Page 98 of Bitter Truths

Fuck.

“What if I gave it back?” she asks.

“I don’t want it back.” I know I sound like a sullen dick, but fuck, that necklace represents how I’ve felt about her since the beginning of time. It’s stood as a message, however silent, when I was fucking everything up.

Shit, I even fought my parents over the damn thing, which did not go over well, but I got my way.

She gives me an exasperated glare. “Until this all goes away?”

“We could try,” Max says halfheartedly.

“But?”

“But they’re not going to give up that easily. Why do you think they told me to steal it in the first place?”

“Okay, what about the police?” she asks.

Max shakes his head before saying miserably, “I called Dad.”

Halsey relaxes next to me, and I sigh. “You need to steer clear of him until your dad figures this out.”

Max nods, but I don’t trust the shifty look in his eyes.

“Max,” I growl, but he stands with a militant expression, and we all watch as he leaves without another word.

“Well, that went well,” Halsey says dryly.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

I’ve saved every memory we have together, and when I can’t fucking take the silence any longer, I pull them out.

HALSEY

“Are you okay?” Griffin asks, spinning me around and helping me pull my shirt over my head.

He refused to leave me at Aaron’s, afraid that Patch might appear, and I readily agreed if for no other reason than that I want to be with Griffin wherever he is.

“I’m worried. What if Dad gets hurt?”

I’m reeling under the reappearance of Patch and what it might do for Max’s sobriety. But I have to hope Dad can get Max out of this mess. I’m scared for him, and if I’m honest, me too. Patch isn’t someone you fuck with, and he has a keen interest in me.

“Well, with any luck, your dad will know what to do.” Griffin tips my chin back and pecks me on the nose.

“Yeah,” I say before pushing him to the bed and straddling his lap. “Let’s talk about something else.”

I’m tired of the drama, and I just want to revel in this, Griff and me. I’ll worry about Max tomorrow.

His mouth curls up in the devastating smirk I love to hate, and I shiver at his husky I-want-to-fuck-you voice. “Oh? Sweet, I’m down to talk about me inside you anytime you want.”

Shit. My core spasms, and I grind on his dick, watching his eyes grow bright with need.

“Griff,” I moan, loving this with him right now. I want to soak up every moment because it’s been denied to me for so damn long.

“Fuck, Hals, you feel so good,” he says, bucking into me with a fierce grip.

“I need you,” I say, and my stomach swoops when his eyes flutter before he grabs my cheeks and presses his lips roughly against mine.

“I need you too, sweetheart,” he rasps before flipping around and laying me back on the bed.

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