Page 70 of Boys Who Taint

She growls out loud, like she’s mad at herself, and it’s almost cute, if it wasn’t for the fact that she’s trying to kill me.

“If you’re not going to kill me, then at least get out of my way,” I deadpan.

“We need to talk. In private,” she says, like that’s going to do her any good.

“I’m busy,” I growl. “Trying to forget you exist.”

Her eyes briefly widen, and I swallow away the pang in my stomach.

“We’re gonna talk. Now. Or I’m going to shove this knife into your neck.”

An unintentional laugh escapes my throat. “Good luck with that.” I grab her arms with both hands, pushing her away from the edge of the pool. “I told you not to fucking talk to me. Ever again.”

“I know, asshole, but it’s important,” she retorts, getting so close up in my face I can almost taste the hatred seeping out of her pores. And for some reason, I still can’t seem to stop focusing on the wet droplets of sweat forming on her freckled forehead.Another freckle appeared after the last time I saw her. Another one added to the list of freckles I will never look at again.

If only she would stop trying to talk to me.

“Your cousin is stalking me,” she hisses through her teeth.

My whole body tightens.

“What?”

“Apollo,” she whispers.

“I know who my fucking cousin is,” I grumble, and I grab her arm and drag her back with me toward the dressing room.

“Wait, where are you taking me?”

“Somewhere quiet,” I say, as I push her in and slam the door shut behind me. “Somewhere the whole swimming team won’t see you threatening me with a knife while accusing my family of stalking.”

“I wouldn’t bring it up if it wasn’t true.” She folds her arms.

I shove her against the door. “That’s a pretty serious accusation. Care to back it up?”

She sucks in a breath. “I found these after someone threw them at my window.” She pulls some pebbles from her pocket and shows them to me.

I snort. “Some pebbles? That’s it?” I roll my eyes.

“They’re from the cemetery where Mavis is buried.”

“Oddly fucking specific, Firefly.”

She narrows her eyes in a way that makes all the freckles on her nose move, and I would almost say it’s kind of endearing if I weren’t supposed to make her hate me. “Firefly? You haven’t called me that since—”

I clear my throat. “Whatever. Get to the point.”

“Someone broke into my house and planted a letter. Then stalked me at the bonfire.”

“And?”

She leans in and hisses, “You heard what he said when I walked into you in the hallway. Apollo mentioned the bonfire, asked if I’d seen anyone.”

My nostrils flare. She cannot be fucking serious right now. “That’s it? That’s your proof?”

“Did you hear me?” she reiterates. “I’m being stalked. Don’t you care even a little bit?”

I snort. “When did you think I stopped caring, Aspen? Was it before or after your family accused me of killing your sister?”