Page 21 of Vicious Addictions

It would give me no greater pleasure than seeing the twins get a good telling off by their uncle. But if I were to venture to guess why they are both acting so demure this evening, it’s because their cousin already gave them more than an earful.

I take one last look at Mina, her shoulders laden with guilt, which only amplifies my own.

Fuck.

I could have definitely dealt with the situation better. She didn’t deserve me yelling at her and throwing her out of my room. It was just bad timing, finding her when I did. I was still too riled up by the conversation with my father about Marcello to mitigate my emotions.

I mean… is what she did all that bad?

So she came into my room without my consent? It’s not like I was making the best decisions when I was her age. Besides, she was just curious to know more about the man her father invited into her home.

There was no actual malicious intent.

I can’t say the same about the twins.

But do I really want to get Mina in trouble just so I can stick to Remus and Rolo?

“I wish I could help,” I begin to reply, having made my decision. “But I’m at a loss, too, since I spent most of the day alone in the garden or in my room.”

Mina’s head flings up at the lie with a confused expression on her face.

“Hmm, very well. Looks like you two got lucky,” Victor says, pointing a finger at the two boys.

I turn my attention back to my meal, feeling Mina’s eyes on me for the rest of the night.

Once dinner ends, I excuse myself as I always do—since this is when I usually call my family—and start heading back up to my room.

But just as I’m climbing the staircase, Mina calls out my name.

I turn around to find the confident version of Mina that I was introduced to the first night I met her.

“You didn’t have to do that. We deserved whatever punishment my father had ready for us.”

“Is that all you have to say?” I ask, wondering if she has it in her to apologize for her actions.

Mina inhales a deep breath as if the words are stuck somewhere inside her, unwilling to budge or come out.

“I’m… sorry,” she finally says.

“Thank you. That’s all I wanted to hear.”

“I should have said it before. I promise not to get in your way again.”

She then starts to turn around as if needing to flee as fast as she can from the person she just had to humble herself for. I guess humility, along with good manners, isn’t a Crane forte.

“Mina, wait,” I say, taking a step closer in her direction. “I’m not mad at you. In fact, I understand why you did what you did.”

“You do?” Her brows pull together in confusion.

“Of course I do. But next time, instead of going through my stuff, just come and ask me what you want to know. Truth be told, I could use someone to talk to. I could use a friend.”

“A friend?” she repeats as if the word were totally new to her.

“Yeah, a friend.” I smile, which seems to do the trick in lowering the walls she had built up high around her. “You think you can handle that?”

“I guess we’re about to find out.”

Chapter 3

---