Page 105 of Wicked Little Secret
I laugh at the frustrated sigh he lets out. “I’d… what? Be perfect for you? Theron, I think it’s safe to say that ship has sailed. We’ve established our ages don’t matter. But what does matter is what our hearts and minds want.”
His thumb glides along my cheek. “I love that you included mind. The fact that you did proves what I said. You’re brilliant. More brilliant than you realize or give yourself credit for.”
“If you keep going, you’ll give me a big head. Then I’ll be like Heather Driscoll, and that won’t be good for anyone.”
“Heather Driscoll is the equivalent of swine next to you. You understand that, correct?”
“You say that, but she’s rich, blonde, and has the right family name. Societal rules say she wins.”
“Who gives a damn what society says? You’re worth a thousand of her.”
“I needed you when I was a kid. Hearing that would’ve helped.”
“Tell me about what they did,” he says, propping himself up on his elbow. He links his fingers with mine and stares down at me like I’m the most fascinating subject in the world. “You said you were seeking revenge for your family?”
Aware this is the pillow talk he’s referenced in the past, I take my time answering. I’ve never been the sharing type, and I have to tread lightly. Nothing comes before my mission and Theron seems determined to chip away at my resolve.
The problem is, things have become more complicated.
Realfeelings have started to form.
It’s made me more conflicted about what I’m doing. How can I carry on when I’ve developed genuine affection for this man?
“I grew up in Castlebury,” I say with a tense, unnatural shrug of my shoulders. “At least for the first few years of my life. We eventually moved. Before that… kids at school made my life hell.”
“Heather Driscoll?”
“And her minions,” I finish. “Her stepmother was friends with my mother. Their whole posse turned on her when she got pregnant freshman year of college. It wasn’t a good look to be a teen mom. Especially back then.Especiallyas a young Black woman in anaffluent circle.”
His brows crease. “Your mother went to Castlebury U?”
“Both of my parents did. My mother was ostracized. My father was a victim of Valentine.”
“He… was?” Theron says, the healthy color in his complexion fading slightly.
“Yes,” I answer. “But once my mom was expelled and my father was murdered, I no longer belonged either. The kids at school made sure I understood. Heather taunted me about my ‘broke mommy and dead daddy’ as she called it. I was shoved into the ground and laughed at. I spent a lot of time getting knocked down back then. Some of the scars you’ve noticed… guess how they got there?”
I gesture to my thigh where the small, banana-shaped scar has served as a lifelong reminder of the bullying I endured. Theron’s eyes follow, tracking my naked skin ’til he winds up where my hand rests on my thigh, pointing out the mark.
Ifeelhis anger. His offense on my behalf.
As silly as it sounds, it’s validating. Someone else gets it too. He sees how fucked up it was.
“Anyway,” I sigh, “I’ve worked my whole life to make these people pay, Theron. I’m not about to stop now when I’m so close.”
“And that’s why you’ve been mimicking Valentine?” he asks.
Hesitantly, I nod. “I want them—him—to know they didn’t get away with it. The real Valentine most of all.”
A stretch of silence goes by where I’m certain a number of things could happen. Theron could get up and get dressed and insist we’re done here. He could express offense that I’ve admitted to targeting the community he’s known his entire life or threaten to turn me in.
Or he could do the thing I’d dread most—he could understand.
My stomach sinks as he chooses the latter.
“I’ll help you,” he says. “Get your payback. I’ll do what I can. It’s only fair.”
“No,” I say quickly. “This is my own thing. Not yours.”