Page 91 of Lies Like Love

A terrifying thought.

Does it mean he doesn’t see us coming out of this whole?

I’m not sure how we will. Jude might think I don’t sense what’s looming, but he’s wrong. Monsters have a way of giving away their presence long before you see them. They’re the shiver running the length of my spine every time Jude kisses me with the intensity of another goodbye.

He senses danger. It’s in his eyes.

Threats from our past waiting to collide with what we’re doing. It should be enough to stop us from making these same mistakes all over again.

To the end.

If that’s true, then throw dirt and roses over my grave. This time, I’m not letting him go.

28

Jude

Wishingforthingsyoucan’t have—you can’t keep—only leads to disappointment. Selfishly, I want her anyway. I’llkeepher anyway.

Claw her from my cold, bloody fingers, and even then, my soul won’t let her go. Disappointment be damned. If Fel is destined to belong to a monster, it’ll be me.

She stands at the balcony railing, looking out at the dancefloor as she laughs with Echo and Maren. Her hips sway to the beat of the music. Her dress sparkling more than all the lights in the club combined. More than the stars through a pitch-black night. A chandelier in a place that doesn’t deserve her shine.

When she tips her head back, I’m mesmerized at how she laughs so wildly it might as well crawl the room in my direction. It rushes my bones and draws me toward her. Magnetic energy pulling me in until I’m wrapping my hands over where hers rest on the railing.

Her back melts to my chest. I’m her home, and she’s my damnation.

“Having fun, Red?” I whisper in her ear.

Echo and Maren take the hint, rolling their eyes as they get lost. I don’t give a shit if I’m interrupting their girl time. They’ve held her hostage long enough.

“Yes,” Fel dips her chin and smiles. “Any reason you scared my friends away?”

“Because you’re mine, and I want you to myself right now.”

She shakes her head and opens her mouth to say something, but a hand slaps over my shoulder, interrupting us.

“Jude, man. I thought that was you.”

Pulling back, it takes me a second to place the guy’s face. It’s been a decade since I’ve seen him, and he’s aged twenty years in the past ten. It isn’t until he shoots me a lopsided grin that I remember him from the football team back in high school.

“Parker?” I step back, and Fel turns beside me.

“Yeah, man. Good to see you.” His eyes drift to Fel. “Holy shit, Felicity? Wait…”

His eyes skip between the two of us.

“Weren’t you two like family or some shit?”

“Not anymore.” I want to break his nose for bringing it up.

Hesitation flares in her eyes like it did when I closed the distance at her grandparents’ gala. While I’ll burn for my sins, she’s still testing her skin’s resilience against the flames.

“Okay, kinky. Whatever, dude.”

I grit my teeth.

Parker and I were never close. The most we had in common was that we enjoyed playing the same sport. He was always a selfish dick, more worried about fucking anyone who opened their legs than anything else. And standing here now, I get the impression some things never change.

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