Page 55 of Vengeful Sins

“How do you know for sure?”

Because he knows the sort of asshole your dad is and wouldn’t force you to go back there. “I just do. Enough questions.”

Since I know that’s not going to work, I grin at her, chuckling a little. “I wish I could’ve seen it happen.”

“I honestly can’t believe it did.”

“Think of it this way. Now you know you just have to find somebody whose ass you can kick the next time you need to get rid of your worst feelings.”

“Don’t do that,” she whispers, wrapping her arms around herself. “Don’t joke about it.”

“Who said I was joking?” I ask. “I’m dead serious. Tell me you don’t feel better now that you kicked her ass.”

“I didn’t really kick her ass,” she whispers.

“I don’t know. Out of the two of you, she was the one who looked like she got run over by a truck. A split lip? You have hardly any damage. I would say you’re the winner of the fight.” And it’s sort of hot, to tell the truth.

The thing is, she wants to be glad. I can see it in her, I can feel it. She is proud of herself underneath all of her anxiety. If only she would let go of that. She might actually enjoy her life a little bit.

That’s what is weighing on my mind by the time we get home to find the house empty and quiet. “Come on. Let’s get you cleaned up.” I’m already out of the truck before she protests that she can do it herself, which I ignore. She’s going to have to get used to me looking out for her, since for some reason, something inside me wants nothing more than to do that.

I can’t make any sense of it, but I’m sure as hell not going to stop just because she’s stubborn and doesn’t want to admit I know what she needs. I understand her almost too well, and it’s sort of scary… but in a good way. Like going on a roller coaster, knowing it’ll turn out okay in the end, but feeling the fluttering in your gut, anyway.

“I ruined Wren’s shirt,” she murmurs once we reach the bedroom, and she strips away the button-down, sleeveless blouse. I’m sort of amazed Tiana didn’t get a hold of it and rip it open, but it doesn’t seem like she had much of a chance to defend herself once she set Maya off.

That’s why I’m laughing quietly when she turns to me as I flip the lights on in the bathroom. “I just really wish I had seen it happen,” I tell her again with a helpless shrug. “I’m sorry. Maybe that’s kind of my thing. I didn’t know it until now. Watching girls fight.”

“I’m glad you’re getting some enjoyment out of it.”

I wave her into the room while running the water in the sink. “Don’t get me wrong,” I tell her once she’s joined me. “It’s not just that you guys fought. It’s that you stood up for yourself. I’m really glad you did.”

Her eyes meet mine as I dampen a washcloth under the warm water. “You’re serious?” Now that her lip has fully swollen, her speech is a little slurred, but there’s something almost cute about it.

She winces when I touch the cloth to her chin, wiping up the blood. “I’m serious,” I tell her, glancing away from her chin. She’s watching me closely, maybe a little nervous. “She fucked with the wrong person today. It was a lesson she needed to learn.”

“She did,” Maya finally agrees, and I can hear the relief in her voice when she does. Like she really didn’t want to admit it until now. I’m glad I could do that for her. I can give her a little peace.

“Brace yourself,” I murmur, finally dabbing at her bloody lip. She sucks in a pained breath, and I wince. “Sorry. I really can’t avoid this.”

“You know, I can do it myself.”

“Yeah, well… I’m already doing it.” I almost made a huge mistake and said what actually came to mind as a response. You have already taken care of yourself for too long.

I really need to get a handle on my feelings for her. This is entirely too fucked up, and it’s only getting worse. Every time our eyes meet, every time she offers a little smile or a soft laugh. Every time she looks at me with fear in her eyes, trembling likeshe’s all alone. She is the last person I should have these feelings for—I haven’t forgotten what she threatened to do to me.

But right now, that doesn’t seem so important. Maybe because I know her better. Maybe because I have heard the sort of shit she’s had to live with all this time. Her own father, threatening to tell everybody she killed her mother. How can that not fuck a person up?

Once the worst of the damage is wiped away, I turn back to the sink to rinse the washcloth. “I hope Tiana owns a lot of sunglasses,” I mutter, snickering. “Maybe somebody got it on video. Now that, I would pay to see.”

“You mean for once, maybe somebody documented something that wouldn’t completely humiliate me? Tell me more,” she whispers. Our eyes meet in the mirror, and she looks away, frowning.

“She deserves it, and you know she does. A taste of her own medicine.” When I turn back to her, it’s not me she’s looking at.

It’s a box of razors in the medicine cabinet. Disposable blades, not the kind she’s used to using, but still. If she wanted to inflict a little damage on herself, she would only have to press hard enough to do it. And I’m sure she knows that.

“I know you’re not thinking about using one of those.” I watch her reflection, the way her gaze widens before darting away. She knows she’s been caught, and I almost resent her for thinking I’m stupid. Like I wasn’t going to notice.

She’s looking at the floor when I take her chin and tip it upward until we are eye to eye. “Don’t even think about it,” I mutter, and something about the possessiveness in my voice surprises even me. It’s no wonder she looks so surprised. “You are not going to do that anymore. Do you understand? Say it.”

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