Page 295 of Vile Boys

He throws his arms around me and holds me tight, and in the end, I cave and wrap my arms around him too.

“How are we going to tell Mother what happened?”

I smile. “One word at a time.”

BLAINE

It’s odd reading about your own murder spree in a newspaper as though you’re just a casual bystander and not at all the one who caused it, but Crescent Vale City is pretty shocked by the gang violence that suddenly erupted between the Bones Brotherhood and the Torres Casino. Apparently, they had been doing shady deals together for a long time, and somewhere along the way, they snapped and turned on each other. What followed was a violent bloodbath with tons of dead bodies and the Torres patriarch dead.

What a turn of events.

I chuck the newspaper into the bin next to the Tartarus House and take in a deep breath.

“Ahhh, the smell of opulence and hedonism. My two favorite things,” I murmur as I follow everyone inside.

I’m happy as can be to see my own place again. I even missed my fellow Tartarus boys that come and greet us at the door.

“Welcome back, boys. Glad to see you’re doing well, but I won’t ask,” Arlo says, winking before giving us all a bro-hug. “Miss us?”

“Not a chance,” Caleb retorts, making everyone laugh.

“I did,” I reply. “But most of all, my books.”

“Wow, more than me?” Arlo adds a wink, and it makes us all snigger. “Just kidding, I know about your addiction.”

“Addicted to romance, correct,” I reply, smiling.

I can’t wait to finish the book I’d started before all of this went down because the reading material in that hospital was beyond pitiful. And a mind like mine needs nurturing, sustenance, and romance.

I take a deep breath and snort the smell of the Tartarus House, then hug the pillar. “Oh, darling, I missed you so.”

Everyone’s laughing, but I don’t care.

“Is he okay? Talking to a house now,” Caleb asks Crystal, who bursts into laughter.

“I’m perfect!” I respond, and I wrap my arms around Caleb instead, hugging him as tightly as I just did to the pillar.

“Stop. Crushing. Me.”

“See? Perfect,” I say.

“Fine, fine, you missed this place,” he says. “I get it.”

“Missed it? That’s an understatement. I could’ve possibly never seen it again,” I quip.

He makes a tsk sound. “Doubt it.”

“I almost died, Caleb. DIED. Do you even care?”

“Of course, I do, asshole,” he retorts, folding his arms. “I already told you that.”

“Did you?” I tilt my head. “But I love hearing you say it.”

He rolls his eyes and punches me in the side, and I groan. “Not there.”

“Sorry,” he replies. “Forgot.”

A wretched smile forms on my face. “Of course, you did.”

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