Page 114 of Pretty Thing

“It’s tempting, but I did just steal you away for the weekend.” He leans in close to my ear. “If you’re a good girl, I’ll drop by the club later,” Felix whispers, his breath fanning my ear.

My cheeks flush. Is it hot in here?

“How will you know I’m being good?” I tease.

“I always know.”

He smiles and kisses me. Felix is right. I don’t think about all the terrible stuff when he is around. He has a way of making it feel like everything will be alright.

“Come on, we better get going. We can grab dinner on the way,” he says, leading me to the door.

Multiple layers of clothes later, we are on our way to my house.

Is it bad that I’m not excited to go out tonight? Just the thought of dealing with a crowd, the loud music, and people drinking is already making me sweat. Ugh.

We stop at our burger joint. The one he took me to when we left the hospital that first time. It’s become our special place. The burgers and milkshakes bind us in a way others don’t understand.

An hour later we park in my driveway.

Felix wraps his hand around the back of my neck and pulls me into him.

“I’ll miss you tonight, Pretty Thing,” he says against my lips.

“I’ll miss you too.”

The kiss is tender and loving, and I just want to curl up with him and hide from the world.

Yup, Kris is right. I’m acting like I’m ancient.

Getting out, I wave, but as always, Felix will wait until I get inside before he leaves. Is it overprotective? Maybe. But it’s also incredibly sweet.

He pulls away once I’m safely behind the door. Locking it, I take a deep breath and try not to think about how quiet it is. Instead, I hum my favorite song and climb the stairs to get ready for the night.

thirty-two

​. . .​

Felix

The moment Eden mentions going out with Kris. I know it’s time to act.

Kyle will be wherever they are without a doubt. He can’t resist the urge to be with her when I’m not there to keep an eye on him. He thinks he’s so fucking sly.

Eden closes her front door with a wave. I hate what I have to do. She’ll be devastated, but it’s the only way to keep her safe.

I kill time by doing some random shopping. At seven, I pull into the public parking lot down the street from The Fuzzy Beaver. What a fucking name? The time stamp says 7:15 p.m. Perfect. I pay for the whole night and then call the pizza shop. It’s Monday, and their guarantee is ready in thirty minutes. Hopping out of the car, I head to the billiard hall, Crazy Eights. It’s across the street from the pizza joint and a decent place to wait.

Order a beer, pocket the receipt, and make sure people see me. That’s the plan. I even smile for the cameras. Will all this ensure a perfect alibi? Of course not, but it’s in the setup and the believability. I’m just another normal guy when they ask, “What did you do from the time you dropped Eden off at home?”

Normal…such a stupid word. What the hell is normal anyway?

I walk around the bar and slip into a large group watching the tables. I’ve never belonged anywhere, not really. Matt is my only friend, and it works because he never digs. He accepts me for what I show him and tell him and is happy to leave it at that. I give him the same privacy, and yet we know we have each other’s backs. That’s really all that matters.

My phone alerts me when the pizza is ready. Walking back across the street, I pick it up, then get in my car, taking streets without cameras the whole way home to meet up with Matt.

He’s already engrossed in a multiplayer apocalypse game when I let myself into his apartment.

“You want me to restart this one?”