A Dose of Pretty Poison (Pretty Poison Trilogy #1)

by Kelsey Clayton

I try to make it look like everything is okay. I’m sure Laiken is anything but fine, and if Cam sees the same on me, he’ll put the pieces together. Especially since I had talked to him about her the same day. With only one of us being allowed to show emotion, it goes to her. After all, I’m the one that did this.

I walk out of Wrapped in Lace and take out my phone, typing out the first text I’ve sent her in over a week. I know I don’t deserve another second of your time, but if you could meet me tomorrow morning at our beach, I’d really appreciate it. Pressing send, I feel like I might vomit all over the sidewalk, but I can’t just stand around and watch Monty try to steal my girl. If he wants her like I think he does, he won’t do anything to piss her off—which includes telling Cam about us. But even if he does, if this idea backfires in my face, it’ll be worth it because I’ll have her. It's time to lay my feelings on the line. It’s time to win back my girl.

“No,” I say, stopping him. “I don’t want to hear it anymore. You don’t want me. Not really, anyway. You want something easy. Less messy and complicated.” The two of us stand there, staring at each other as both are hearts are breaking all over again, but this time, he tosses the flowers onto the hood of my car and closes the gap between us. “You’re right. I don’t want you.” He pushes my car door shut and places his hands on either side of me. “I fucking need you.”

Hayes Wilder is my own personal bad habit, and it’s going to take a lot more than a couple weeks to break it.

She deserves to be happy. She deserves to be this same girl, smiling brightly and laughing like the whole world is butterflies and rainbows. And as much as it may kill me, Devin is right. I need to let her go.

The only thing I have to do is get through this game without letting myself get wrapped up in all things Laiken. But as I skate around the goal and finally lift my head, I realize that’s going to be a lot harder than I originally thought. Because there she is, sitting in the stands with Mali by her side, and she’s wearing my jersey.

Cam must be in there working. My feet carry me toward it like I’m running on autopilot as Laiken rushes to follow me. “Hayes,” she shouts, swearing under her breath. “Hayes, stop! What are you doing?” I ignore her, pulling the switchblade from my pocket as I walk through the door. Cam looks up at me as I spin the blade around, so the handle is toward him. “You’re going to need this,” I tell him just as Laiken reaches the doorway. His brows furrow as he takes it from me. “What? Why?” “Because I’m falling in love with your sister.”