Page 144 of Unspoken Truths

Rachelle is gazing up at the lighthouse as she takes photos of it as the waves crash against the rock. We hiked up to get close to it, and Lili made sure the entire time she wouldn’t fall. My stepsister has found a stamina for hiking that she didn’t have before.

I’m sure she’s trying to make sure she’s caught less unawares next time. Unfortunately, the Kings rarely play the same ace twice. They’ll find another way to fuck with her, hurt, or embarrass her. Things will simply be ramping up from here.

Realizing I’m speaking of them as an entity outside of myself, I swallow thickly as I walk closer to her. I don’t want to startle her, and Lili moves to the side to take a photo on her phone of her photographing the lighthouse.

I make sure I won’t ruin her shot before making myself known to Rachelle.

“Hey,” I say softly, though the word is pulled away by the wind.

“Your presence is noted,” she says coldly.

Ah, I think I’d rather her be angry than cold. The knife that stabs me from those words would leave me bleeding if they could.

“I will show you that I’m sorry every day,” I tell her.

“Secretly, maybe. At school, you’ll what? Trip me so I’ll fall? Get me to fail my classes again? Or laugh if Jared, Elijah, or Theo ever catch me up at the tower as they threaten to throw me out of it? Wouldn’t that be a silly way to die? It would fulfill the bet,” she rasps.

“Goddamn your mind is dark,” I breathe.

“Pretty much,” she sighs. Lili is giving us a little space, but I wouldn’t put it past her to kick my ass if I make the wrong move. “There’s only a month until school starts up again. I just started thinking about how there’s no hiding from the bullshit that’ll inevitably go with it.”

“It’s not bullshit if you know it’s coming for you,” Lili mutters, coming to join us. “Summer feels bittersweet because it’s the calm before the storm. There’s only so much hiding away Rachelle and I can do.”

“The guys aren’t welcome at the house, so they’ll never step foot through the gates again,” I remind them. “It’s just school that will be the issue. I’m going to be clingy, full disclosure.”

“I’m not dead yet,” Rachelle says darkly. “Unless you can tell the future, tell your thoughts to go fuck themselves.”

“Cute,” I smirk. “Is that what you tell yours?”

“Sometimes,” she sighs. “Others, the voices just get too loud, and make too much sense. The second you let them win, it’s harder to tell them no.”

Swallowing hard, I turn her to face me, my fingers gently sliding through her silky hair. I don’t pull, I just rub her temple with my thumb. Her hands lower the camera in her hands until the strap around her neck holds it, and I gaze into her blue-green eyes.

They remind me of water where the sky meets it on the horizon.

“I don’t believe that,” I say, my voice cracking as my throat goes dry. “It takes more courage sure, but you tell them to fuck off just fine, baby girl. I don’t think the problem will be going back to business as usual when school starts again. Want to know what will be?”

“Shoot,” she says. Her pupils appear huge as she gazes at me, everything about her tiny frame making her seem delicate and breakable.

“Not burning shit down when things are normal,” I say. “Things got out of hand, and I had to face what it’ll look like if you did die. I don’t accept it, Rachelle. Not for a moment. I’m claiming you as mine, you don’t have the option to refuse. Fuck, you’re both mine.”

“Greedy bastard,” Lili murmurs.

“When you have it all, the things that can’t be bought mean more,” I say.

All the while, Rachelle tries to figure me out as she looks up at me.

Good luck on that. I think I’ve lost the plot myself.

CHAPTER27

RACHELLE

“Welcome home,” Emil says, smiling as I walk up to the door.

Unfortunately, Lili has to go see her dad so she can’t spend the night tonight, which is understandable. We’ve been pretty much attached at the hip.

“Thank you,” I say with a smile, dragging my little suitcase behind me.

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