Page 88 of I Was Always Yours (RCA: Royal Crown Academy)

Especially because this type of killing bordered on a level of protectiveness that men only reserved for their wives, the ones theyactuallywanted.

Ugh, maybe I’m making this entire narrative up in my mind.

“What’s wrong?” Nera asks me.

“Nothing,” I lie, “You just don’t see this often in Geneva.” I add smoothly.

Thayer and Bellamy agree while Nera narrows her eyes suspiciously at me. Thankfully, she doesn’t push it.

I haven’t told the girls about Phoenix.

At first, I couldn’t because us sleeping together stemmed from the news of our engagement, and that was still a secret. But then it’d spiraled into us having sex again and I couldn’t face the inevitable questions I knew they’d ask.

That was a few days ago and I’ve been careful to avoid him since, but it feels like too much has happened between us to bring the girls in now.

I just know it’s going to burst out of me one day and when it does, I’m pretty sure it’s going to be ugly. There won’t be enough wine in the entire world to get me through.

I already know that when this crashes and burns down around me, I’ll get engulfed by the flames and burn along with it.

But right now, I’m getting off on the adrenaline.

On the fact that after years of being stuck in purgatory, we’re finally going somewhere.

Looks like that somewhere is straight to Hell, butputainit feels so good.

Chapter 28

Sixtine

My eyes move from Rhys’ face and follow the line of his glare to the dancefloor where I find Carter attempting to dance with Thayer, the latter desperately trying to hide the fact that the former is so drunk he can barely stand without her support.

“What’s your plan if she doesn’t make the choice you want her to make?” I ask Rhys, because I’m curious.

He’s not usually this dogged in his pursuit of someone and she’s not an overly trusting person so if he’s just doing this for fun, I want to know.

Rhys’ jaw works back and forth as he watches them unabashedly. He shoots me a quick glance out of the corner of his eye, a smirk curling the edge of his lips.

“Shewillchoose me.” He says self-assuredly before smoothly turning the question around on me. “What’s your plan now that you and Phoenix have fucked?”

I twist to face him, mouth agape. “He told you about that?”

His smile stretches even wider. “He didn’t, but thanks for confirming.”

Great, I just fell for the oldest trick in the book.

I give him an unimpressed look and smack his shoulder. “You’re an ass.”

He chuckles and throws a friendly arm around my shoulders. “Don’t stress, Six.” He says, playfully flicking my chin with his thumb and forefinger. “We’d figured out you two were shagging ages ago, it’s ancient news at this point.”

I don’t want to give anything else away so I don’t mention that it’s been less than two weeks. Instead, I ask, “How did you know?”

“Simple. He’s always been a little stabby when it comes to you, but in the last couple of weeks he’s become downright psychotic. It didn’t take a genius to figure it out, although by sheer coincidence, a genius I also happen to be.” He says with his trademark charming smile. He flicks his gaze above my head briefly before looking back down at me. He tips his chin behind me and says, “Case in point.”

I look over my shoulder and find Phoenix dancing with another girl. I can’t see her face because her back is to me, but she’s wearing a black dress and her long red hair flows midway down her back.

I don’t know if he’s intentionally taunting me with someone who could be a carbon copy of me, but knowing him, there’s nothing accidental here.

This is meant to be a jab.

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