Page 14 of Twisted Minds

“I want him to suffer, Mark. That’s my offer. Do this or Mrs. Liu will know why she no longer has a place of business.”

Fucking hell, what am I going to do? Then it hits me. “There are always ways to hurt someone without it being physical. Emotional pain can be just as bad.” God, I’m talking out of my ass, but I don’t care. His eyes narrow on me. “Let me like, I don’t know, find some girl. I’ll like, pay them to date him or something. Bruise his fucking ego, or pride. Whatever.” A shitty use of my allowance but I’ll do anything at this point. I just don’t want to hurt someone. I refuse. “Maybe I can find some chick to—”

“He’s gay.” Derrick cocks a brow, and a slow smile spreads on his face. “You know, that’s actually an amazing idea. You can fake date that asshole and then hurt him. I’ll give youtwo months. Make him fall in love with you, distract him from hockey, fuck up his schoolwork, fuck up his chance at going pro, and then crush his fucking spirit.”

Whoa, hold up. There’s no way. No fucking way. That’s not, that’s not what I meant! I don’t want to do this. “Wait! No, I can’t . . . I can’t do that.” How the hell am I going to make someone like me, let alone love me in two months.

“Tell you what. I’m nothing if not fair. You do this for me, not only will I keep your secret, but I’ll delete the photo from that night and I’ll get your watch out of evidence.”

My watch.I need that watch back. It feels like a piece of my soul is missing without it. It’s the only thing I have left of a man who meant so much to me, and it would crush my mother if she knew I’d lost it, the way it’s slowly crushing me. Doing this would also give me my freedom, but I still won’t stop trying to catch Derrick.

He can blame me all he wants, but I know he had something to do with what happened at the Lius’ restaurant. I won’t stop until I catch him. “You mean that?” I don’t trust him, but hope is a cruel thing. It’s like he’s giving me a peek at the light at the end of the fucked-up tunnel I’ve caught myself in.

“Two months, then you’re free. No one will know.” Derrick claps me on the back a little too hard, and I steady my feet before he knocks me over. I watch as a slimy smile spreads across his face. “Time starts now. Tick tock.”

Fuck! I have to do this. What the hell? How am I going to do this? “What does he look like?”

“Look up the team roster. Russo. He’s the captain.” Derrick grins. “For now.” He leaves the alcove as I sink against the stone.

As soon as he retreats, I hurl. The contents of my stomach empty. Nerves and pain light me up. I hate this. I hate this so much! I’m tired of being his puppet.

This may be the end. I can do this, right?

I clutch my stomach, waiting for the panic in my gut to calm, and squeeze my eyes shut, drowning out the noise around me. I have class, but I can’t focus right now. I’ll have to email my professors and tell them I’m stomach sick and hope they have mercy.

It’s fine. What’s two months in the scheme of everything? Even if this guy somehow wants to date me and does eventually gain feelings, there’s no way he’ll fall in love with me in just two months.

No, I’m looking at this all wrong. What this really means is that I have two months to catch Derrick. Two months to get that fucker to slip up while he thinks I’m doing his bidding. I doubt this jock will even want to date me, though. Leave it to Derrick to believe that just because he’s also gay he’ll want me.

Idiot.

My heart finally steadies itself after the mental pep talk I give myself walking back to my dorm. It’s just two months. It’s a stupid fucking breakup. Who cares. And that’s only if this guy is into me. Walking up the stairs to my dorm, I pull out my phone. Hockey team. Going to the roster tab on the website I find the captain . . . Russo.

I click on the tab and my stomach nearly falls into my ass. My feet catch the carpet. I trip, falling over, bracing myself to eat it before warm hands and strong arms catch me. “You shouldn’t look at your phone and walk,” a familiar voice says. “You should pay attention to what’s in front of you.”

“Hunter?” He holds me up in his arms. Those warm hands steady me.

I’m too stunned to speak. His brown eyes smile back at me. In the daylight I can see how pretty and warm they are. How bright. Brown, like milk chocolate.

Brown, beautiful, and identical to the ones on my phone . . . and the image of Hunter.

Hunter Russo.

Team captain for the Liberty State Hornets.

six

Mark

Karma truly is savage.

I didn’t want to do this before, and now I really, really don’t want to do it. Not to Hunter. What the fuck happened between the two of them? It hits me then. Hunter’s eye, his friend, that fight.

Was Derrick the other guy in the fight?

If so, I can see why Derrick is pissed. If Hunter’s friend got the best of him, he’s probably embarrassed. Derrick’s ego is bruised, and now I have to do this bullshit—which honestly just seems dumb—all because of a stupid fight. Unless Derrick transfers schools he won’t be playing hockey again, but why did it lead to Derrick getting kicked off the team anyway? If he is even who Hunter’s friend fought in that fight. “Sorry if you’re busy.” His deep voice brings me back.

“Oh no. Sorry. Just a lot on my mind.” Under-fucking-statement.

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