Page 162 of Deviant

“He asked if I had ever been unfaithful to him,” she responds with that same robotic tone. “I told him that I had. He asked me if I had cheated on him more than once, and again, I said yes. He then asked me how many times and I replied that I didn’t keep count. That one hurt him more than I was prepared for. He asked me for names, and I told him all the ones I could remember. That’s when he started to cry. Hearing that I had fucked his two best friends at the same time, in his bed while I waited for him to get off from work, broke something inside him.”

“Jesus.” I hear Elias mutter under his breath.

“His last question was barely a whisper. He asked me if I ever loved him, to which I said I did, and always will, with all my heart. That’s when he stared at the rope. It didn’t tug or kill me like he assumed. Because it wasn’t a lie. I did love him. Idolove him.” She closes her eyes as if the last part hurts her the most. “But even after I proved that I loved him by not dying, he still didn’t believe me.” She bows her head. “If I learned anything from this game, it’s that you can die without actually dying. The look on his face… I’ll never forget it.” She shakes her head. “Then it was my turn to play the game and ask the questions. I should have known it was a trap. I should have asked him any other question than the one I did. But I did it anyway. I asked ifhe was the thief in our group. It was stupid. So stupid. Because I already knew the truth. His parents had already confided in me that they suspected Lucas had been stealing from the cash register in their restaurant to buy me an engagement ring. They had asked me to confront him, hoping he would stop if I was the one to ask him to, but I didn’t. I wanted that engagement ring. I wanted to marry him more than anything. I even promised myself that once we were married, I’d never be unfaithful again. But the damage I did to his heart was just too much, so once the question was out there, I couldn’t take it back.” A stray tear streams down her cheek, as if remembering Lucas’s last seconds on this earth is the only thing strong enough to snap her from her semi-catatonic state.

“He looked straight at me and said no. He purposely lied just soThe Scourgecould end his suffering. That’s when the chair tipped back, and the rope strung him up. He didn’t even fight it. No matter how hard I screamed or begged, he just let them kill him. He preferred death to living with the misery I caused him, so in the end, was itThe Scourgethat killed him or me?”

None of us answer her.

If we did, we’d be forced to lie, too.

It’s been two days since Lucy’s confession, and everyone is still reeling.

When she told Harper, Abbie, and me that she didn’t need us looking after her anymore, we didn’t put up much of a fight. Truth be told, after learning how Lucas died, it was hard to be sympathetic to her pain.

But alas, Lucy and Lucas cease to take the number one spot in our list of concerns when the day arrives for Harper and Andy to have their first game. Young Abbie, too.

“Remember what I said,” I warn Abbie again. “If you can prevent it, don’t pick the white room.”

“Shouldn’t I warn Chris too?” Abbie asks, forcing me to turn my head over my shoulder to see Chris having the time of his life playing with a Newton’s Cradle on a desk. My brows pinch together, wishing Abbie had a different partner. Someone who could protect her instead of needing protection.

“No. Keep that secret for yourself, but when the time comes, don’t let Chris make any important decisions without you. Got it?”

“Got it.” She smiles before hugging me.

I wrap my arms around her and pray that nothing bad happens to her. Abbie is far too young to have to endure such games. Though she’s Mackenzie’s age, she doesn’t have that killer instinct that Mackenzie does. She’s far too shy for that.

But as I embrace Abbie, a suspicious sight catches my eye—Big Mike and Lucy hurdled up in a corner, whispering to one another.

“God, I hope that’s not what I think it is,” I hear Harper say behind me. “Lucas’s body isn’t even cold yet, for fuck’s sake. That is beyond gross.”

“What?” Abbie asks, confused, her back turned to the unlikely pair.

“Nothing, cutie,” Harper says, wrapping her arms around Abbie and giving her a big hug. “Just wanted to hug you before Henry shows up and gives us all our marching orders.”

“Are you scared?” Abbie asks her, her voice starting to tremble.

“Who, me? Nah. We’ve got this in the bag now that Rowen shared with us how to win this thing.” She winks at Abbie, whosebody instantly relaxes at how unbothered Harper is about the games.

“Thank you,” I mouth to Harper, gaining a wink of my own.

Unfortunately, Henry shows up at this precise time, indicating that the games are about to start.

We all follow him into the boardroom, some of us more nervous than others. I throw a few discreet glances over at Elias, frowning when I see his head bowed with his hands stuffed into his pockets. After I came clean and told him what happened to Nora, he hasn’t looked at me once. He even moved out of our bedroom as I had suggested. That hurt. Maybe deep down, I didn’t think he’d actually go through with it, but in the end, he was all too happy to put as much distance between us as he could. It feels like he just cut me out of his life completely.

I meant nothing to him, while he meant….

I don’t let myself linger too much on that thought.

My feelings for Elias, whatever they are, no longer matter.

I just hope that his reborn hatred of me keeps him true to his word.

He promised me a death by his hand, and if he has any heart at all, he will honor his vow to me.

Once we reach the boardroom, we wait for Henry to give us his instructions.

“Before our second game commences, I would like to ask you all to sit down with your respective partners.”

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