Page 165 of Unspoken Truths

“I don’t know how much worse things can get,” he says under his breath as he walks quickly.

I know he doesn’t want to be seen. He’s the only lifeline I have to the Kings’ movements, and even then they’re all fucking wildcards, content to take their shot whenever possible.

Using his body to open the exit, he jogs down the stairs to where Lili is waiting with reddened eyes behind the wheel. She must have run the entire way.

She opens the door for us from where she’s sitting, and Nacio tucks me into the seat and pulls the belt.

“Remember, be a good girl for me and don’t look at the mirrors, okay?” he says, kissing my temple.

I really want a shower, to brush my teeth, and a time machine. I’ve been having those thoughts a lot, wishing I could change my life. A cruel sense of deja vu runs over me, making me shudder.

“Okay,” I whisper, watching as he leaves to run back to his car.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Lili whispers, putting the car into drive and taking my hand. “Call Mr. Emil.”

Her phone connects through the car’s Bluetooth as she drives, and I close my eyes at the shit show that’s going to happen. My life is worse than a shit show. It’s a fucking circus.

“Lili, are you on the way home?”Emil asks. A part of my soul settles hearing his voice. This is a man that is firmly on my side.

“I am,” she says, tears clear in her voice. “I’m with Rachelle. Mr. Emil, Theo shaved her head after school. Headmaster Cooper made up some bullshit rule today, ensuring we all had to clear the school, which left her alone in there.”

“He… fuck. Rachelle?”Emil asks, forcing me to respond, though I keep my eyes closed.

“I’m here,” I reply. “Next time, I'll hold it until I get home. He attacked me as I was walking out of the restroom.”

“I want to kill them all,”he growls. “This headmaster is a plant?—”

“I know,” I sigh. “Nacio told me the same thing earlier this week. Apparently, he pulled the Kings into his office to offer whatever help he could.”

“I’m glad my son has turned a new leaf. It’s unfortunate his friends are on the wrong side of this, but I need them to fail. I will not accept anything else,”he says.

“I wanted to let you know what happened,” Lili says.

“This wasn’t your fault, Liliana,”Emil says firmly. “Take a deep breath, and remind yourself of that. Theo took advantage of a situation he was set up to take. The fact that he had the tools to do this means he somewhat planned this.”

It’s only mid-August. How much worse can things get?

CHAPTER31

NACIO

My hand is shaking as I pick up my electric razor. Rachelle is sitting in a chair, facing away from the mirrors the way I asked. Her mom is sitting on the bed watching next to Emil, her eyes bone dry. I think that’s more because she’s planning how to get my father to kill Theo than because she doesn’t care.

Lili is sitting on the floor next to Rachelle, holding her hand fiercely. She’s stopped crying, and now she’s trying to send our girl strength.

Yes, ours. Over the summer, that’s what they’ve become. Mine.

God, this fucking hurts. Forcing my hand to relax and stop shaking, I shave off the patchy spots Theo left simply because he knew his time was up. For all of that, there are no cuts, no dried blood. I wish I could crawl inside his head to see what the fuck he was thinking when he did this.

“I’ve never seen a more beautiful head,” I whisper truthfully.

“You’re one of the few people who carry it well,” Dad rasps. His body is tense, his fist clenched. Someone, somewhere will die by his hand tonight just so he can feel better.

I recognize the feeling, but for the first time in my entire life, I find that I’d rather stay with Lili and Rachelle.

“Are you done?” Rachelle asks.

“Yeah, I am,” I murmur, only to find that it’s so her head can lean against my body. Dropping the razor to the ground, I let my fingers move over the smooth skin.

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