a breath. “Fuck,” I whisper.

She grabs my elbow and leads me back to the kitchen, depositing me at the little island. “Sit,” she commands.

She yanks open the fridge, the bottles rattling in the shelves. She grabs one of her fancy sparkling waters, a slim can with enough caffeine to kick-start my bruised heart. She opens it and places it in front of me.

The morning light slants across her face as she leans her elbows on the counter, illuminating the determined set of her jaw, the worried crease between her brows.

“Tell me everything.”

52

ELOISE

“I’m just saying,if you’re into him—if youlovehim—then fuck Seven Pines!” Margot says, her eyes breathing fire. Not for the first time, I thank the universe for giving me a sister. Someone who has my back at every single turn, even—and especially—when I don’t have my own.

I let my head hang low as I breathe out a sad excuse for a laugh. “It’s not that simple.”

She shakes her head, her face taut with intensity. “Nah, sis, that’s where you’re wrong. It really is just that simple.”

I lean forward and whisper-hiss, “You think I can just give Nate the middle finger, and he’ll just—what? Smile and say thank you? Weowe him, Margot. He covered the buy-in for the fucking Gauntlet, and I know you’re not naïve enough to think he won’t collect.”

That’s the tip of the iceberg for all the shit I feel like I owe Nate Thomas for. When we were close friends, it didn’t feel like he was doing me favors I’d need to repay him for. But after his little performance this morning, I don’t know what the fuck to think.

All I know is that wasn’t my friend.

Margot waves her hand in the air, batting my worry away like it’s an errant fly. “Nate won’t care. What’s five grand to a man who’s in love with you?”

It feels like an accusation, even though I know she doesn’t mean it that way. I had a little inkling, a gut feeling, that he might have more than friendly feelings toward me. But I wasn’t sure—fuck, I’m still not sure. I’m not going to take my younger sister’s angry tirade as gospel for someone else’s feelings.

Elbows to the counter, I rest my head in my hands, resignation weighing my words like boulders in my throat. “It doesn’t matter. It’s not up to Nate. It’s up to Levi. And there’s no way he’ll let me walk. And he’s not in love with me,” I add, almost as an afterthought.

“Oh my god, Louie. Just pay them the five grand and be done with it then. You must be making enough with all the runs you do for Seven Pines. I mean, you send us to private education, for fuck’s sake. You’re telling me you don’t have money hidden around here for your rainy day fund?”

I shake my head, my hair swishing against the tops of my shoulders. “I’ve tried to shield you and Vivie from this side of life for as long as possible, but you’re smart, Margot. I know you know there’s more going on. Other . . .placesour money goes to.”

She’s quiet long enough that I lift my head to look at her. “Tell me,” she murmurs, face carefully neutral.

I nod a few times, buying myself a few extra seconds to bolster some courage. I exhale and straighten up, giving my sister my full attention. “I never wanted to bother you with this stuff. School should be your priority. So this is me telling you so you have the information, not because I’m looking for you to do something about it, okay? I’m not asking you to fix anything, yeah?”

“Yeah, I got it,” she says, face serious.

“We rent this house from Seven Pines, from Levi himself through Nate, and I pay aspecialrate that allows menotto participate in some of the . . . other things Seven Pines does.”

“What kinds of things?” she asks quickly, her brows dipping low.

“The kind that dance on the other side of the legal line.”

She throws her hands up, exasperation pulling her brows high. “Then we move. Problem solved. No more high rent and no more Seven Pineserrands.”

“We can’t just move. We have to stay here for at least five more years.”

“Five more years . . .Shit. This has to do with Vivie. What happened? Is it Mom?” Her words tumble over one another, and I can almost see the ideas spinning around in her head.

I bite the inside of my cheek, debating on how to tell my sister that our mother would rather take my money than see her children. “I’ve been paying Mom a monthly allowance to keep you and Vivie with me since the night we left. I know you know that already, so no need to pretend to be surprised. It was fine for a few years, then she cleaned up her act and wanted you guys back. But really, she wanted more money. She was blowing through money faster than I could make it. And I made a mistake. I can admit that now. I went over Nate’s head and asked Levi for help. I thought he could connect me with a lawyer or something, someone to help me fight for custody of you two.”

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