Page 98 of The Monster I Am
My dreamy carb-inspired expression drops at the sight of Liv, her presence leaving a sour taste in my mouth. “If you’re here to sell tickets for theHow to Peak in High Schoolseminar, I’m sorry to say we’re not interested,” I grumble.
Liv lets out her signature shrill laugh. “Oh, Bexley. You wouldn’t qualify. You’d actually have tobesomeone in high school.”
“I think you’re just proving my point to be honest.”
She turns her focus to Peyton, doing the slow, deliberate body check that mean girls use to intimidate someone. “Seriously, Pey? This is so beneath you.”
“I can make my own decisions, Liv,” Peyton murmurs. “What are you doing here? You don’t even like Olive Garden.”
Liv examines her nails. “True. But Rylan does. He sent me to collect his order.”
I try my hardest to stay composed—I really do. But the obvious attack is so ridiculously hilarious that I burst out in laughter. Liv scowls at me, dropping her hand.
“What’s funny, Spencer?”
I put my hand to my chest to control the snorts that threaten to erupt. “You’re out of your damn mind if you expect us to buy that. Firstly, Ry gets his food delivered because he likes to personally give cash tips. And secondly, you… doing manual labor for someone? Next, you’ll be claiming that an alien gave Mayor Astor a lap dance and that you passed an IQ exam.”
Peyton drops her head forward to hide her own giggles, but unfortunately Liv notices. She steps forward with an angry glare splashed across her face.
“You’re embarrassing yourself, Peyton. Eating Olive Garden with this bitch? Good luck fitting into your cheer outfit—”
In my peripheral vision, Peyton tenses up, shell-shocked face lifting at the comment. That’s all I see though, because I’m launching out of my seat entirely on impulse.
I don’t realize I’m doing it until there’s a loud, painful scream and a sudden crunch under my knuckles, Liv dropping to the ground like a sack of potatoes as I punch her square in the nose with an almighty thud.
Chapter thirty-one
Rylan
“You are one freaky sneaky motherfucker,” Tai chuckles, throwing me a knowing glance over his shoulder. “You’re starting to make me look sane.”
I roll my eyes. “Shut up, T. Don’t pretend you’re not curious as well.”
Tai shrugs nonchalantly. “Never said I was innocent.” He laughs to himself, fingers slapping the keys as I try to follow the screen.
Bexley will have my balls if she finds out we’re doing this. She already has them in a tight grip but after this, there will be a whole new meaning toblue ballswhen she strangles me and the family jewels.
Strangely enough, I’m okay with the consequences. Not that I’m into cock and ball torture. Personally, I’d prefer my nuts stay attached to my body. And after hearing what happened to Cameron Caroma during junior year’s opening football game, I never want to experience a broken dick.
Every male in the vicinity felt Cameron’s pain that day, his shrieks measuring comparatively with a jet engine on the Decibel Scale. Penile fracture was the technical diagnosis and the poor bastard has never been the same since. I’m fairly certain he wears a junk cup twenty-four-seven and jumps if anyone makes any sudden movements near him.
But if Bexley snaps my manhood over this, it’s a price I’ll gladly pay.
“Anything yet?” I snap.
“My, my. You’re impatient. Have you tried meditating?” Tai suggests. “Or yoga?”
“Have you tried my foot up your ass?”
Tai groans playfully. “Tempting, Ry. Does our girl know you’re interested in tickling my prostate?”
I sigh, pinching my forehead. “I’m three seconds away from body slamming you into Sophia’s room.”
“Bex will be the least of your problems if we interrupt the sacred Kindle time,” Tai comments. “Okay—I have a few things. Where do you want me to start?”
Leaning in closer, my chin is practically on his shoulder as I scan the screen. “Anything. All of it.”
Tai tilts his head back, brushing our cheeks together. “Are we having a Titanic moment? Just to be clear—I’m Rose and you’re Jack.”
