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“Still know that whatever you tell me will be analyzed.”

She stares off into the distance and sighs. “I come from a fairly normal family when you look at it from the outside, but in reality it wasn’t all rainbows and butterflies. My parents were emotionally manipulative, and nothing I did was ever good enough for them. Everything I did was wrong, and that’s hard when you’re young. Then, when I was sixteen, I met Aaron. He was almost eighteen, and we became instant friends. He just got me and was there when I needed him. Aaron would tell me things couldn’t go further since I was still too young and not ready to handle a relationship. That he wanted us to be forever and to do things the right way. I thought he was perfect.”

She pauses and laughs, but it isn’t the kind of laugh where you think the situation is funny. This one comes from hindsight and knowing what happens, and from being stupid enough not to see it. Though the Kayla I know is anything but stupid.

“Things got bad when I finished school. I didn’t want to go to college. Why have a debt for the rest of my damn life when I had no idea what I wanted to do? On my eighteenth birthday, Aaron took me out, and we did all my favorite things. I lost my virginity that night. He asked me to move in with him and said all the right things, so I agreed. I was young and naïve, and I didn’t see the manipulation at first. He would compliment me, saying I looked good, so I started dressing a certain way because he liked it, and every time he praised me I ate it up because he was nice and not demeaning like my parents. But after eighteen months things changed. He became more vocal about what he didn’t like, and when we fought, he would send flowers to apologize, even though he wasn’t sorry at all. Things just got worse and worse from there. It’s why I reacted so strongly to Vero’s attempt to apologize with flowers.”

“So why stick around here?” I ask. “Vero isn’t going to change, and Brawley thrives on violence. Clay is . . . well, Clay, and now you know about me. If that isn’t a bunch of huge red flags, I don’t know what is.”

Kayla smirks. “And that’s the exact reason I stay. They wear their red flags and don’t hide them. You, well I have been manipulated by the best, so I could see yours from a mile away too. But I believe your heart is in the right place, and that you are not using it to hurt anyone. Aaron purposely manipulated me in a way he knew would hurt me, and he wanted me to rely solely on him. In the end, I had no job, no friends, and no family. All my choices were taken away from me for so long, but now I get to decide what I want, no one else, and nothing will ever change that again. I’m not that naïve little girl anymore.”

“Why tell me and not the others? I don’t want to hurt you—it’s the opposite actually.”

“Because if anyone is going to understand me, it’s you. I want to be here. It’s the first time I have felt like myself or a version of the person I want to be. I had no issues with dressing how he liked, or any of it really, but somewhere along the way I lost a huge part of myself. While you are all batshit crazy and have a ton of red flags, none of you want to change who I am or control me. None of you want me to give up work or not make decisions for myself.”

“It won’t be easy with us.”

“Nothing in life is easy, Ares. I am well aware Vero might fuck up again, but he is willing to try to be accountable for his actions. Brawley might thrive on violence, but not at the expense of those he loves. Clay is possessive and a huge douche a lot of the time, but it comes from a place of protecting his inner circle.”

She pauses as she looks at me, and I wonder what she truly sees.

“And me?”

“I don’t know yet. I think you do care, just in your own way. You have found what works for you, and from what I can see, people need you here. You are what holds them all together.”

“Do I? Only because I manipulate them.”

Kayla shakes her head. “You silly bastard! They’re all adults, and if they didn’t want to be around you, they wouldn’t. You can’t tell me you’re smart enough to have manipulated an entire island of people. No, your actions may align with that goal, but the staff keep coming back because you’re a good listener. What they tell you stays with you, and calculating or not, it is because you give them something they all need and want.”

“But I don’t care. That has been a fact I had no problem with until recently.”

Kayla leans her head on my shoulder. “I don’t know what your trauma is, Ares, but just because you can’t feel, doesn’t mean you don’t. Your brain is wired differently, and you do what works for you. So long as you’re not hurting those around you, I think you are doing better than most people.”

God, she is impossible. I just handed her a reason to run, and all it has done is brought her closer. Kayla is stupider than I thought, or she is right, but either way, now I know her history. I can keep her close and use it to my advantage.

If I felt anything, I would hate myself for using that against her.

Chapter Fourteen

Kayla

Ares asked me if I could work a shift at his bar this week, and I agreed because it just so happened to fall on my night off. Honestly, I would rather work than sit at home doing nothing. Everyone is in costume, while loud screams and laughter fill the air. I know exactly what a lot of them are doing, and I want to join in.

Nixie stops by the bar early in the night to check in, something Ares says she does most nights. It allows her to sit and take a break from being on her feet. I love watching her stroll through crowds and demand their attention. I want to be her when I grow up.

Vero bounces in and drapes himself over the bar.

“Why do you have to work?” he whines. “I would much rather be chasing you.”

“Because Ares needed an extra pair of hands.”

Vero steals the cherry off a drink I just made, laughing as I slap his hand away and put my own over the top.

“You can’t touch other people’s drinks,” I playfully scold.

He pokes his tongue out, and the stem of the cherry is tied in a knot. “I wanted to show you a trick. Now please come and play—I am so bored. ARES! Where are you? Please let Kayla come play with me.”

I snort. “Ares will be back shortly, and you need to go back to work. I’m sure there are plenty of people to scare, and you are good at it.”