Page 55 of Tell Me Pucking Lies

“Koa.”

He grabs the cup from my hand, sniffs it. “I thought you don’t drink.”

“It’s pretend,” drunk Thea blurts out, her words slurring. “So people don’t give her shit for being sober.”

Jesus Christ, Thea.

“Is that so?” Koa’s smirk is sharp, mocking.

I meet his gaze, force myself not to flinch. “Say it ain’t so.”

Before he can respond, Axel stumbles over, laughing like a maniac. He points at Koa, swaying on his feet.

“She’s gonna play you, man.”

I look at him with pure disgust. My brother is fucking ridiculous and embarrassing. Koa just stares at me, expression unreadable.

Axel keeps talking, words tumbling out in a drunken rush. “She has a plan. Tell him the plan, Lex. Tell him.”

Thea grabs at him, trying to pull him away. “Axel, shut up—”

“Tell me the plan, Lexi,” Koa says, voice dangerously soft.

Thea mutters under her breath. “This is bad.”

Axel laughs harder, hitting Koa on the chest. “Tell him how in high school you called the cops on my drug dealer.” He’s practically cackling now.

Koa raises a brow at me, almost impressed.

The idiot continues, “Tell him how you don’t believe in love, only in using each other.”

Koa’s eyebrow raises. “Then we agree on something.”

“But tell him your favorite part, Lex.” Axel leans closer to Koa, grinning like an idiot. “The deal’s off. If it’s her or me, she saidit’ll be me. Just like it was with our parents. I got the shitty end of the stick, and she thinks she can play hero.” He raises his hands and says, “So now I’m back in the game, Koa. Hook it up!”

The big guy standing next to Koa steps forward, shoulders squared.

Axel puts his hands up, still grinning. “Hey, man. I’m not starting anything.”

I grab Axel by the shirt, yank him toward me. “Will you shut the fuck up already?”

I pour my water into his mouth. He sputters, coughs, spits it out.

“Lex, what the fuck?”

I don’t answer. Just look around the party—at the staring faces, at Koa’s cold eyes, at Thea’s worried expression—and storm off.

I push through the crowd, out the front door, down the steps. The cool night air hits my face, sharp and sobering.

Thea’s footsteps pound behind me. “Lex, wait!”

I stop at the edge of the lawn, hands on my knees, trying to breathe.

“Go back inside, Thea. I’m just leaving.”

“I’ll come with!”

“No. Catch a ride with your roommate. I want to be alone.”