Page 238 of The Villain We Tempt

“To try and what?” he smirks. “Get her back?”

I nod.

“And you really do love her?”

“Yeah… I fucking do,” I growl tightly.

“So…?” Cillian stares at me incredulously. “I mean, no, don’t start throwing out the L word because some girl from the pub never texted you back after a snog. But Jesus fucking Christ, Lochlan, there’s a whole other first part to that sagely advice! Never tell someone you love them unlessyou truly do.”

Shit.

I think I may have fucked up even worse than I thought.

“Is that the sound of lighting striking and you realizing what a silly cunt you’ve been?” he says with a smirk as I drain my drink and stand from my stool abruptly.

“Basically, yeah.”

He smiles and stands as well, clapping me on the back as he gives me a hug.

“Go get her, then.”

“Hey, Cil?”

“You’re welcome.”

This guy. “Thanks.”

40

GALINA

Talking with my dad helped.And he was right: rocking out with Arianna to Explosions last night did, too. So did finally breaking apart at the seams, falling to my knees in the middle of a song and starting to cry, which prompted Ari to turn the music off immediately and ask me what the literal fuck was going on.

So I told her.

All of it.

Well, notallof it. I mean, there was certainly no mention of my masked BookTok account. Not because I’m embarrassed, it’s just…that’s for me.

But I did tell her about Lochlan. And she, being the most amazing friend ever, just listened. She didn’t judge, or tell me what to do or think, or how to feel. Shedidsuggest we go over to Kingsward Hall and “duct tape a hand grenade to his ballsack and pull the pin”—direct quote.

But other than that, she was just there for me.

A day later, though, I still don’t have the answers I wish I did. I actually have even morequestions, because Lucia saw Yelena briefly this morning and said she smelled like gasoline and smoke, and wouldn’t provide any explanation.

As interesting as I find that, though, I’ve got bigger things to mull over.

But these things are allveryoverwhelming. So, instead, obviously, I do the next best thing: doomscroll social media on my phone.

The second I open my app, I’m bombarded with afloodof notifications. I always have a metric shitload of them waiting for me, given how many followers I have. But this feels above and beyond, especially since I haven’t posted in two freaking weeks.

I tap on the notifications tab to see what the hell is going on.

Oh.

The Ghost Prince has a new video up.

…I’m tagged in it.