Page 30 of Eternal

“Don’t worry. I forgive you.”

“You forgive me?” Ben’s eyebrows pinch. “You mean it? We’re good?”

“Of course.” I grin. “We’re good.”

His expression floods with relief as he starts shaking my hand again. “Good, I’m so sorry about that. Thanks for understanding.”

I understand perfectly. I even understand that he’s sorry.

Weare good.

The problem is what he did to my girl isn’t. Whether my relationship with her is real or not. Whether I like her or not. She’s mine, and he disrespected her.

Ben is so relieved he doesn’t notice my free hand leaving my pocket as he continues to shake the other one. He doesn’t see me pop the cap off the syringe. He’s slow to process when I turn his hand over in mine and dig the needle right between his fingers. Gentle enough that it won’t bruise. Quick enough that he barely feels it.

Releasing his hand, I step back, and his mouth falls open. But before Ben can so much as ask what I’ve done, his face pales. He clutches his chest and drops to his knees on the cement.

“Wha—”

I step forward again, grabbing him by the hair and forcing him to look up at me. The drugs are working fast. His heart is already seizing.

“This is for Tealene.” I shove him back, and he falls to the ground, grabbing his chest as he chokes for air.

Spit flies from his lips as he tries to cough, but it won’t do him any good. He’ll be dead within the minute.

The door to Paul’s house starts to open, and I back up, leaving Ben to be found by whoever trips over him on the way to their car tonight. I leave him like the worthlesspiece of trash he is, fighting for his last breath in an empty driveway like he’s nothing.

I leave him to feel as she felt when he said what he did about her.

Alone and suffering like he deserves.

If anything, I’ve done the world a favor. I’ve done his wife a favor. I’ve saved whoever he might have run off the road in his drunken haze.

Teal might think I’m her villain, but who said I can’t do good deeds?

9

Bait

Teal

I’m smart enough toknow that one night changes nothing. One kiss means nothing. One moment can’t redeem evil.

Declan Pierce has been, and forever will be, a ruthless bully. And I’m thankful he reminds me of that fact with his demanding, egotistical text message.

Unknown: Party at Sigma House, Friday at ten. My girlfriend is expected.

I refuse to respond to him. I refuse to even add his name to the contacts in my phone. This is a temporary thing, and I don’t appreciate that he’s using it to pull strings just like my father did.

I should have never let our kiss happen.

The second our lips met, we blurred the lines we drew when we made this arrangement. Not that I can besurprised either. I made a deal with the devil. He was bound to come for my soul eventually.

Except, ever since that kiss, Declan probably thinks I’ve given in to this. That I’ll submit to his whims, and he’s in complete control.

Never.

If anything, he’s handed me a reason to prove just how wrong he is, thinking he can manipulate me and get away with it. Which is why I will accept his invitation to the party tonight without telling him and use it to remind him who is in control here.

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