Page 75 of The Road to Ruined

"Yeah, that was a great show," I say, hoping Blakely will change the subject for me.

"But then I saw in the paper…what Luca did to that girl. Do you think he really killed her sister?"

"Lauren!" Blakely snaps. "What did I say? She's trying to move on. She was fucking brainwashed by a cult—leave her alone."

"It's okay, Lauren," I say. "I don't want to talk about Declan and Luca, but to answer your question, no. I don't think Luca would have done something like that. I'd bet my life on it."

I feel Blakely's glare on me. I don't think she liked that answer.

It's quiet for a minute before Sophie changes the subject. "I think Jake is going to propose soon. I think he's going to do it in Mexico."

Blakely gasps. "Oh my god, I will die! That would be amazing!"

"Okay, I have a dragonfruit cocktail," the server says, setting the drink in front of me.

"Oh…I didn't order this," I tell her.

"It's from an admirer," she says, winking. "Don't worry, there's no kiwi."

Great.

"Um, thanks," I say. I notice a note under the base of the cocktail glass, pull it out, and unfold it.

FOR OUR QUEEN.

"Well, who's it from?" Blake asks.

"I don't know."

Realization must settle in because the look on her face shifts from curious to disappointed.

"What do you want me to do about it, Blakely? I'm already uprooting my entire life."

She throws her hands up. "Nothing. Just…at least it will be dark in the club later. That's all."

It's faint, but I taste it as soon as it hits my tongue. There's blood in this drink. Was it the server? The girls who walked by earlier? Someone else? I try not to look around the room; I don't want the attention, and I know I can't take advantage of it. I know I can't play the role of their queen.

Still, I drink every bit of it. What kind of bloodslut queen would I be if I didn't? I let it sit on my tongue, savoring it before drinking it down. And they don't know—none of them know I'msitting here drinking blood while they talk about proposals and tracking ovulation.

It's even more erotic…having this dirty little secret. When the server brings us the receipt, I see the bandage on the inside of her wrist. I can tell she wants me to follow her to the bathroom, but I can't do that. I grab my bag and follow my sister and her friends out the door.

By the time we get to the club, I'm sufficiently buzzed and it's dark as promised. People don't stare the way they did at the restaurant. The DJ mixes music similar to what I danced to with Luca at the club in Reno. It makes me miss him—it makes me miss that life—and so when they all get up to dance, I don't bother mixing a drink anymore. I take the entire vodka bottle from the middle of the table and pop the top.

I keep checking my phone—discreetly since I told Blake I forgot mine and I don't want her to see the second one—even though I know Sebastian is the only one with the number and he won't message me just to talk. I close one eye and send him another message anyway.

ME Someone sent me a bloody drink and a note saying I was their queen. I'm never coming back.

I set the phone down on the table and take another drink. I must be feeling lonely again because just like the last time Sebastian hurt my feelings, I hallucinate Declan across the room.

Or that's what I think is happening. But even he ignores me, not bothering to offer me any shitty pearls of wisdom I didn't ask for. He simply watches me over his shoulder for a few seconds before disappearing into the sea of people in front of me.

"Rude ass ghost," I grumble.

But then I see him again across the dark room, leaning against the wall. We make eye contact and…

My heart pounds in my rib cage. Something is wrong. This Declan is wearing a jacket with the hood pulled up. I never picture him like that. I only ever see him one of two ways—with bed head in a pair of sweatpants or, when I'm angry, in dark denim soaked in my blood and a white shirt that says,'Everybody Lies.'

I look away and squeeze my eyes shut, hoping to send him back to wherever he came from, but when I look up again, he's still fucking there.

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