Page 263 of Boys Who Taint

I nod and swallow it down, then scoop up some more. “It’s fabulous. What herbs did you use? So spicy. I love it!”

Part of that is a lie, but I don’t want to offend the host, and I certainly don’t want to die while eating chili.

“See? Someone actually likes my chili!” her mom exclaims. “I can cook!”

“Great …” Silas mutters as he drops his fork.

Felix pokes his fork into Silas’s arm. “Eat. Don’t offend your mother.”

“Yes, let’s eat and forget about the fight,” Alistair says.

“What fight?” Xavier asks, completely unaware as he takes a bite.

“I’m surprised you’re still running to his defense, Aspen,” Silas says, homing in on her. “I thought you were finally over that fucker.”

God, not again.

The rest start putting the food on their plates just to avoid eye contact with Penelope, and I get it.

“I’m not running to anyone’s defense,” Aspen responds. “But you’re all way too quick to judge someone for something you weren’t even there to witness.”

Now the forks are coming down. Oh dear.

“Excuse me? Are you implying he didn’t kill your sister?” Felix barks, clearly on edge, because he’s nearly breaking his fork in half with just his fist.

“Forks down. I repeat, forks down on the table,” Alistair says. “No one is getting stabbed tonight on my watch.”

“Like you can stop me.” Dylan snorts.

“I’m saying that I was there … and that I still believe it might’ve been an accident,” Aspen says, taking a deep breath.

“Hmm …” Silas tilts his head, staring her down. “Are you just saying that because you want us to patch things up with the Torres family so you can keep railing his cousin?”

Oh fuck no.

The entire room has gone quiet.

So quiet you could hear a pin drop.

And I don’t know whether to run or hide for cover.

CHAPTER 61

Grey

“Wh-what?”Aspen mutters.

“The whole fucking school heard, Aspen,” Silas says.

Oh, fuck me sideways, this is not happening right now.

“Wait a minute, are you telling me Apollo Torres and Aspen are having an affair?” Dylan asks.

“Not an affair,” Silas says. “Apollo happily announced it over the speakers in the cafeteria that he was railing both of them.”

“Oh my God,” Melody says, giggling into her hand. “A trio? Really?”

Aspen’s phone buzzes again, but instead of checking who it is, she turns off her phone.

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