Page 76 of Kiss Me Like I Didn't Kill You

Almost.

Then I see the sharp set of Arlo’s jaw, and I remember that nothing about this is normal.

I lift my fork, ready to take my first bite, when his hand comes out of nowhere, stopping mine midair.

“Your insulin.”

“I already took it before coming down,” I reply.

He studies me for a moment, then gives a small, satisfied nod before finally picking up his own fork.

Dinner passes more easily than I’d expected.

Conversation rises and falls in waves, Isaak and Hunter deep in some quiet discussion, Milo tossing out obscene comments just to get a reaction.

Piper’s still reading, book in hand even as she picks at her plate, while Adelaide mostly ignores the lot of them, until she doesn’t.

Isaak says something that sets her off, and she’s quick to bite back, wine glass in hand, her tone venomous.

Across from them, Milo flashes a grin at my sister. “That’ll never be us, spitfire. We’re far too mad for each other to argue like that.”

Octavia gives him a cold look. “Are you genuinely stupid, or just naturally an idiot?” she snaps.

He only laughs, completely unfazed.

She narrows her eyes. “I told you I hate you, and everything your family represents. You could collapse right here, and I wouldn’t so much as move to help.”

The expression on her face catches me off guard, a flicker of something raw beneath the anger. It makes me wonder what really happened to her to make her look like that whenever she speaks of his family.

Milo leans back, grinning wider. “Damn it baby, keep talking dirty like that, but say it upstairs, while I’m buried deep inside you.”

Octavia groans, turning away. “You’re completely unhinged.”

Someone turns on the television, music spilling softly through the room. The atmosphere eases, conversation blending with the sound.

I glance around, everyone seems settled, though no one ever truly lets their guard down.

For once, the tension thins enough to almost pass for peace.

Chapter 26

Ophelia

I take a sip of water and set my glass down, only for Octavia to suddenly shoot to her feet.

“All right, girls,” she declares, her grin wild. “Time to get ready for our night out.”

The room stills. Every man’s gaze shifts toward her, wary, and edged with suspicion.

“Night out?” Arlo’s tone drips with doubt, his eyes narrowing briefly in my direction before fixing on my sister.

“Yes,” Octavia answers sweetly, though the spark in her eyes gives her away. “A night out. Girls only. Men are tragically uninvited.” She pauses, then adds, almost idly, “On second thought, you can keep Reyes with you.”

Adelaide’s expression changes for a moment, quick, almost imperceptible, but I catch it. Hurt, before it hardens into something colder.

She leans back against the sofa. “How considerate of you,” she says, her voice smooth. “Though I can’t imagine you’ll need me there to hold your hair when you inevitably drink yourself into poor decisions.”

Octavia’s head snaps in her direction, her smile turning sharp. “That’s rich, coming from someone who’s built an entire personality on poor decisions.”