Page 67 of Lovely Deceit

I press my lips together. The hell I am. I’m the athletic one in our family, but there she goes again, diminishing us, diminishing me because of course I couldn’t have dislocated my ankle by joining a depraved secret society. I must have done it by falling down some stairs or cleaning my fucking dorm room.

She’s staring up at Leo, and recognition flickers on her face. Peering back at me, she gives me an expression that I’d have to riddle out, and I don’t have the patience right now.

Dad comes over and kisses my temple. “Good to see you. Did you guys just get here?”

“No, we’ve been here for a while.” Enough time to fuck in the library…

I shiver, and Leo actually reaches out to rub my back. His touch simultaneously revolts me and makes me want to lean into him.

Mother rounds her eyes at me, imploring. No doubt she doesn’t want the Astors linked with this rotten egg now that I’m the only one left who can make some sort of difference. “I thought Keegan would be here,” she says through clenched teeth.

“Actually, I can’t get ahold of him,” I say, staring daggers at my father. “Have you talked with Leon?”

My mother laughs. “Dear, it’sMr. Forbesto you.”

“I think after someone slaps me across the face, I can call them by their first name.”

My mother’s mouth drops open, and she brings her hands to her chest in a gasp. It’s the most dramatic thing I’ve ever seen, and I just can’t.

“Don’t worry, Mom. He says Keegan can beat the smart mouth out of me once we’re married.”

“Eden,” she cries, gaze darting around to the other fancily dressed couples.

Appearances. Always about appearances.

I turn on my heel and march right back up the brick steps. There’s an even more palpable flurry of activity near the kitchen, so lunch is about to be served, I’m sure. How many points will I get taken away if I just leave now? I’ve already come to do what I needed. Fucking Leo wasn’t on the agenda. Neither was starting a fight with my mom, but you know, sometimes a rich, spoiled girl has to do what a rich, spoiled girl has to do.

“Would you wait up?” Leo bites out behind me. “You’re going to hurt your ankle again.”

I’m almost running now. Probably not the smartest thing to do as I escape the house of torture. Of façade. I don’t like who I am in this place.

Leo comes up behind me, and as effortlessly as I am trying to escape, he scoops me up and throws me over his shoulder. “Would you stop doing that?” I growl.

“You wouldn’t listen, and I don’t know where you’re going, but the limo isn’t here.”

Since I’m spun around backward, I don’t know where he is taking me, but he opens up a door and sets me on my feet inside a garage. There must be a dozen cars lined up. Some sporty, some fancy. He takes a set of keys off a hook and leads me over to a silver Porsche. He opens the door for me, and I slide in. Once he gets in on the opposite side, he hits a button and the garage bay door in front of us begins to open.

The vehicle thrums to life, and I quickly check the interior as he pulls out, avoiding the other cars lined up in the circular driveway. After driving for a little while, he reaches over to grab my hand, but I pull away.

“What? I can’t touch you now?”

“Not now, not ever.”

“Why? Because your mom saw us together? I saw the look she gave you.”

“Are you fucking for real?” I scream. “You can’t touch me because you don’t deserve to. And it has nothing to do with you being—” I gesture toward him.

“The piece of shit of my family.”

“Yes,” I growl out.

“But it’s okay to stick my dick inside you?” he fires back. The car speeds up underneath us. “You didn’t have any problem with that.”

My mouth drops and just hangs there as I stare at him. He glances at me a few times, but I can tell he’s clueless. “You’re so stupid, you know that? You’re an idiot.”

“So, I’ve been told.”

My jaw snaps shut. “And that’s the stance you take on everything, Leo. Fall back on being the victim. Excuse your own actions. Newsflash: we all grew up with varying degrees of shitty families. You’re a grown ass man. You have choices.”

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