Page 104 of Vile Boys

Me: I’m not going to entertain her like some goddamn clown.

Dad: If you don’t have the time, fine, but you will be nice to her, and you will behave from now on.

Me: And what if I don’t? What then? You’re just going to force me?

Dad: Do you want me to take away access to your bank account? Because I will do it.

I’m really trying hard not to chuck my phone into the nearest tree.

Me: Fine. I’ll be fucking nice to her. Happy now?

Dad: Good. It doesn’t have to be this way, you know? You could just try to put in some effort.

Me: I’m going to class. Bye.

I turn off my phone before he can send any more texts, and I look at all the unmarked skin on my wrist, wondering if I should get another tattoo just to take the edge off the rage inside my heart.

Crystal

I knewI had to run in the opposite direction the second I saw those hazel eyes.

I couldn’t look at them for one more second without immediately being reminded of all the dirty things Caleb and Ares did to me on that bench in the maze. I can still feel them too … inside my pussy and throat, the mere memory enough to make me throb again, and I hate it.

I hate it so much I don’t want to think about it one more second as I barge across campus grounds.

“Hey, Crystal!”

Penelope’s voice stops me in my tracks. She and our friends are having a picnic in the grass, and all the guys from the Skull & Serpent Society are there too, though they don’t seem pleased to be there at all. I snort to myself.

“Hey,” I say, waving back, and I grin at Kayla, who’s there too. “Hi, Kay!”

“Come sit with us,” Kayla says, pointing at the blanket.

I suck in a breath and try to push away the evil thoughts floating through my head. I can’t keep avoiding them forever. I’ve already gotten so many messages asking where I’ve been and what I’ve been doing. I don’t want to lose the last semblance of normalcy I have at Spine Ridge University.

I blow out a sigh and approach them in the grass. “I forgot it was lunchtime. I didn’t bring anything.”

“We’ve got extra sandwiches,” Penelope says.

“Yeah, want mine?” Dylan holds up a half-eaten one.

“Dylan!” Penelope swats his hand down. “Gross.”

Alistair snorts, and Dylan throws him a foul look. “What? I was just being nice.”

“Thanks, Dylan,” I say. “I appreciate it.”

“See? At least someone’s nice about it,” Dylan says.

“Go cry about it.” Felix rolls his eyes.

Dylan’s face scrunches up, and he pulls out his lighter and holds it underneath Felix’s jacket. My eyes widen when the fire immediately burns a hole into the fabric.

“Jesus F—” Felix pats down the jacket until the fire is out. “Whatthe fuck did you do that for?”

“Well, if that isn’t a warm welcome,” I mutter.

Alistair laughs out loud, and everyone looks at him like he’s gone insane.

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