Page 118 of Deviant

Argh.

Why bother even explaining? Especially to Lucas, of all people. He’d never understand our complicated dynamics. You can tell he’s the type of guy who helps old ladies cross the street and reads to the blind and shit. He’s the kind of guy whowhispers sweet nothings into his girl’s ear when theymake love.No way a guy like that could ever understand my feelings for Rowen.

How could he, when even I’m confused by them?

One moment I want to fuck her brains out, and the other, I want to wrap my hands around her slender neck until I’ve expelled every bit of air inside her lungs.

Yep. Definitely too complicated for a good guy like Lucas to wrap his head around.

“I think you have him confused with the wrong brother, Lucas,” David interjects with a smug smirk. “Last I heard, she was fucking his brother, Aidan. Isn’t that right?”

Fucker.

“Oh, wait… Aidan is with you now, isn’t he, Mackenzie?” David adds, throwing a wink at her.

Mackenzie just laughs.

“He wishes. I don’t do sloppy seconds, unlike some people,” she snickers my way.

“Do we really have to talk about Rowen’s love life in such a derogatory manner?” Abbie comes to the rescue, looking all sorts of pissed on behalf of her new friend.

“No one asked your opinion, Abigail. How about you leave your nose out of it,” Big Mike warns.

She squints her eyes shut for a brief second before leveling him with a glare that frightens even me. And here I thought she didn’t have it in her to be that fucking scary.

Good to know.

Like the old saying dictates, never judge a book by its cover.

“You know what? I think it’s time everyone hit the hay,” Andy, always the diplomatic one, says, before standing up. “What do you think, babe? You ready for bed?”

Harper’s cheeks flush crimson as she places her hand in his and lets him sweep her off her feet and into his arms.

“See you losers.” She waves at us over his shoulder as he carries her off to their shared tent.

“I think I’ll head off too. All this talk about Rowen Hawthorne’s sex life has made me nauseous,” Ruby says, surprising me with the remark.

Jesus, Roe. Just how many enemies have you made already?

The next ones up on their feet are the lovebirds, Lucas and Lucy, leaving only David, Big Mike, Chris, Mackenzie, and me behind.

“Guess we’re on lookout duty again tonight,” Chris laments with a pout, throwing a stick to the fire.

“Think again,” I say, standing up, before Mackenzie gets a chance to.

“Where the fuck do you think you’re going? We need four on guard,” David hollers, aggravated.

“Hmm, I know it’s been a while since I left school, but I think I can still count,” I say before pointing a finger at each one of them. “One, two, three, four. Looks about right to me.”

“No, that ain’t right,” Big Mike counters, pissed. “Mackenzie doesn’t count. She’s a girl.”

“And I’m a feminist. Goodnight.” I salute, and with that, I turn my back on the assholes and stroll over to Rowen’s tent.

When I pull down the zipper of her tent and poke my head inside, I’m surprised to see her sitting upright as if waiting for me.

“Thought you’d be asleep by now.”

“I needed to talk to you,” she says, her tone still low and sweet.

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