Page 95 of Tricky Girls

She looks over, none of Elly’s wariness in her face when she says, ‘Your pretend boyfriend’s nice.’

‘Hey, he’s not pretend.’ Procuring a bowl of cereal, I pull out a chair and sit down. ‘We’re in love. We’re getting married.’

‘Uh-huh. You don’t need to go to such lengths to make us jealous, baby girl.’ Haz smiles. ‘I already wanna kill him.’

‘Maybe I’m just trying to get it into your thick skulls that I’ll never sleep with you.’

‘Whatever. Just quit letting him round. Only dicks allowed in this house are the silicone variety.’

I roll my eyes. ‘Like they’re any good.’

‘Wanna come say that to my face?’ She rounds my chair, one hand falling to her crotch. ‘Huh?’

‘I decidedlydon’t.’

‘Oh, Tilda.’ She pushes off me with a dark chuckle. ‘The day you finally give in is going to be the sweetest day of my life. Yours too.’

‘There’s nothing sweet about you, Harriet.’

‘No,’ she agrees slyly, tracing her fingers over the ridge of her strap-on. Even this early in the day she has it on. ‘But something tells me you don’t want it sweet.’

Nic

Thank fuck I’d been awake when the snow began to fall. There’s not as much beneath the trees but damned if I was going to leave my tent to sink in it.

It’s still dark as I traipse back to the lodge, tent bag slung over my shoulder. My ankle shoots flames up my leg with every step. At this rate I’m not going to make Friday’s practice. Coach won’t offer any sympathy. I’ll pretty much be fucked.

I blow out an angry breath, watching it billow away. Only my footsteps mar the snow, wonky from my limping walk.

In the cul-de-sac, I watch a figure leave the lodge, any warmth I have left inside me evaporating.

Hewas who Tilda was shagging? FuckingTommy?

Yeah, not on my watch.

I drop the tent to the ground. At the noise, Tommy slows his steps, eyeing my approach warily.

‘Don’t know what you think you’re doing,’ I begin.

He holds out his hands. ‘Was just hanging with Tilda.’

‘Hanging.’My lips quirk. ‘Is that what they’re calling it these days?’

He sighs, running a hand through his hair. ‘Listen, Nic—’

My name on his lips galvanises me. Before he even sees it coming, I’ve got him back against a tree, fists twisted in his shirt.

‘No,youlisten you little degenerate. Whole fucking island, Tommy. Won’t begrudge you coming here. Be pretty hypocritical if I did. But I don’t want to see you. I can’t have you near me, you understand? I barely survived that shit and I sure as fuck won’t get dragged back down. Stay the fuck away from Tilda. And stay the fuck away from me.’

We’re of a height but I took him by surprise. He’s slumped against the tree, staring out at me from wide, wary eyes.

Oh yeah, I’ve seen that face before. Mostly at the hands of Damien, right before those hands turned on me.

Have I ever worn that face? Is that what he saw whenever he took what he wanted? The thought fills me with revulsion.

‘I’m not him, Nic.’

He says the words so quietly but he might as well have screamed them.

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