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April 13 - April 14, 2023
“Pretty Poison?”
It’s her own drink, really—Malibu rum, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, and a splash of orange juice. It’s been her specialty for years. And when we were coming up with the menu, the name just felt fitting. Because that’s what she’s been for me—a pretty poison. She runs through my veins and attacks every inch of me, making it so I can think of nothing and no one but her.
“Oh God,” I groan. “I’m afraid to ask what you decided on.” Laiken smiles sweetly. “We want tequila shots, but I want mine off of you.”
Things couldn’t possibly get any better.
But as I sit up and look across the bar, I realize they can apparently get worse. Because there, no more than twenty feet away, is a girl who is dressed in a familiar shirt—with an absolutely terrifying stain on it.
“Are you trying to get Cam put back on probation? One guy out there even blinks your direction and he’s going to go all possessive boyfriend mode. He’s worse than Hayes.” “Doubtful, but I get your point,” he murmurs. Mali puts one finger to her chin. “Technically, he can’t because he’s not my boyfriend.” I stare back at her blankly. “Do you really think now is the time for technicalities?” The corners of her lips turn upward and I know I’ve made my point. Mali and I look around
“What the fuck are you doing in here? Playing musical clothes?” “Saving you from going to jail, buddy,” Hayes says.
“Couldn’t have had a thing for anyone else. It just had to be her.”
look over at Mali to see her watching Cam with a fond smile splayed across her face. At some point, I need to ask her what’s going on there. I mean, it’s obvious they’re crazy about each other, so why the hell aren’t they together? But that can wait.
“Laiken, if something happens to you, I will never be okay again.”
Never would have taken you for the amateur porn type. I’m saving this for my spank bank. ;)
If I have gray hairs, it’s because I married half of this generation’s Thelma and Louise.
Seriously, I wonder if Cam is really that into Mali, or if he’d get over her if she, let’s say…disappeared.
“Babe, I get it. I do. And we’ll keep it in mind, but I don’t think it’s Riley. I really don’t.”
For some reason, I can’t get the look on Riley’s face out of my mind. It wasn’t your typical jealous glare. There was something darker to it. Something more sinister. I know Cam and Hayes are positive it’s not her, but I’m not entirely convinced, and I don’t think Mali is either.
“Please, God,” I beg as the tears start to fall. “Please don’t take her from me. Give her back. I just want her back.”
She’s alive, but she won’t be for long. You can find her hidden away in sacred secret places. Just hope you’re not too late. ;) xx
This has always been about her.
“I love you,” he breathes. “I love you so much.”
“You’ve turned me into a fucking sex- addicted monster.” He smirks, bouncing his brows excitedly. “I know. It’s the second best thing I’ve ever done.” “What was the first?” “Marrying you.”
“I love you,” I tell him as he lies beside me, trying to keep him with me in this moment. He smiles tiredly. “I love you, too.”
Looking like she’s been crying, Laiken walks up to the bar. “Can we talk?” I take a deep breath, knowing this is going to break me…and her. “Not right now.” My tone comes out clipped. Dismissive. And I can barely look her in the eye when I see her wince. “Please? Just for a minute?” she begs. I’m so frustrated it has to be obvious to everyone in the room. “I said no.” I walk out from behind the bar and go over to clean up one of the tables, trying to put some distance between us, but she follows me. “Hayes,” she presses. “It’s just a couple minutes of your time. Don’t I deserve at least that?”
...more
“Maybe you two only look good on paper,” she says. Fuck that. She looks good on me.
“There is no me without you, Laiken. I may not be sure of a lot, but I’m sure of that.”
“Get the fuck off her! You’re going to fucking kill her!”
“I’m what?” Monty smirks. “Dead? Not quite.”
“Thankfully, being submerged in water activated fight or flight. The only fucking thing that was going to save me was myself. It was rough, but I managed to swim to the buoy and pull myself up onto it. And that was where a kind, old fisherman found me.” He looks up from the floor, and his eyes are so dark. “It’s too bad I had to kill him, but he was the only one who knew I was still alive. And if I was going to get my revenge, I had to be dead.”
“It was an accident!” I yell. “No one was trying to kill you. Why are you doing this?” “Because you came the fuck back!” he roars. “If you had stayed away from him, it wouldn’t have had to come to this. But you just had to run to his side to make sure he was all right.” Riley looks like she’s getting the utmost enjoyment out of this. “I’m so tired of the Hayes and Laiken show, aren’t you?”
“What is wrong with you?” Mali jeers, finally having enough. Monty looks over at her in disgust. “Don’t even get me started on you. I never thought you’d be such a traitor. Seeing you hook up with Cam broke my heart.” “I thought you were dead!” she shouts.
Monty goes over to Mali and squats down in front of her, slowly dragging the gun up her leg. “It’s too bad I never got a chance to see what that pussy could do, though. Cam really seems to enjoy it, doesn’t he?”
“No, angel,” he says softly, like he’s a whole different person. “Don’t cry. You’re too pretty to cry.” I shake my head, praying to God that we make it out of here alive. “You don’t have to do this, Monty. You don’t. You can keep me. We can run away together, but you don’t need to hurt them. Just let them go.” Hayes is turning an angry shade of red as he listens to the words coming from my mouth, but I don’t care. If that’s what it’ll take so they can go free, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything.
Finally feeling like I can breathe, I slump back and pull Laiken into me. I need to see that she’s okay. That she’s alive and not missing more of the pieces he wanted to take from her. “He didn’t…” I ask, not even able to say the words. She shakes her head, gripping at me tightly. “No.” Thank fuck.
“For the love of fuck, you two can be gross at home,” she calls. “Get me the hell out of here.” Shit, right.
“You are not allowed to fucking die on me, Blanchard,” she scolds between sobs. “I swear, if you don’t wake the fuck up, I’ll make sure everyone you’ve ever known thinks you have a tiny dick!”
His head drops in relief, and he takes a couple breaths then looks up at Mali. He grabs her face and only hesitates for a second before kissing her impatiently. When he breaks the kiss, she rests her head on his shoulder and he holds her close as he looks at Laiken and then back at me.
the four of us walk out together. My arm is draped around Laiken’s shoulders, with Cam’s around Mali’s. Laiken leans into me as she and Mali loop their arms together. We all managed to make it out alive, but we’ll never forget the way we felt when there was a possibility that we wouldn’t.
Looking down at the girl who surprised me at every turn, I can’t believe there was a time I wanted to deny myself this. But she fucked all my rules then the same way she does now. And I wouldn’t change it for anything in the world. I kiss her forehead before saying the words that aren’t nearly enough, but they’re the only thing that comes close. “I more than love you.”
As she goes to walk away, I reach out to grab her, spinning her back into my arms and kissing her so fast it catches her off guard. Her whole body melts into me as her lips move against my own, until I finally break the kiss to look at her. “Happy Anniversary, baby.” Her smile brightens, lighting up my whole damn life. “Happy Anniversary.”
“This place was so special to us, and it was just one of the many things that were stolen from us. But I plan on changing that. They don’t get to take away this place or the incredible memories we have here. So, I’m taking it back.” I drop down on one knee and pull the ring out of my pocket. The same one she put on the island next to the words I’m so sorry before she left. Her breath hitches as she recognizes it immediately. “Two years ago today, I married you in the middle of our living room in front of our closest family,” I say, with all the love I feel for her pouring out in my words. “Now
...more
Cam lectures Mali on the proper way to roast a marshmallow, only for it to catch on fire. Mali giggles as he blows it out and then presents it to her like it’s the best thing in the world. She pulls it off the skewer and looks at it skeptically, blowing on it just before she smushes it all over his mouth. Cam stares back at her in shock, but I wouldn’t expect an apology out of her if I were him.
“Woman, I miss you when you walk away for five minutes. Don’t act like this is news to you.”
I will spend the rest of my life being incomprehensibly in love with her. And if there’s a life after this one, I’ll go to the ends of the earth to find her again, because her soul and mine are two halves of a whole. There’s no me without her.
