Page 54 of Wild Thing

For a minute, I’m confused, because the dozens of texts from Marlow don’t make sense.

Marlow: U r in my head.

Marlow: Under my skin.

Marlow: I see u look at me but u don talk I just…

Marlow: Will you ever forgive me for that night???

I’m confused. What the hell is Marlow up to? One way to screw me up is to send ambiguous texts that my boyfriend just so happens to read.

Then another message comes in.

Marlow: Fine, go to Axavier or whoever.

My breath catches in my throat, horror surging through me.

Marlow: I wanna be with u tonight. Dont ignore me. U cant. Come to my place.

Jesus, Marlow.

Marlow: One night. All I ask. I know u miss me.

What.

The.

Hell.

I raise my eyes at Archer, and he’s staring at me like he saw a ghost, his face white.

“Axavier? Really?” His voice is low but so cold that I can feel it in my bones.

“Arch. That’s not—”

“Marlow, too? Are you serious?”

“No! It’s… Arch, it’s a joke or something…”

He snatches my phone out of my hand, turns on his heel, and walks inside, leaving me startled.

“Archer!”

But when I run through the living room and outside, he’s already fired up the Streetfighter and zooms away from the villa as I start marching toward Marlow’s.

Marlow, you stupid ass.

I hope there’s no murder tonight.

23

ARCHER

I’mangry and in shock. I want to punch walls and faces, mostly Axavier’s and Marlow’s. Marlow knows Kat is with me and still talks like this, even after I warned him once.

I pull up to Axavier’s villa. The lights at his place are off but his bike is parked up front. His door is locked, but I ring the bell continuously until I hear, “Alright! Alright! Jesus!” and Axavier’s face appears in the door cracked open only ten inches or so.

“What the hell?” He’s dressed only in boxers. Seems like a too-early night for him.

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