Page 78 of The Revenge Game

Had he participated in my torment because he was terrified of being found out himself? Was that why he sometimes seemed conflicted, why he occasionally showed those confusing flashes of kindness?

The Justin I’ve gotten to know over these past months suddenly seems even more real. Like maybe this is who he always was underneath, who he could have been if he hadn’t been trapped in his own closet.

I stumble to my couch, collapsing as my eyes catch on my laptop sitting innocently on the coffee table. The computer I spent so much time hunched over while I devised my plan to get revenge on Justin.

The sight of it makes my stomach churn.

What can I do about my revenge plan now?

My phone buzzes in my pocket. It’s a message from Justin.

I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable. Can we talk?

I stare at the message until the screen dims, then goes dark. The Justin who kissed me tonight trustsDrew.

Not Andrew, the guy he bullied in high school. Not Andrew, who’s been plotting revenge against him.

I wanted him to like me.

I never imagined he couldwantme.

What the hell am I going to do?

Especially now because I want him back. I want him so badly it physically hurt to leave him.

I let my head fall against the couch, closing my eyes against the sudden burning sensation.

What started as a simple revenge plan has evolved into something I never could have anticipated. Because I can’t deny that I’ve developed feelings for Justin Morris. And now I know he has feelings for me too.

Or rather, he has feelings for Drew.

I can’t keep doing this. I can’t keep pretending to be someone I’m not while falling deeper for who Justin really is. But I also can’t tell him the truth without destroying whatever this thing between us might have been.

My eyes flutter open, and I stare again at my laptop, which contains all the code I’d written to cause Justin minor embarrassment. How petty it now seems.

Because revenge won’t fix what happened to me in high school.

And it definitely won’t fix the mess I’ve created now.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Justin

Well, that was great. There’s nothing like kissing the object of your crush and having him flee the scene like you’re a flesh-eating alien who just revealed your true form.

Was something wrong with the way I kissed?

I mean, I’m not new to kissing. I kissed many girls in my teenage years, usually by closing my eyes and imagining they were Tom Brady in his Patriots prime.

Is there something different about the way gay guys kiss?

Wouldn’t that be ultra ironic? That the thing I’ve denied myself for so long I end up being absolutely crap at?

But it didn’t feel like anything was wrong with that kiss from my perspective. It felt amazing. Amazing and…right. Like all my atoms had been misaligned, and suddenly, they fell into perfect formation.

Cassie and Tabitha appear, Tabitha doing her usual operatic meowing while Cassie weaves figure eights around my ankles. I bend to make a fuss over them. Then I head to my bedroom, my cats trailing behind me like furry sentinels. My hand shakes slightly as I loosen my tie. The silk feels suddenly constricting, like it’s trying to choke me.

I catch a glimpse of myself in the mirror on my closet door. I look unbalanced, unmoored. Which doesn’t surprise me.