Page 101 of Cruel Legacy

He points to his head and asks, “Then how did you get my beanie?”

“That thing? Oh, your little girlfriend had it. She was in the laundry room bragging about it, so I swiped it from her when she wasn’t looking.”

Is she talking about Eloise? I doubt it. She doesn’t do her own laundry, so it must’ve been someone else.

“So you admit you swiped my hat and then broke into my room to destroy my clothes. It’s a bit extreme since I only licked your stuff, but okay.”

Finn’s face screws up. “Oh god. Did you lick all those things? Is that rancid smell your dragon breath?”

I snort. Nobody does dramatic comedy like Finn.

She glares at him. “Listen Coxsucker. I didn’t destroy your clothes. I wouldn’t do that. I swiped your hat and… and that’s it.” She eyes the hat sitting on his head before averting her gaze.

I step forward and tip her head back around, not letting her hide from this, letting her know I see the truth. “That’s a lie, and that is certainlynotit.”

She pulls her chin from my grip, backing up a step. “I’m gonna go find my friends.”

I step in front of her, blocking her exit. “If you’re so innocent, why are you running?”

“The two of you are standing here accusing me of vandalism. I might have caught a case or five, in my past, but clothes are expensive and I wouldn’t do something like cut up your shit or whatever.”

It’s not cut up and if she did it, then why is she alluding to that being what we mean by destroyed?

“Okay, do you admit you were on Finn’s balcony?”

“Yup. Sure was.”

“So, how did you get inside his place? The door was locked when we came home.”

She throws her hands up, and huffs, “I didn’t enter his room. I climbed over the railing.”

That makes sense. That’s how Finn got into her place, but I’m having a hard time imagining her being able to make the jump. It’s not a tiny gap between their railings. “You rigged the clothesline, so how did you get his hoodie and boxers if you weren’t in his dorm room?”

“Your friend likes to take his clothes off in the open air. The hoodie was in the hammock. His boxers were on the patio table.” She narrows her gaze, taking in Finn’s reaction to what she’s saying. “You know, you really should be thanking me for returning your beanie. I hear it’s your favorite and you hardly ever leave home without it.”

Finn’s still going off about his clothes, but I’m listening to her words. “What did you do to his beanie?”

I expect her to lie and deflect, but she doesn’t. “I did the only thing I could do, considering what he did to me.”

I cast a glance at Finn, choking back the laugh that wants to escape. “You spit in it?”

He pulls the hat off and sniffs, and shrugs, before he shoves it back on his head. “Doesn’t smell like spit.”

I study people all the time and try to duplicate their mannerisms in social settings. That’s how I’ve gotten so good at reading people. “It’s not spit you put in it, is it?”

“Nope.” She pops her P, a smile tugging at her lips as she snags a drink from a passing waiter.

“What do you mean, no?” Finn’s eyes dart from her to me as if I might have some insight on this. I don’t. “Pet, you can’t go changing the rules. Our game is to outdo the other and I have spit inside you… I…”

I narrow my gaze at her. She barely contains her laughter. Her eyes twinkling with whatever her secret is. Finn pulls his mask down. His eyes widen as she casually sips her drink.

“You didn’t.” He sniffs again, then shakes his head.

“Didn’t what?” I ask, since he seems to think he’s on to something.

“Did you…” He flips the hat over and brings it back to his nose. “Oh, Pet, you naughty, naughty girl.”

I move closer, ready to force the secret out of her. “What did you do with his beanie?”

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