Page 71 of The Tenth Circle

Circumstance has tethered us together.

Every action leading up to this moment plays before me like a horror film. The scary monster and a girl who’s adamant to defeat him. Until she realizes she can’t, so she tries to escape, running into a decrepit house that ends up being his.

I’m launched back into reality, staring in the mirror, fingers squeezing the edge of the dresser as I ramble all the ways to successfully get away with murder.

I’ve reached sulfuric acid, then begin pacing back and forth since Archer told me that shit’s been debunked.

Fuck science. Fuck Archer a little bit too.

My leggings feel like a blanket of nails, and my oversized sweatshirt, shards of glass. I’m crawling in both—rubbing, scratching, pulling at my skin like it’s dirty.

All of this is just so fucking fucked up.

How could she?

How could she take a wrecking ball to my life without even a friendly warning to look out?

My mother has never been this selfish. Ever.

Every decision she’s ever made, despite my efforts to stop her, have always been considered with me at the forefront.

My wellbeing has been Juniper Montgomery’s main purpose in life and fuck, do I love her for it.

But something seems…off.

Too off.

Like Archer being caught in DKNY, kind-of-off.

The way she looks at Vic, though, there’s no denying she’s head over heels with him.

Dammit. Fucking dammit. Fuck my fucking life.

How…how am I about to have Saint Lavell, the guy who not even twenty-four hours ago I assaulted, as a stepbrother?

Who used the art of subtlety to threaten me?

Rubbing the unease from my drying eyes, I head back to the mirror for a little recon. With a quick hand brushing through the length of my bangs, I pump some lotion out of a tube and drench my skin down to my soul in it.

I give myself a quick once over, adjusting the cleavage sticking out from the low cut V of my sweatshirt. For a bitch who just rolled out of bed into hell, at least I look good.

Now…to carry that confidence back into the dining room.

After a deep inhale, determination carries my strides as I move toward the door, hand shaking around the knob as I twist and open…

And find Theory about to knock.

“Hey,” she greets me again, this time even more cautious.

“Hey.”

“May I come in?”

I debate for a moment, knowing that allowing her inside my room would be not only stupid, but heavy on my heart since it’s still recovering. From our parents’ engagement and the awful things I said about her last night.

With an internal groan I decide for it…because showing her kindness may be my only chance at redemption and avoiding more punishments from the universe.

Outstretching a hand, I gesture Theory inside the room.