Page 84 of A Dead Man's B-Side
I shrugged. “It always seemed to work for me.”
She huffed. “I bet it does. Remind me of how many houses you own?”
“What? You don’t believe me?”
Paris fixed me a stare and watched me like a teacher would watch a misbehaving student, hands on her hips and everything. “Not as far as I can throw you. Besides, you’re the resident liar of the Founder’s Society.”
My lips twitched. “You know, Paris, one day you will eat your words and wish you’d married me for my money rather than for my charm.”
She balked. “What charm?”
I paused before fixing my words. “My lies.”
She laughed then, a loud and high-pitched laugh that caused her to throw her head back. A laugh I found myself raising a brow at.
Not out of irritation, but because it helped smother the smile threatening to grow on my lips.
Castle Hill must have some really unfunny people, because Paris had laughed so hard, she’d taken to punching my shoulder and shoving my arm until she calmed down.
I could only bounce my eyes from the door to Paris when she’d wiped the tears away with her forearm, trying to avoid getting her gloved hands near her face.
“You’re not so bad, Alex.”
I swallowed against my dry throat before forcing the words out. “Sasha.”
She blinked. “What?”
“Alex is a pretty… bland nickname. Call me Sasha.”
Paris waggled her eyebrows. “I’ve been promoted to nickname status, huh? That’s exciting.”
I rolled my eyes. “Don’t expect any truth-telling sessions.”
Paris went back to filling my scalp with dye. “Oh, I’m not counting on it. You wouldn’t be you without your secrets.”
“Can’t that be said about everyone here at Castle Hill?”
Paris rolled her head to push a fallen strand over her shoulder, as she seemed to think about my words. “Mmm, maybe. But you’re different. Your secrets are… darker. Usually, when someone’s secrets come to light, they're scandalous, a bit dark, but they’re always something you’dwantto know. I feel… I would prefer letting you keep your secrets. Because they’re yours and…” she laughed softly, but it sounded brittle. “Well, they say familiarity breeds contempt, and I’d rather not know you at all than know everything there is to know about you.”
I watched her refuse to meet my eye in the mirror, and when I tried to catch hers, she wouldn’t budge. Too focused on my hair, though I doubt that was why.
I want to remind you that I am not a sympathetic person, but I was an awkward person. It isn’t something I can control.
“It would be helpful if you could shareother people’ssecrets or… weaknesses, though. Like, say, our fellow peers?” I prompted.
She breathed out a short scoff. “Oh, come on.”
She gave me a look that clearly saiddon’t try to play me.
I only blinked back innocently. “What?”
Paris shook her head and said, “If you swear to use this information under good conscience.” I crossed anxover my heart as she finished with one side of my hair and moved to the other. “If you must know, Wolf would hate his own shadow if he could, Ajax is homicidal only ninety percent of the time but he’s afraid of the aftermath, Rain would marry that euphoric feeling she gets when she exacts an order if she could, August can’t hold his tongue to save his life, and Marigold… well she has many flaws.”
“And what’s your… fatal flaw?”
“I don’t have any. And I think that’s what it is, isn’t it? What about you?”
I watched her for a moment before smiling. “I don’t have any.”
