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She gives a small hiccup before looking at Travis. While Millie could almost be considered sincere, her crocodile tears are for no one but herself. Her great epiphany is the result of Luca and the boys stopping by and making it very clear how this will go if they don’t remove the videos. Essentially, her livelihood will be destroyed. All for the sake of making a shitpost for this treasure sitting to my right.

“I, too, would like to apologize to Olivia,” Travis grits out, less convincingly than Millie. “I was hurt when you broke up with me. I wanted to punish you for your success when my channel was so lacking. Millie and I brought out the worst qualities in each other: jealousy, pettiness, and cruelty.” He clicks his tongue and pushes it into his cheek before continuing.

“I, too, will be deleting my channel to focus on how to conduct myself in the future. I just hope that I can learn how to be a man who accepts his wrongdoings and tries to be a manworthy of someone like Olivia.”

A small sob slips out of Millie, and the uncut video is posted for all to see.

It has over fifty thousand views already and hundreds of comments. Ironically, this video might actually make them go viral. Shame Luca insisted they delete all their other videos and backup files. If they did want to start another channel, it would be from scratch.

Most of the comments support Olivia, but I’ll be ensuring Luca discovers the identities of those who are particularly bad.

“So, what do you think?” she asks me, pulling the phone away and slipping it into her pocket.

She hasn’t moved away from me. Instead, she pulls her feet up onto the bed and crosses her legs.

I lean back, scratching my jaw.

Play it cool, man. Let her relax. Let her find this position and proximity the most normal fucking thing. Let her feel natural.

Shrugging, I say, “Maybe they found Jesus overnight?”

She laughs. “Travis isn’t the type, and something tells me Millie isn’t either. Although I’ve only met her once at a fitness event. And look at this: all their other videos have been taken down...It’s odd. I could never imagine either of them doing something so drastic.”

“So what do you think happened?”

“Well. I think Danny may have had something to do with it. Maybe he contacted them online or something like that?”

“Maybe.”

And why the fuck didn’t Danny do something about it? This is his sister, dammit. If I hadn’t intervened, this would still be a big fucking problem for her.

“If I wasn’t thinking clearly, I would think it was something in your ballpark.”

“Interesting thought, Killer. Shame it couldn’t be me, isn’t it?” I lift the chains and wiggle them playfully beforedropping them back down and leaning back. I’m begging my heart to calm down. She’s so goddamn smart; she can fucking read me like a book.

“So, am I a terrible person for being happy?”

She leans on her left hand, her pinky finger no more than an inch from mine. She cares about my opinion. The video’s only just been posted, and her first instinct was to tell me. This is more than her trying to get her own way when it comes to Danny. My gut instinct tells me she’s feeling this as much as I am.

I mirror her position, leaning back on my hand.

“You’re a good person, Killer. You take care of your brother, you take care of your business, you’re even taking care of me. Despite what I am to you.”

“And what’s that?”

I hesitate for a moment. I don’t want to remind her of what I am to her. But the selfless part of me wants her to know he’s still in there. I want her to protect herself. Even if it’s from me.

“A bad man, a captive . . . a threat.”

Something shifts, the air becomes thick, and my breath catches in my chest.

In low, hushed tones, she replies, “You’re more than just those things, Austin.”

“Yeah?” I swallow, my gaze dipping down to catch her tongue running along her bottom lip. “What else am I to you, Olivia?”

We’re practically whispering to each other now. Sharing secrets at the back corner of a classroom, desperately trying to ensure no one else hears. The image of her squeezing my hand around her throat two nights ago floods my vision. Her lips part, letting out a low whimper. She has a dark streak in her that even she hasn’t explored yet. When would she have had the chance? I could be the one to unravel her. Teach her things she’s never dreamed of doing.

I lift my hand slowly so as not to startle her. She’s ledthis shift in our dynamic, but she could just as easily flip back. Her eyes track my hand until I cup her cheek, using the pad of my thumb to brush her lower lip.