Page 46 of Charming Cruel Boys

My phone buzzes with a text, and I smile when I look at the notification.

George:Uh-oh, no Remi in school today. Did you kill Knight yet? Need an alibi?

Me:Ha. Ha. Don’t joke. One day I might take you up on the offer.

George:No jokes, babe. I’m confident I could cover up a murder if I had to.I’ve watched too many true crime shows to be a goddamn rookie.

George:Anywho, I’m really texting because I want to know what’s going on with Sara. She’s been twitchy. I’m suspicious. Have you seen the way she eyes Duke whenever he’s around? I mean, same, but I’m allowed because you love me and I couldn’t steal him from you even if I tried.

I think back on the past few days since I told her about Duke and I, but I don’t recall anything weird. Although, now that George has pointed it out, I’ll be overly worried about it. He’s such a dick.

Me:You’ll use any excuse to have a reason not to like her.

George:Don’t come crying to me when she turns out to be a fake hoe.

I laugh and tuck my phone away, shoving my concerns aside. Should get up and be productive today? Between scholarship applications, college applications, and homework, I have a shit ton of things to do. But as a wave of cramps barrels into me, I decide to procrastinate. I think it’s allowed on a day like this.

***

I’ve made it through a few movies and my tub of ice cream when the front door opens. Duke turns the corner and smiles at me, looking extra handsome in light jeans and a red and black buffalo-check flannel. He holds up a bag from the oldies diner in town where we had dinner the other night, and my heart swoons.

“Gimmie,” I whine with my hands out, a pout on my face.

Duke brings me the food, sitting next to me and kissing my cheek. “We ditched the last few classes so you weren’t alone all day.”

“We?” I mumble through a mouthful of french fries. No manners today, sorry.

Knight walks in with a deep scowl. “Yeah,we.Duke said I could either join him to make sure you were alive or I could walk home later,“ he sneers as he wanders into the living room and plops down on my other side.He stretches his body out to take up as much space as humanly possible and I have to scoot over so we don’t touch.

We stare at each other for a moment, a lot of unsaid words passing in the air, and then I shrug. “It’s the kind of day where I just don’t give a shit, so sit back, shut your mouth, don’t touch my food, and we’ll be good.”

Duke chuckles beside me, grabbing a few fries and holding them out for me. I bite into them and moan. Salty, greasy goodness is just what I needed.

“What the fuck are you watching?” Knight gripes like the moody bastard he is.He kicks his legs up on the coffee table and folds his arms over his chest, swinging a judgy expression my way.

I smile at him, but it’s all teeth and threats. “Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I’m binging them all. If you interrupt my movie again, I’ll punch you in the throat,“I answer cheerfully. Oh, how I’d love to deliver on that threat.

He barks a laugh and quickly smothers it with his hand, looking amused with my snappy attitude. “The fuck’s gotten into her today?” he whispers to Duke as if I’m not sitting right between them.

Duke turns me a little, grabbing my feet and massaging them while I stuff my face. “It’s best to just give in to her every whim when she’s like this, bro. Give her five or so days, and she’ll be an angel again.” I choose to ignore Duke’s teasing tone because he brought me food and is rubbing my feet.

“An angel,” Knight snorts. I sock him in the arm because he didn’t bring me food.

“Both of you shush or leave me alone,” I demand between bites of my delicious burger.

***

An hour later, I groan, shifting on the couch to try to get comfortable. Damn cramps. Straight from the devil, son of a bitch that he is. My periods have always been terrible. I’ve thrown up, passed out, and sobbed until I couldn’t breathe from how jarring they get.I asked my dad freshman year if I could see a doctor about it but he accused me of trying to get on birth control. I don’t think his face has ever been so red and angry as it was then. He spanked me so hard, I was bruised for days. I never brought it up again. I just suffer through my periods.

I shuffle down, tuck my feet under Knight’s legs, and lean my head on Duke’s lap. Knight awkwardly pats my thigh, watching me like I might die any second. “What’s wrong with her now?” he asks Duke, and I would snap at him if I weren’t hurting so much right now.It’s called a menstrual cycle, you dickwad.

“Cramps, sweet girl?” Duke murmurs, rubbing my hair from my sweaty neck. I nod and move again, stretching out and arching my back, trying to alleviate the pressure in my abdomen.

“Knight, go away,” Duke orders, rolling up his sleeves in a move that has no right to be so damn sexy.

“What? Why?”

“Because your asshole aura is making my cramps worse,” I snap.

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