Page 78 of The Revenge You Seek

The past is never very far behind and it always catches up with you.

"Fucking hell," I mutter, pushing from the wall and continuing with my quick walk home, glancing over my shoulder every few seconds as if another devil is going to jump out of the shadows.

17

Kane

Isit opposite Alana in some fancy restaurant in the center of Maddison. She looked impressed when she pulled up beside me in the parking lot.

She'd wanted me to pick her up, but I drew a line at dinner.

Vic wants me to entertain her for a few hours while he monopolizes her old man, fine—well not really, but here I am—but that's all this is. Dinner.

I spent all day studying, trying to get on top of things before practice and classes start again in the morning and take up almost every second of my time.

She talks about… fuck knows what as we wait for our desserts to be delivered.

I stare at her like I'm listening, but the truth is all I'm doing is picking out all the ways she's different to Scarlett.

Her skin is pale, too pale, almost to the point she looks ill. Her blue eyes are tired, missing the excitement for life that I once saw in them, the bags beneath complete the look despite the copious amount of makeup on her face.

Her lips are baby pink, in comparison to Let's bright sexy red, and her almost white hair is too bright, too bleached.

She's just… wrong.

And I know that for some fucked-up reason all the effort she's put in has been for me. She wants to please me, I don't need to have spent as much time in the bedroom as I have with her to know that.

Everything she does, everything she says, it's like she's planned it to ensure I'll like her. Fuck knows why. She's married to a man who will never let her go despite their bizarre relationship. That's just not how things work.

She tugs at the high neckline of her dress and tilts her head at me.

"What do you think?"

"Uh…"

"Aw, hon. Is college taking it out of you already? I told you that it was going to be too much."

I quirk a brow. No she fucking didn't. Well… maybe she did. I'm getting good at tuning her voice out.

"It's fine, just a change of pace." No lie there. Vic had me working day and night in the lead up to be starting at MKU. Plus training on top of that to ensure I was in top form to join the team and I was fucking exhausted. I've come here for a rest.

"I was talking about the holidays."

"Okay, great."

"It'll be nice for you to have Kyle back this year. I'd love to spend the time with my family but—" She goes on, but I once again drift off.

Yeah, I might have Kyle back, but I'm not stupid enough to think that he's not going to be spending Christmas at the Hunter house with Harley. A place I certainly won't be invited to.

I sigh, contemplating spending another Christmas alone like I did last year.

My cell vibrating in my pants pocket drags me from my depressing thoughts.

Glancing at Alana, I find that she's still talking and I discreetly pull it out, hoping it's something I can use as a solid excuse to get out of this.

My eyes widen when I take in the name staring back at me. My heart jumps and my temperature spikes from her name alone.

Princess.