Page 23 of Hate Game

I rise to my feet. Was Cassie on birth control? Did they do it without a condom? Could she be pregnant with Malice’s baby? What will I do if she is? Why did I offer up a kiss? Why open old wounds?

I shouldn’t have let my guard down. Hurt feelings are what I deserve for believing a guy could want me after having fallen for my sister. That is my life in a nutshell. Second best. The regret after the blessing. My mother didn’t think she could get pregnant. She had endometriosis.

Things were going well for my parents. They reconciled after separating. Then she became pregnant with me, and Dad left. He didn’t plan to have more kids. He abandoned my pregnant mom. His leaving her is the reason she named me Rue. I am her biggest regret.

Not sparing Malice a glance, I go to my room, gather clean clothes, and head for the shower. In the shower, beneath the hot water, I wash away Malice’s scent, the feel of his mouth on my flesh. Lifting my face, I finally give in to the hurt in my chest and cry.

8

RUE

Ilie awake in bed. Red hasn’t texted back after I sent him a message explaining my new job. I eyeball my phone, which is sitting atop the nightstand. The screen is dark.

Swell. My best friendandthe boy I’m hung up on both hate me. I check the time on my cell phone. It’s three in the morning. I close my eyes and wait it out, hoping I’ll fall asleep.

After what seems like hours, I’ve had enough. Fresh air should help with the restlessness swirling inside me whenever I replay in my mind how the day started well and then went to crap because I needed to get over a certain guy that shall not be named. God, what a freaking bad idea to believe living with Malice would help me get over him.

I roll out of bed and tiptoe across the wood floor to the window. No way will I leave using the bedroom door. With my luck, Malice booby-trapped the place.

I’ll get a can of paint splattered on my face. Or he put something in front of the door for me to stumble over. Then he would get me with a wet paintbrush, starting from my face to my toes.

Those two things would be tame compared to the pranks he and Red pulled on their cousins. They used to let me tag along. Then I started hating on Malice after we slept together. Things have not been the same since between the guys.

Their dislike for one another is my fault. Do they regret having me as a friend? I don’t remember them having a common friend who is a girl.

Leigh is friends with Malice. He’s her boyfriend Seven’s best friend, yet the boys didn’t let Leigh come between them and destroy their friendship. There must be something wrong with me.

Everything and everyone I come across, I destroy. How can I change that? How can I keep people from abandoning me? I wish Riley were here to talk to.

We haven’t spoken in a week. She is busy with school and working at the bookstore on top of waitressing at Midnight’s bar. I should keep busy too. Maybe take up a hobby. Except it’ll have to keep me close to Malice. His hobbies will be my hobbies. Problem solved.

But what does he like to do in his spare time?

I sigh.

I’ll have to get to know Malice all over again.

Shoving aside the dangerous thought, I open the window and peek at what’s below me. To my surprise, there’s a nice-sized deck. Another surprise? There’s a ladder on the deck, secured to the house. Normally, I hate surprises, but these ones blow my mind. What is on the rooftop? Is there a greenhouse for more of Malice’s plants? An outdoor bar where he can drink and stargaze? Another place other than his bedroom for making out with a girl?

I refocus. Tonight is not the night to find out. After finding what I’m looking for in my suitcase, I slip on my spare sneakers, strap on night vision goggles, or NVGs, and climb out the window.

The drop-off from the deck isn’t huge, and I land on my feet on lush, green grass. Not bad for a girl with zero athletic bones in her body.

Smiling, I head for the path. The moonlight reflects off something metal. Malice’s motorcycle is parked in front of the freestanding garage. Why didn’t he park his precious ride with his GT-R?

I stare at the spot where Cassie would have sat as she held onto Malice. He never meant anything he said to me the night we slept together, but does any sixteen-year-old boy when he claims he’s met his match for life? I crisscross my arms and hug myself.

I’m a nitwit, a lovestruck one for falling for his stupid romantic lines. I turn away from the beautiful bike and head for his parents’ house.

How did his conversation with his parents go? I gave them privacy and hung back farther up the path. His mom said to give her ten minutes, then I should show up at the front door. I overheard the girls at school say Malice doesn’t have the best relationship with his parents. How can that be? They are the nicest people I’ve come across.

I kick the ground. It’s his loss. I would give anything to have parents like Stone and Ruby Sterling. His parents love him enough to give him space to deal with his issues. My parents abandoned me without saying goodbye.

I distance myself from Malice’s place and head up the dirt path. My breaths are puffs of white. There’s silence except for the frogs croaking and the crickets chirping.That’s right. Somewhere on the property is a pond.

Does that mean there are snakes?

Crap, I hate snakes. I yank on the NVGs and rush up the path. Why is it taking me longer to get to the house alone, when I reached it at lightning speed when clutching Malice’s hair and dragging him up the path?

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