Page 79 of Point of No Return

My gut clenches at the question, at the fact that out of everyone, she’s probably someone I’d go as far as to say I trust. Trust is a dangerous thing in my line of work. Fragile. Too easily broken when all I can do is lie. The last thing I want to do is lie to her. Even white lies- no matter how easily crafted- burn when everything comes crashing down.

And it will, I remind myself: There’s no coming back from what I’m meant to do.From what I've already done.

I hesitate before I type out a message.

5:05 PM Charlotte: Next time I take a luxury vacation, you’re coming with me.

5:15 PM Liv: Business won’t run itself unfortunately.

She’s probably the only person in Westos that hasn’t had her path paved for her in gold. She comes from a rich family, but she’s still every bit the conscious spender. She’s worked hard to get where she is. It’s just one of the many reasons I admire her.

5:16 PM Liv: I take that back. Take me with you… Also, is the hubby on said luxury vacation? ;) *eggplant emoji*

5:17 PM Charlotte: His brother too. One big, happy family.

5:19 PM Liv: Oh… So no *eggplant emoji*?

5:20 PM Charlotte: *middle finger emoji*

5:25 PM Liv: If I don’t hear from you again by tomorrow, I’ll make sure they know it was a murder.

Darkness is beginning to settle by the time I hear Josie appear to fetch me for dinner.

“Would you prefer to have dinner outside?” she asks from behind, and I smile as I grab my hat and towel, sliding my sunglasses back into my hair.

“Are the boys still inside?”

Are they still yelling?I want to ask.

“No,” she gives a shrug. “They left around three. They didn’t say when they’d be back.”

I nod, standing and taking one last look at the sun that paints hues of blue and orange across the sky. “Inside is fine, Josie. Thank you.”

She disappears inside as I glance back down at my phone.

5:30 PM Charlotte: Don’t let my mother have my body. Burn it and spread it over the mountains back in Prevya or something.

5:32 PM Liv: Are you kidding?? I’ll lay you to rest in the ocean on my next luxury vacation. ;)

It isn’t such a bad idea. She probably would too if she ever took the time off.

The boys aren’t back in time for dinner, so it’s uneventful. Quiet. I watch at least two movies, and by the end, it’s already nearing ten. I don’t bother waiting around to see if the boys come home. Knowing Aleks, they’ll be out all night doing god knows what. But knowing Skar, they’ll be back in time for breakfast.

For some reason, the thought doesn’t satiate me. I’m laying in bed watching the wind stir the trees for hours until I hear them get back. It’s not until I hear them scrounging around in the kitchen that I allow myself to burrow beneath the covers.

Sleep calls for me, threatening to pull me under. And I let it. Drowning, falling into soundless, wakeless waves.

Chapter Thirty-Six

Skar

“Are you eating that?” Aleks motions toward the leftover food on my plate. He’s already wolfed down his own dinner, and from the day we’ve had, he’s probably going to eat through the whole house.

But we’re making progress, I tell myself.

Albeit, going from not speaking to yelling tothis-which is barely a few steps outside of indifference- isn’t a vast improvement. As long as this resentment keeps simmering between us, not much is going to change.

But today was progress. It only took beating each other to pulps to do it.

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