Page 75 of Oliver

It’s ridiculously quiet but for the thump I hear above stairs and taking them two at a time, I ascend and pause on the landing.

Dixie’s door is ajar. I don’t know which room is Penny’s, but I know she went into the last one on the left to retrieve the key from her mom’s room when we were here before.

This leaves the one on the right and I’m pounding on the door before I have time to think anything through. “Penny?”

“Oliver?” she says and my pulse jumps. Her tiny, scared voice does something to me that I’m not willing to analyze and leaning my head against the door, I say after swallowing the lump in my throat, “Open the door.”

She fumbles around, while I gather my thoughts and when she finally gets it open, falls onto my arms. Her tear-streaked eyes pull at my chest and picking her up, I stalk to the bed before sitting down.

“Tell me,” I rasp.

Shaking her head, she buries it in my shoulder and sobs, “I can't do this anymore.”

With a thick throat, I clutch her close and rock her until her sobs become sniffles. Once I think she’s appropriately calm, I tilt her chin, and survey her ridiculously cute face, fighting the urge to kiss her.

It’s all I’ve ever wanted, to consume her the way she consumes me. The problem is, once I do, there’s no turning back and I’m afraid of where this fucking road will lead me.

I’m not Diem. I can resist this to protect her. I will.

Except my resolve crumbles when she says quietly, “What do I do?”

Her trust slays me considering all I’ve done since I first fucked her based on a lie. I lied about my family. I lied about Dixie. Shit. I lied about my damn feelings.

Still, she’s turned to me in her need and the burning feeling filling my sternum tells me that I like it, more than I should.

I tried to get her to back off before it became the mess it is but now it’s too late and I can’t leave her to her fucking fate. I never fucking could.

“We find the sick fuck,” I say, and she sags against me.

“How?”

“We do what you were planning to do. We trade a secret for Hate’s info.”

She rears back with wide eyes. “How did you know?”

Oh, little one, when it comes to you, I always know.I can’t blame her for what’s about to go down, but I wish I had never laid eyes on this delicate girl with the wide, too trusting, dark eyes.

It’s changed the game completely.

Brushing a strand of hair back from her face, I caress her cheek. She’s so fucking smooth, delicate, perfect. Does she know?

Instead, I say, “Because, it’s what I would do.”

She eyes me with a crinkle between her brows and I can’t resist, I don’t want to. Kissing that satiny skin makes me hard though which is ridiculous.

When her brows fly up, I set her aside and stand, pacing the room.

“I don’t have any secrets,” she says, and I smile although I’m guessing by the way she shrinks from me, it’s not the friendly sort.

“I do.”

“What?”

“You don’t need to know. Pack your shit.”

She slides from the mattress and looks around with a shiver. She’s in shock, which is why she’s amenable, but I know little Penny Loughlin’s claws will be back out to play in no time.

“What?”

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