LOGINKNOXCatalina walked into the house like she'd left her soul on the porch. Shoulders cinched up, eyes somewhere else entirely, her bag falling down her arm like it weighed a ton. I'd seen her like that before—when she was keeping something from me or chewing herself up in worry, when she didn't want anyone near enough so she could bear the burden alone but I wasn't "anyone.".I stood braced against the doorframe of the living room, arms crossed, and observed her as she kicked off her shoes as if they were combat boots."Long day?" I remarked. My tone is half-hearted, half-insistent.She looked up at me, produced a small, forced smile which didn't extend to her eyes."You could say that,"I stepped off the frame, moved towards her cautiously. "You're not fooling me, Cat. Something's eating away at you."Her lips opened and closed. She shrugged, pushing me around onto the couch. "It's nothing. Just tired."I held onto her wrist lightly, not tight enough to catch her, but tight enough to
BOYCE I watched her come into the room, shoulders braced, lips pursed up tight like she was facing a storm. My storm. I leaned up against the window, coat open, hands jammed into my pockets like I didn't have a care in the world. "Close the door," I whispered. She hesitated, glanced over her shoulder at the voices in the living room, then listened. The closing of the door was one I never did tire of—privacy. Control. I let the silence drag out until she fidgeted, crossing her arms. "You've been gone for a while," I murmured. Her chin went up, a look of defiance on her face. "I fell asleep." I smiled, a small, slow one. "In Steel's bed?" That rang a bell. Her face trembled, the briefest flicker of shame, but she hid it quickly. "You don't know that." "Oh, I know enough." I stepped away from the wall and approached her, slow, measured strides, calm and smooth, like I was discussing the weather. "I see the way you eye him. I see the way he eyes you. Hell, half the damn city see
SINI woke up and it took me a second to recognize the hell I was in. The sheets smelled of smoke and whiskey, not lavender dish soap. The light was dim, curtains drawn, and the pillow was too damn comfortable to belong to me.I groaned, sat up, rubbed my face. My phone buzzed on the nightstand like it was trying to dig into my hand. Of course—Jaden.Jaden: Mom, where are you?Jaden: Boyce is looking for you.Jaden: Don't force me to lie any further than I have.Jaden: He's heading to Steel's office if he doesn't receive word back in a short while."Great," I growled, slumping back against the headboard. My throat was dry, my body heavy, and my head throbbed with the combination of anger and exhaustion that had brought me low before.Boyce snooping around. Of course. He was always so good at turning up at the most inconvenient moment.I slammed out a quick reply. I'll handle it. Don't say another thing.I hadn't even managed to flip the phone onto the couch before the door swung open.
STEEL The door slammed closed behind Melissa and Catalina, and for a second the quiet felt like a test. Just Sin and me. She was breathing too hard, her cheeks still red from punching the hell out of me. I touched my jaw with the back of my hand and laughed, low and jagged. "You had your shots in, sweetheart. Better now?" Or do you want to get your husband on the phone and explain to him how loyal you are while you're accusing me?" Her eyes flashed to mine, flames burning. "Don't—" I stepped forward, crowding her against the wall. “Don’t what? Don’t tell the truth? You’re a married woman, Sin. Married. And yet you’ve been in my bed, under me, clawing at me like I’m oxygen. But I’m the one who’s unfaithful?” She shoved at my chest, fire in her voice. “You had another woman on you!” I laughed so hard, I pressed my body against hers, holding her in place. "Had? She was on me. I wasn't touching her. And you know damn well I didn't even look at her the way I look at you." Her mouth
MELISSA I'd been dragged to a lot of seedy places in my eighteen years, but a "reserved private clubhouse" had to rank in the top five most terrible. You know the type—all leather and trees, where wealthy people go to feel important by griping that their third summer house could stand to have new drapes. Mom insisted that I wear the blue dress. The one that makes me look like I'm interviewing for prep school instead of actually being an adult. I was still fiddling with the hem because it was too short, too tight, too much like pretending to be someone I'm not. "Melissa, stop fiddling with the hem," Mom instructed us getting out of the car, her voice having that specific tone that meant behave or else. "I'm not tucking. I'm adjusting." I smoothed out the dress once more, wondering why we couldn't have just stayed home and eaten pizza like human beings. Sin—my mother's best friend, more or less my aunt, my partner anytime I need to commit a crime—laughed with me. "Kid's righ
SIN You’d think after two decades in front of cameras, I’d stop finding it ridiculous when some designer shoved me into a dress so heavy it could double as a medieval weapon. But nope. Bridal wear photoshoots were their own level of torture. Lace that itched so bad I wanted my skin off. Corsets that felt like rib-crushers. Veils that made me look like I was ready to haunt somebody’s attic. And again—because fate hated me—Tyler Jerkins discovered me. Once more. I had kinda dated him for about a Month but ended it quickly that we just did not connect so I became close with him as a friend but he's never liked it but always maintained being polite until now-he's sure lost his mind after running into Steel again and despite my hints and the length I go to avoid him he just doesn't get it and continuously walks into my personal space without caring about how uncomfortable it makes me feel. Melissa-our personal trouble, sat on top of a makeup chair scrolling on her phone, her wild re



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