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4:33 p.m.

I ’ m tired of Rio’s shit.

“It’s okay,” Alano says, trying to calm me down, which good fucking luck because I’m not about to sit here saying nothing

while Rio is hyping up radical pro-naturalism as if those people didn’t screw up my life.

I let go of Alano’s hand and go in on his best friend. “I got no problem with you living a pro-natural life, and I’m sorry

about your brother, for real, but you can’t act like you’re scared about Alano dying when you’re backing the assholes who

have Death Guarders trying to kill him. Death-Cast ruined my life on day fucking one, and even I’m not saying all this stupid

shit.”

Rio’s eyes look darker than before as he says, “Is killing only okay when you do it?”

That’s a fucking low blow, and I’m trying so hard not to deck him.

“You need to stop,” Alano tells Rio.

“What about him? He’s dangerous, just like they said in Grim Missed Calls .”

I laugh. I can’t believe he’s using that stupid-ass docuseries in his defense. “You think that shit is real? Yeah, I feel bad for anyone counting on you to be their detective when your fact-checking is that fucking bad.”

“If you murder my best friend, I promise you won’t get away with it this time,” Rio says.

Alano presses down on my thigh, like he’s trying to hold me back from fucking up his best friend, and he’s got no idea he’s

putting so much pressure on my scars. “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” he tells Rio.

“And you do because you’ve known for two nights?”

“That’s right,” Alano says.

“Tell him how I was about to save you,” I say.

“That’s not necessary,” Alano says.

“I think it is. He thinks I have it out for you when really it’s his people coming for you.”

“What’s he talking about?” Rio asks.

Alano closes his eyes, rocking back and forth. “Please, you’re both stressing me out. Let’s take a breath.”

“What people?” Rio asks.

“The same ones killing for pro-naturalism,” I say, loving the look on his shocked face as he realizes I was the one backing

up his best friend when Alano was still just a stranger to me. “You can give me all the shit you want for killing my dad to

save my mom, but don’t act like you wouldn’t have done the same thing for your brother.” I hate making it personal, but Rio

started it. “What I did was self-defense, just like the other night when I was ready to risk my life to save Alano’s.”

Rio’s dark eyes fill with tears as his face reddens. “It’s not risking your life when you’re also trying to die.”

I can’t catch my breath, it’s like I’ve been shoved off the Hollywood Sign. No one has ever used my suicidal struggles against me. I get up with ready fists to make sure no one ever does again.

“Please stop!” Alano cries, holding me back.

Dane rushes to the table like I’m the danger. “What’s going on?”

“That dickhead won’t shut his mouth,” I say, glaring at Rio. “I’m gonna go before I kick his ass.”

“Don’t you mean kill me?” Rio says.

Death-Cast didn’t call me, but if Rio doesn’t stop fucking with a suicidal killer, he might find out that living pro-naturally

means dying pro-naturally too.