Page 146 of Hide and Keep

“You’re welcome,” leaves my lips before I’ve even made the decision to say it aloud.

“Excuse me?” she snarls from her spot near the partition, making the next decision for me. Not only did I mean to say that shit, I’m doubling down.

Leaning forward, I look her right in the eyes, and repeat, “You’re. Welcome.”

“For giving me blue lips?”

“Bluewhat?”

“Lips! I’m all swollen from the amount of blood down there.” She gestures wildly at her crotch. “And without a release—”

“You got a release. You got a fucking release!” I dust off my thighs as I sit back. “So just say thank you and—”

Something sails through the air so fast, it hits me in the forehead before I can react. By the time I realize what’s happened, the object is in my lap.

Staring down at one of Ever’s high heels, I grit out, “What theshitwas that?”

A singsonged, “You’re welcome,” is the response I get.

I snap the heel off the shoe. Broken, like my patience.

Fuck her shoes. Fuck her. I’m done being nice.

Ever deadpans, “Those were vintage.”

I toss both pieces on the floor between us. “Well, now they’re trash.”

She takes the other one off, but this time I’m watching and am able to knock it away before impact. This is exactly why her shoe privileges were revoked. She can’t be trusted with anything that can be used as a weapon.

“I hate you,” she seethes.

I shrug. “Not as much as I hate you, brat.”

“I knew your wrists were weak but I didn’t know your fingers were, too.”

Oh, now she’s going for the jugular.

“My fingers work fine. Your pussy’s just—” I cut myself off, unable to lie. There was nothing wrong with her pussy. I’d slurp that cunt like soup.

“Just what?”

“I don’t know, Ever. It’s hard to think clearly while concussed.”

“You are not concussed.”

I don’t respond and neither does she, so I pretend to look out the window, the weight of her gaze relentless.

Does she feel bad? Enough to nurse me back to health?

Quieter, she asks, “Are you?”

Hmm, no. But I’ll give myself a concussion if it brings her back over here.

Looking at her again, I force another shrug. “Yeah.”

Come on, Ever. Come take care of me.

She doesn’t though. She just says, “Good,” probably because she’s incapable of caring for anyone other than herself.

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