Page 86 of Boys Who Taint

She grabs her kids’ hands and drags them toward Dylan’s car, and Felix puts on his helmet.

“Felix, please, can’t we talk about this like grown adults?” Blaine begs.

My sister chucks the bow that was on the car on the ground, wipes away her tears, and storms inside the house.

“Motherfuckers,” I mutter. “Now her birthday is ruined.”

“Sorry,” Levi says, rubbing his lips together like he doesn’t know what else to say.

“Why? Why couldn’t you just … not?” I ask him.

“Like it would’ve helped if I stayed home,” he replies.

“It might have,” Elliot says, but Sunny pokes him with her elbow to shut him up.

“Don’t blame them, blame me,” Blaine says. “I’m the one who invited everyone.”

Everyone looks at him now.

“Why did you think this was a good idea?” Cecelia’s dad, Caleb, asks.

“I don’t know, I thought they could maybe … patch things up,” Blaine replies.

“Patch things up?” Lana frowns at him. “With the people who want us dead?”

“There is no patching up,” Felix growls as he hops onto his motorcycle. “Ever.”

“Wait!” Mom says.

But Felix has already raced off, together with Alistair, Dylan, Penelope, and all the kids in their cars, until their entire family is gone from the premises.

And the birthday party lies in ruins.

CHAPTER 20

Grey

Later that week

It’s awfullyquiet in the library, but the silence has been especially deafening after getting rejected by my own girlfriend. My lips are still buzzing from the memory of the mere electricity between us, and then she suddenly … vanished.

As if the thought of kissing me became too much.

Fuck.

I nearly break the coffee cup in my hand, so I set it down on the table before I spill it all over our homework. I don’t know what to say because I don’t want to ruin her already precarious mood after the way Cecelia’s birthday party turned out.

Suddenly, she sighs and puts down her pen.

“Look, I …”

I gaze up into her gorgeous ocean eyes, so lost in thought, while I’m obsessing over every breath she takes.

“I’m sorry about the whole Cups and Cakes thing. I don’t know what came over me.”

Oh. I thought she wanted to talk about the party.

“It’s okay, you don’t have to apologize,” I say swiftly.

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