Page 118 of Sweet Venom
“I still don’t like him roaming around you. I went through hell during the time you were in a coma.” Her lips tremble. “I don’t ever want to lose you again, Vi.”
“You won’t.” I stroke her hand. “I promise.”
Being in that coma made me realize what really matters. It’s not my fractured childhood or my shitty past. It’s not the broken personality Mama gave me or my attempts to bury it all.
It’s having the luck to meet Dahlia and becoming each other’s family. It’s helping people like Laura and Karly—that I paid a visit to the other day. It’s finding my wings through my small embroidered pieces that many people seem to love.
It’s surviving one day at a time so I can see Dahlia smiling and happy.
I don’t ever want to be the reason for her pain like when I was in the coma.
If it’s for her, I think I can hold on a bit tighter and just stop being a burden so she doesn’t overthink my safety or well-being.
“Why, if it isn’t Dallas.”
A large guy slides onto the chair next to my sister, throwing a hand over her shoulder. Preston.
He’s dazzlingly handsome and seems to brighten up thescene with his presence—nothing about his beauty is concealed or subtle or dark like Jude.
Stop thinking about him.
“It’s Dahlia.” She glares at him, but he’s not looking at her as he steals one of her fries and smiles at me with those deep dimples creasing his cheeks.
For some reason, he looks so…familiar. Though I’m pretty sure I only saw him on TV before and only ‘met’ him the other day. “Hi, Violet. You still didn’t give me an answer to my question.”
“What question?” Dahlia stares between us. “And since when do you know Vi?”
“Since now. Listen…” He eats more of her fries as she tries and fails to push him off. “I’m like the prodigy child and totally the best catch when compared to Kane and Jude—and yes, that means you two obviously don’t have taste. But even though I wasn’t picked, I need to make sure no one is playing my friends. You know, some medieval code of honor or some shit. Point is, you need to have my approval, which you still didn’t completely earn, by the way, Daniella.”
“Well, let me just drop to my knees and beg real quick.”
“That would be an ideal start.” He takes her drink, and she grabs it, too.
“Just order your own!”
“But I want this.”
“You don’t always get what you want.”
“Of course I do, Delilah.” Some of the drink spills on his hand, and I push mine in his direction, removing the straw.
Dahlia loves her soft drink more than I do, so I’d rather he have mine.
“Aw, you’re so nice, Vee. I can see why Callahan is obsessing.” He grins, gulping half of it in one go. “He and I alwayshad a soft spot for the kind ones. Comes with all the love we totally didn’t receive as children. Oh, and the mommy issues. Big man and I share that in spades.”
“Mommy issues?” I ask, leaning closer on my chair.
If I want to handle Jude better, I need to learn more about him, and there’s no better source of information than Preston.
“I’m glad you asked.” He places both elbows on the table. “He was the parent to his mom. She was a fucking mess, both mentally and physically, but the times she was all right, she showered him with love, and Jude chooses to completely erase the bad in his mind and only keep the soft, kind-natured version of her.” He taps the side of his head. “If you look closely, there’s a scar on the right side of his head. Because she tried to kill herself and he stopped her, so she hit him with a vase there. If it weren’t for Julian, she might have killed him. Scary stuff, right?”
“That is scary,” Dahlia whispers.
“Oh, you’re still here, Dinah?” He sighs, then grins. “I was just kidding about everything I just told you.”
Something tells me that’s not the case.
He’s not joking.
