Page 9 of Lovely Darkness

“I know more about how you girls were made than I’ve told you.” Her face crinkles up in confusion. And I know I should stop this here—just put an end to this whole conversation, take her back down the driveway, hit Doc up for some sleep aids, and force her to take them—but I don’t stop here. I keep going, even though I know I’m making everything worse. “I know how to fix you, Wendy. I know what the cure is.”

“You do? What is it?”

And the look of hope on her face almost kills me.

But I keep going.

“I have the cure, Wendy. I came here to discuss it with Adam and we didn’t have a chance tonight, so we’re gonna do that soon—”

“What is it? How does it work? When can I have it?”

I put up a hand to hush her up. “Adam and I are gonna discuss it. Then I’ll let you know.”

“That’s not fair. This concerns me and I want to know now!”

I pull her in to me. Wrap my arms around her tight. Hug her. Keep her quiet as I take a moment to regret this lie.

It’s gonna come back and bite me.

And that bite is dripping with poison.

But I don’t care.

I double down.

“Tomorrow,” I whisper in her ear. “We’ll all talk about it tomorrow.” Then I kiss her. I kiss her hard. I push her up against the gate and slip my hand up her t-shirt. I take her mind off Indie, and Donovan, and that stupid cure that doesn’t exist.

I lie to her in all these ways.

But it’s OK because my intentions are true.

And anyway, there’s a code when it comes to lies.

If you’re not actively seeking the truth, the lies don’t count.

She wants the lie.

And I have a burning desire to give her what she wants.

CHAPTER THREE - INDIE

“Did you hear that?” I ask. Nathan doesn’t answer me, so I push him and hiss, “Nate.”

“What?” he grumbles.

“Did you hear that noise? I think I heard a noise.”

He sighs and buries his face deeper into his pillow.

“Did you hear what I said?”

I know he wants to tell me to go back to sleep, but he won’t. Because once I get it in my head that something is happening, I’m focused. Or, as he would put it, obsessed. He throws off the comforter and sits up in bed, swinging his legs over the side and placing his head in his hands as he sighs.

“I’m sorry, but I heard something. I think it’s Adam and Maggie. They’re sneaking off again.”

Nathan doesn’t answer, just rubs his face, then glances over at the clock on the bedside table—which says three-seventeen AM, by the way, but he doesn’t complain. Just stands up looking handsome as fuck in his sweat shorts, his bare chest gleaming in the moonlight, showing off all his cut muscles. And that messy blond hair is like the cherry on top. He scowls at me.

“What?” I ask.