“I meant after Micaela died. Not before. Everything after was planned.”
I bring my smoke to my mouth and suck, inhaling. I blow out in his face, because I know how much he hates cigarette smoke. “Is that supposed to make me feel better?”
He snatches the smoke from between my fingers and squashes it with his bare hand. “It’s supposed to make you fucking realize that I’m not a goddam monster, Tillie. My shit has purpose. Real fucking purpose.”
“You’re not a monster?” I ask, tilting my head while softening my voice.
“No, I’m not. I can be, yes, but like I’ve always said, I’ve never shown that fucking side of me to you.”
“That’s funny…” I mutter, bringing my face close to his. Close enough for the tips of our noses to touch. “Because your demons whispered all your secrets into my ear the day you dragged me through your hell, and let me tell you something, you are a monster, Nate. And a liar.”
His mouth slams shut.
I stand, shoving his hands off me. “And your words mean nothing to me, Nate. In the morning, I’m going to find your father, and I’m getting to the bottom of whatever the fuck is going on here.”
I start walking back toward the house when his words stop me. “You’ll trust him before you’d trust me?”
My body stills as my feet mount the cement steps and guilt threatens to take hold of all my self-restraint. I can’t let him win. I can’t. He has to pay for his actions, even if it means I risk losing him forever.
“Yes,” I lie, walking back up the stairs.
“Then you’re not as smart as we all thought.”
Tillie
I woke this morning with a whiskey hangover from Hades. Whole head throbbing, mouth frothing, hunger panging type shit, but after quickly washing in the shower and dressing into Khales’, or Katsia’s clothes, I feel a little more like a human and less like the asshole of one. Who knew they both had similar taste. I settled for Khales’ because fuck her. So I found myself in tight little leather shorts that covered just enough of my ass cheeks and a skate shirt that was torn in odd places. I matched the shorts with black thigh high-boots and a leather jacket, and I was good to go. Not really, because this style was not me by any sense, but it wasn’t like I had many options.
“Tell me about yourself…” I mutter as Abel and I walk down the main street of Perdita. I couldn’t find Daemon this morning and couldn’t risk bumping into any of The Kings and having them stop me from my plan today, so I snatched Abel on his way out of the shower and we left. I let him put some clothes on, although after seeing him half-naked, I sort of wished I didn’t.
“Not much to tell.”
“For some reason,” I start, looking down each alleyway of the main street of Perdita. “I think you’re lying.”
He chuckles. “I’m a lot of fucked up things, but a liar isn’t one of them.”
“Yeah, sure, that’s what they all say.”
“I’m not them.”
His words are simple, yet his tone tells me he’s implying The Kings.
I stop, turning to face him. I don’t know why, but it doesn’t feel right. I don’t like judgment in any case, but even more so from a boy who doesn’t understand how this world works. “And what do you mean by that?”
He searches my eyes, and I actually feel myself start to burn up, his beauty is that toxic. Like Medusa, you don’t want to look directly into his eyes. He doesn’t flinch, and it’s scary.
“I kill for less.”
I believe him. “I want to know your story one day.”
He snorts. “I’m not here to give you what you want, Princessa.”
“Well, you’re like your brother in that sense.”
“In what sense?”
“You’re both assholes.”
He chortles. “I’m nothing like him.”
I point to the chocolate store. “That’s why we’re here.”
“We’re here because of chocolate?” Abel asks, stopping in his tracks as I start heading toward the storefront.
“I’ve heard about their Ruby chocolate. We will make a quick dash, and then go and find daddy Gabe.”
We’re making our way back to the mansion when Abel asks around a mouth full of chocolate, “Why don’t you trust them?”
“Because they’re bad people,” I answer instantly, not having to think too much about my answer because it’s truth.
“Are they bad people, or are they just always given bad choices?” Abel asks, and his annoyingly intelligent brain irks me.
“You’re too hot to be that smart.”
The guard lets me in, his head bowed. A small sense of power comes with that, but it’s power that I’m not interested in dabbling in. I didn’t earn it. I don’t want it.
We enter the main lobby, shutting the heavy wooden doors behind me.
“Tillie!” I hear Nate yell out from the kitchen.