Page 115 of Orion Ruined

“I’ve never been out on a date-date.”

“You got the three of us today. Ain’t that something?” Logan drawls.

I narrow my eyes at her. “What about the boyfriend you told us about?”

“I was never taken out on a date.” Her eyes are fixated on her shoes, her response filled with dejection. But in an instant, as if she’s just woken up, she smiles. “Thank you. I know how much is at stake if anyone sees us.”

Something’s off. “Hmm. A lot,” I reiterate quietly.

Kai plays down the seriousness of our situation. “Nobody’ll find out. Chill.”

“Hey, um, your middle names sure are funny, right?” Maisy asks suddenly. “What were they again, remind me? Keres, Typhon, and…?”

“Moros!” Logan exclaims, and pulls out his blades. “Yup. Impending doom. That’s me.”

Maisy seems to be trying to change the subject again. She bats her eyelashes at us. “Does the name Rebecca Trellis mean anything to you?”

Rebecca Trellis. “Should it?” I ask, knowing perfectly well where she’s heading with this. She saw my birth certificate. I read it too. Rebecca Trellis was named as my mother. Who she was to my father, I’m yet to find out. The moment we get back from lunch, I’m calling my PI. Why I never knew about her is a mystery I plan on unraveling.

“Nope, not at all,” Logan interrupts.

“I remember seeing an article–”

“Maisy,” I warn, cutting her pretense short.

She’s afraid to look at me. Her eyes are downcast, her shoulders jerk faintly, and now I can see tears rolling down her face.

“Maisy?” Kai reaches for her, but she pulls away from his touch.

“What’s wrong, sweetheart?” Logan cups her chin and tilts her head up.

Instead of seeing love, exactly what we have for her, there’s something else in there. Something terribly wrong. Her face is twisted into a grimace from the silent cry nobody expected. Her head shakes from side to side, and when she catches her breath she lets out a wail.

“You better start talking,” I order.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I really am.” She gasps for air again, having finally sobbed it out. She’s a blubbery mess. “I love you. Why would I do this? I love you all. I’m so sorry.”

We don’t move, just stare at her. Waiting.

Please, God, as much as I don’t believe in you, don’t let another lie break me because I swear to you, I will kill her right here. And you don’t want that.

“Milan… Milan made me do it. Milan was in your kitchen yesterday.”

My blood boils at her words. My cameras cutting out, that was him.

“When you all went out, he–”

“Milan-was-in-your-house?” Kai’s voice has a new, murderous tone, and it’s aimed at me.

Logan joins in. “What the fuck, Orion? I thought your house was impenetrable!”

I’m still in shock, unable to strike back as I always do. “I thought it was.”

“Fuck you!” Kai yells.

“Maisy could’ve been killed!” Logan rages.

She tries to speak. “Milan told me if I took the three of you to Gianini’s today at noon–”

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