Gods & Monsters(29)

I thought someone was strangling me. I felt faint, my vision turning hazy with unshed tears. Even so, I shook my head once, trying to convey to the boy I love that it didn’t matter. Not enough for him to risk another incident. Though we did fight about it on the phone.

We’ve been fighting ever since. It’s more like a cold war, where he sounds frustrated and angry, and I cry silently, and then he apologizes for making me cry. The next night we do it all over again.

I’ve debated making myself sick, sticking a finger down my throat to make myself throw up. So Mom thinks I’m too unwell to go. But that’s even worse than staying home where I’m under a constant cloud of suspicion. That would give her more fuel that her daughter is really having an affair with the monster.

I’ve also debated outright telling her. It’s only four weeks. What’s the worst she can do? But then, I remember what they did with my classmate, Jessica Roberts. Everyone was surprised when she turned up pregnant last year. She was on her way to college to be a pre-med, but she committed the sin and became the slut, instead. My mom’s words, not mine. And naturally, my mother thought it was Abel. Until Jessica came out and admitted to falling in love with a college guy who was visiting the town. In the end, her parents sent her away. I don’t know where she is in the world, but I hope she’s okay.

So I can’t risk it. I can’t risk being sent away to God only knows where, when we’re so close to the goal.

When Duke arrives at my house, I hardly spare him a glance. My mom takes pictures and all I do is stare at her with all the hatred I’ve felt over the years. While Abel’s camera makes me feel alive, free, immortal even, every click of my mom’s camera kills my spirit. She tells me to smile and I ignore her. We glare at each other while my dad stands off to the side. I hate him so much, too. I hate everyone right now.

Once the pictures are done, we head out. I don’t realize when the car pulls out of the driveway, and neither do I care. I’m looking out the window, but I barely pay attention to the road or to the scenery. When the car stops, I take off my seatbelt, ready to get out and away from the guy next to me. But I pause, realizing that we’re not at the school. We’re in town. But mainly, we’re in front of Mr. B’s store. Where Abel lives, right upstairs.

“What… What are we doing here?”

Duke’s hands stay on the steering wheel as he shrugs. “Go.”

“What?”

He turns to me. “Go. He’s probably already plotting my murder up there.”

My heart starts pounding. “W-What? Who?” It’s a dumb question and I’m not that good of an actress when directly confronted.

“Really?” He sighs and faces me. “Look, I know you hate me. Trust me, it wasn’t my intention to hurt Adams or to hurt you. I was just –”

“You were just messing with Sky like you always do.”

He squints his eyes, probably thinking up a lie. But he surprises me. “Yeah.”

I study him. He looks the same: spiky gelled hair, starched shirt, expensive watch. But his gestures, his demeanor, they’re different. “Why’d you kiss her?”

After everything settled down, I asked Sky about the kiss. She said it came out of nowhere. One minute, they were fighting and the next, his lips were on hers. I asked her how it felt and she said he tasted like shit. Very graphic and unnecessary description. But I had a feeling she was lying, even to herself.

Something flashes on Duke’s face, like he’s reliving the memory. Like he’s been reliving it ever since it happened. I know that look.

“Because I wanted to.”

“You wanted to kiss Sky, your arch-nemesis.”

He scoffs. “Yeah. She’s that, isn’t she?” He thumps his head on the headrest. “Has she always been this crazy?”

Despite myself, I smile. “You mean, bloodthirsty? Yeah.”

“Why?” He sounds so perplexed, like he has no idea when their enmity started. Like he’s forgotten years of him trying to get her into trouble.

“Well, if you’re asking why she wants to kill you, I think you already know the answer. But if you’re asking in general, then I’d say…” I think about it. “Skylar Davis aka Sky aka my best friend wants to change the world. She hates it that her mom’s a maid and people like you look down on her because of that.”

“But Sky is a maid. She can’t change that. You can’t change who you are, who you’re supposed to be.”

“No, Duke. Sky isn’t a maid. Her mom is. And there’s nothing wrong with it, by the way.” I shake my head. “I’m starting to think that maybe she should change the world. Because the world is full of assholes like you.”

His chuckle echoes in the leathered confines of the car. “Ah. Evie Hart said a bad word. I’m guessing that’s your boyfriend’s doing.”

“My boyfriend is worth ten guys like you. In fact, my Abel is better than this entire town.”

Duke smirks. “Then you shouldn’t be wasting your time chatting with me. You should go on up.”

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch.”

“Really? You really want me to believe that?”

He nods. “Look, consider this my good deed. I fucked things up for you, so now I’m sort of making things right. Besides, no offense but I don’t wanna spend my evening with a bitchy version of you. So I’ll be back to take you home in time.”