Page 72 of Rebellious Reign

“Bullshit,” Miss Lulah says. It comes out so quickly that I stare at her, my mouth open. “That boy loves you—he just doesn’t know it yet. A little fight won’t change that.”

“It wasn’t a little fight. I gave his information to the enemy and kept it from him.”

“Seems he kept a few secrets of his own,” she says.

“It’s not the same thing,” I say, and she nods, as if in agreement.

“Maybe not, but I think he will come around. I think you both might need to grovel, but he won’t leave you here to be eaten up and spit out by Viktor Leoni.”

The name sends a chill down my spine. I keep seeing his cold eyes fastened on me in the plane. The way he thought he had won.

“Come on. It’s time for some rest.” Miss Lulah stands and motions for me to follow her.

We go back in the bedroom that she found the clothing in, and she pulls the comforter and sheet back on the bed. It looks so inviting. I almost fall at her feet and kiss them.

“Miss Lulah …” I start, but I don’t even know how to express my gratitude.

“I know, child.” She pulls me into another hug, patting my back at the same time. “You don’t have to say anything. However, I’ll say this hug is a lot more enjoyable now that you’ve had a shower.”

I laugh, shaking my head.

“All right, in you go.”

After I climb into the bed, she tucks the covers around me as if I were a small child, and the action is surprisingly comforting. She pats my shoulder, then rises to leave, clicking the lights off as she goes. My eyes instantly close, and I drift off, sleep claiming my exhausted body.

22

CONNOR

I’m hammered. But I keep drinking. I’ve been drinking all day. Ever since we got home last night, I’ve had a glass of liquor in my hand. Somehow, it keeps getting refilled. If not by Dean, then by my own hand. I haven’t seen Geo much. I assume he’s with Arie or Ginny. I don’t care at this point. I don’t care about anything.

Liquor is good at that—making you forget. Making you not care about the stuff you can’t forget. I’m dull and lifeless one moment, then so full of frenetic energy the next. I don’t know which way is up or down. I’m a walking disaster, and I couldn’t give two shits right now.

Dean laughs at something on his phone, and I squint at him, trying to make him look like one person instead of three.

“Wha’s so fuuunny?” I slur my words. They sound weird to my ears.

He doesn’t answer. I don’t ask again.

I look at the clock on the wall, but I don’t know what it says. I just know it’s getting late. The window in the library is dark, telling me it’s sometime at night. I’m lying on the rug in front of the fireplace, my glass held on my stomach and one arm behind my head. I stare at the ceiling. Dean is on the couch about four feet from me, mirroring my same stance.

We are acting like children, but I don’t care. I don’t care about any-fucking-thing.

My phone in my pocket rings. The vibrations run down my leg, and I cock my head to the side.

How odd.I reach into my pocket in slow motion. The call ends by the time I get my phone out and brought to my face. I squint, trying to make out the name on the screen.

One missed call. Miss Lulah.

I frown, confident that I misread that. Surely, Miss Lulah wouldn’t be calling me right now. I shake my head and lay my phone on the priceless oriental rug beside me. I run my fingers over it, relishing in the way the fibers tickle my fingertips.

My phone rings again. I don’t touch it. I don’t want to talk to anyone right now. I want everyone to go away. I want to go away. It finally stops, and I breathe a little easier.

The door to the library opens a few minutes later—or maybe it’s hours—and I try to raise my head and see who it is. I don’t have to wait long as Geo looms over me, disgust on his face. He nudges me with the toe of his shoe, and his nostrils flare.

“Geo!” I say a little too loud. “Where you been? We are having a party!” I throw my hand out toward Dean and look over.

Dean’s eyes are closed, his mouth is open, and he’s drooling.

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