Page 27 of Vile Boys

I put it on in the mirror and rub my lips together.

“See?” She stands behind me and then puts my hair in front of my shoulders instead of behind. “A queen in the making.”

I hand her back the lipstick, and she tucks it into her purse. “Destroy their hearts before they kill yours,” she says, winking. “Good luck.”

She leaves the bathroom while I take one more moment to admire the girl in the mirror.

This is me.

I’m me in all my beauty, pain, and endless devotion.

And no boy will ever take that away from me.

With my head held high, I march out of the bathroom to the cafeteria where I know they’ll be. It’s lunchtime, and guys like them always hang out with the popular crowd, so I know they must be in there.

When I walk through the doors, I pause and look around. My eyes settle on a group of guys sitting at a far too large table in middle of the room with just the three of them. And my heart immediately begins to pound.

One of them wears a white cotton tank top that’s almost see-through, and he laughs as his tongue darts out to lick his piercing, just one of many that adorn his face and tattooed body. Another one leans back against his seat, his chiseled face almost angelic as he brushes aside his long black hair off his black skull shirt. And then wehave the most devious of them all; a black-haired guy with a sharp nose and equally sharp eyes, veins protruding through his skin as he leans into the table to explain something, his black shirt half-open at the top.

It’sthem. Those Tartarus boys that make all the hairs on the back of my neck stand up.

They’re just chatting away like nothing ever happened between us. Like they didn’t threaten me because I saw them kill.

I just know it was one of them who stained my window with cum.

Was it a threat?

I swallow away the lump in my throat and head for the boys, knowing full well I’m walking straight into the lion’s den. The closer I get, the more that same aura of darkness falls over me, and I bury my hand in my pocket to fumble with the knife like it’s my only lifeline.

I march up close to their table and clear my throat. They only stop talking when I plant my hand on the edge of the table. Only Caleb and Blaine look at me even though I’m right in front of Ares, who’s seated to my left. He’s clearly ignoring me.

“Uh-oh,” Blaine mutters, a smile slowly forming as he shoves Caleb with his elbow.

After I’ve gathered my courage, I say, “One of you was at my dorm.”

Caleb tilts his head, a daring look on his face. “Are you accusing us of something?”

My eyes narrow. “One of you knows what they did.”

“Oh boy,” Blaine says, snorting. “This is going to get juicy.”

Caleb leans back so far his ripped abs become visible underneath his white cotton tank top, and they make me do a double take. “Say it then. What did one of us do?”

I swallow, a blush creeping up on my cheeks. If I say it out loud, everyone will hear.

“You left … cum on my window.”

A wild smile forms on Caleb’s face, and Blaine laughs. “What?”

“Don’t deny it,” I say. “One of you three did it. I’m sure.”

Blaine leans into his own hand as he perches his elbow on the table. “That’s a wild accusation, pretty jewel.”

Jewel.

My heart almost stops beating.

I haven’t heard anyone say that word in such a long time. And Ihate that it’s coming from his mouth.

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