Page 31 of The Monster I Am
If only they knew that the two-second kiss Soph saw was nothing compared to the hot, steamy sex I have with her brother. Not to mention the occasionaltripswith Tai and Rylan when they take me to Paris.
“Slow down there,” I grumble awkwardly. “It’s not that serious. We tolerate each other. That’s all.”
Soph looks at Abs, the pair of them having some kind of silent conversation.
“Right, whatever you say,” Soph laughs, clearly not buying my story. “But if only you could see the way he pouts when you aren’t there. He makes Klein look like a grouch.”
Somehow, I managed to survive the rest of the afternoon with my torturers. Which is ironic regarding my survival when I find myself standing back outside Cedar Heights Academy after night falls.
“You feeling okay, Bex?” Arch asks quietly, digging his hands into the pockets of his black hoodie. “We don’t have to do this.”
I shoot him a tight smile. “I’m okay,” I tell him honestly. “And it’s important.”
To be fair, it’s a valid question. I definitely expected some uncomfortable feelings doing this, but the longer we stand here waiting for the others, the more overwhelming the pressure in my chest becomes.
After the mall, I drove to Arch’s house so we could travel together. It also gave us the chance to discuss the building condition with his dad. We weighed up both options, and ultimately, I found myself quickly deciding that we should give him the heads up—not only for protection and needing someone off-site to stand by, but so we could get all the available information on the current structural integrity of our beloved academy.
Mr. Roberts was kind enough to show us the latest arson and building inspection report. While we were one hundred percent confident about the cause of the second fire, there were definitely areas we have to avoid inside.
The auditorium is the main one, of course. The fire destroyed pretty much everything, including all the back rooms where we narrowly escaped. Thankfully, fire crews were able to contain it and stop the blaze from spreading to the rest of the school.
I’m not sure I’d want to go in that particular area anyway, but that’s not my key focus tonight.
Headlights blind us as a car pulls up, and we watch Parker emerge from inside.
“Evening,” he greets coolly, walking over. “The idiots still aren’t here?”
I smile. “They shouldn’t be long. Try not to cause any bodily harm, yeah?”
Parker snorts. “No promises.”
I don’t have a death wish. Given everything that happened a few short weeks ago, it made sense to thoroughly plan tonight, even at short notice. Six bodies are better than four, and afterrecruiting Archie, my mind landed on Parker to be our last field trip buddy.
Too many people could draw attention. Not enough might lead to an ambush.
Parker jumped on board straight away, which was a pleasant change to the other four who had literal breakdowns when I told them the plan.
Yes, even Lannister.
For someone living up to his hormonal hemorrhoid name, Idid notanticipate the explosive reaction from him. Somehow, he managed to shout over everyone else, an impressive feat considering how loud Rylan was ranting. It didn’t just startle me, but his best friends as well.
Arch then relented begrudgingly, and after some convincing and explaining as to why this was important, I managed to win over Tai. Rylan caved shortly after with the stipulation he comes as well.
Part of me assumes Lannister won’t show his face tonight, even after the meltdown. As much as he’s been an insufferable asshole recently, I wouldn’t blame him. We both went through the same thing that night, but at the end of it all, he doesn’t have anything to lose by staying put.
To him, Cedar Heights means nothing—just an old building full of everything and everyone he detests. But for me, even though I have no hope of returning before I graduate, my peers need their home back.
The longer we take to figure this out, the more opportunity the culprits have to create greater damage or hide evidence. That’s why I need to push these suffocating feelings aside and do this.
When the loud rev of an engine violates the silence, I know the Willowbrook Kings have arrived. Even their cars sound expensive and obnoxious, no mistaking their presence for anything else except maybe a tornado.
The doors open, and my eyebrows shoot up in surprise as Lannister climbs out of the driver’s side. He sends a sharp glance my way, and the contrast to his recent cold, detached stare makes that sickening feeling return. But there’s also a slight flash of relief knowing he’s here as well. I might want to kill him, but it’s nice knowing he showed up.
“I still don’t think this is a good idea,” Rylan says as he walks over to me.
“It’s ouronlyidea. That’s the problem,” I answer firmly, smiling as Tai bounces over, beaming happily at me.
He pulls me into a squeezy hug, lifting me off the ground. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you, Bex.”
