Page 72 of Oliver

Although I’m pretty fucking desperate, I’m not crazy enough to agree without knowing what I’m signing up for. Shit. My skin crawls just being in her presence.

She’s a snake in the grass and I’m a little mouse playing with fire. Idiot.

“I want them to pay. Ramsay and his bitch,” she says, and I roll my eyes to the sky.

“Why?”

“Why?” she shrieks, and I flinch. “They took everything from me.”

Turning back to her, I shake my head. “Sabrina, you did this to yourself. What did you think was going to happen if you went up against a Sinner?”

She looks away and I study her for a moment, noting the creases beneath her eyes. Her downfall haunts her, which should bring me pleasure but anymore I don’t fucking care, and neither should she.

“You’re alive,” I say. “Move on. Those assholes don’t matter anymore.”

At least they shouldn’t but I’m on a roll so whatever.

“Really? Then why are you all up in the business? You’ve been gone two years, Penny. What couldyoupossibly want?”

With a humorless smile, I say, “What exactly do you think I’m going to be able to do?”

She smiles and I silently sigh. This bitch is always up to no good. “If you think you’re sneaky, you’re not. Since you’re all up in Oliver’s dick, you can get me close.”

“Close to what? I wouldn’t be here if I was all up in anything,” I growl.

She cocks her head, her hair spilling over her shoulder. Once upon a time, I was envious of that hair and her cool ability to ignore everything but what she wanted.

Now it’s revolting. I can’t believe I ever drank the Kool-Aid. Fuck me.

“This was a mistake,” I say, and she grabs my arm.

“Back off,” I grunt, and she tugs me forward before body checking me.

Unfortunately for her, she had no true momentum, so I only stagger back before rushing her.

We end up rolling on the ground and while I can’t say it was my plan to beat the shit out of her, it feels good to punch her in the face all these years later.

After trading fists and a few paltry slaps, I collapse to my back with her beside me and panting for air, I curl my aching fingers into a fist and smile.

Fuck me but that felt amazing.

“Oliver is the one who put me up to it,” she says between breaths and my smile fades.

“To what?”

“Spreading the rumor. He told me about it.”

Of course, my stomach sinks to my toes but on the wings of that is rage. Clenching my teeth so hard, pain shoots up my jaw, I say, “I’m sure you didn’t bat a fucking eye.”

“No,” she says on an exhale, “but he’s been gunning for you since sophomore year. Why?”

If I had to guess, it was part of his plan to humiliate me after I fucked his father. The notion sends a burn through my heart, but I set it aside. Oliver isn’t my lover. Shit, he’s not even my friend.

“Anyway, when he told me about Dixie—“

“Told you what?” I bark, sitting up.

She shrugs and I bare my teeth, hiding my amusement when her eyes go wide.

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