Page 111 of The Sweetest Revenge

"And move in with me."

"Where?" My face twisted with confusion as I pulled back slightly to study his expression. "Your bedroom? The frat house?"

The corner of his mouth curled upward, and he huffed out a laugh. "No." His eyes held a gleam I hadn't seen in months. "I just inherited a house."

I narrowed my eyes, scanning his face for signs he was joking. "Your mom's house?"

"Technically, it's not my mom's." His voice took on a strange formality as if reciting something he'd only just learned himself. "My dad was letting her live in the house. It's mine now."

"Your dad!" The realization that he had no idea about what was going on. "Are you going to tell him?"

"I called him already." He swallowed hard. "He's going to help make sure Anne never sees the outside of a prison again." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Do you want me to give you some time alone?" I gestured toward Kacie's grave, the flowers someone had left already beginning to wilt.

"No." Zaiden shook his head, fatigue etching lines around his eyes that hadn't been there months ago. He reached for me, fingers twining with mine. "I want to crawl into bed with you and sleep for three days."

"How about one day?” I chuckled, the sound strange but welcome in this place of silence. My thumb brushed across the dark circles under his eyes. "You have a game."

"Sounds good."

He leaned down, his lips soft against my forehead. I closed my eyes, breathing in the familiar scent of him.

I smiled as we walked hand-in-hand back toward our vehicles, the gravel path crunching beneath our feet. The cemetery's iron gates creaked as we passed through them, like a final chapter closing.

It was hard to believe that after all that had happened over the last few months between us, this was where we were, but everything about it felt right. The weight on my shoulders seemed lighter with each step we took. Kacie's real killer was getting the justice she deserved, and Zaiden and I were exactly where we were always meant to be—even if we took a really weird way of getting there.

CHAPTER48

ARIELLA

It had been a few weeks without a word from EJ, and it was starting to look more and more like he was all talk, but I decided I was done waiting. Ariella made it clear every day that I couldn't be everywhere with her, and she was right. So, there was only one way to ensure she was safe, and that was to make sure he knew the consequences of even looking sideways at Ariella.

I didn't know a lot about EJ, but I knew he was usually the first to the gym every morning. Since he was always with his friends and I needed to get him alone, that was probably my only chance.

Leaning against the wall in the dim hallway, I patiently waited for EJ to show up. I was done waiting for them to make a move. I was putting an end to it today.

A whistling echoed through the empty hallway, and I knew it was EJ. Crossing my arms over my chest, my gaze dropped to the floor as I reminded myself that I didn't have to kill him.

He rounded the corner, and the whistling stopped, replaced with a groan. "What the fuck do you want, Knight," he said as he strolled up to me.

I shoved off the wall with my foot. "Rumor has it you're planning on hurting Ariella."

He huffed out an exaggerated sigh of annoyance. "That's the thing about rumors, Knight," he smirked. "They're usually not true." He rolled his eyes as he moved to sidestep around me like the conversation was over.

My vision narrowed to a pinpoint, blood rushing in my ears. My muscles coiled tight before releasing in one explosive movement. Before he could register what was happening, my forearm was pressed against his windpipe; his back slammed into the cold cinderblock wall. Each panicked heartbeat in his throat pulsed against my skin.

My gaze held his. "That's the thing, Ethan, usually isn't good enough."

He thrashed against my grip and clawed at my arm. "If you or anyone on your team even uses her name, I will kill you." I added more pressure, and his eyes widened. "You won't find me waiting for you. By the time you see me, it will be too late. You'll be dead." And I meant every fucking word.

The color drained from his face, replaced by an ashen gray that deepened to a dusky blue around his lips. His eyes bulged, bloodshot and watering, silently pleading where his voice couldn't.

"Do you understand me?"

He frantically nodded, and I released him, taking a step back. He fell forward, gripping his knees as he sucked in air, drool trailing down his chin. "What.” Breath. "The Fuck." Another breath. "Is wrong with you?"

"Me." I touched my finger to my chest, a humorless laugh escaping my lips. Something raw and desperate clawed at my insides. "Are you really going to deny saying you were going to ruin Ariella for me?"

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