Page 76 of His Puppet

We’re not the same. We could never get along.

Too much time has passed before I realize what I should’ve said, so I keep quiet and count the seconds until I’m back home… Or, at Blades. Whatever you want to call it.

Victor isn’t driving toward the highway, though, so there must be something else planned. After a few minutes, Victor pulls into the parking lot of a diner.

“What are we doing now?” I ask, turning to Victor with my brow furrowed.

He grins and shuts off the car. “Breakfast.”

He climbs out of the car before I can protest, and I begrudgingly get out and go after him. We’re seated at a booth by a window, and Victor raises the menu in front of him, absolutely no sign of guilt or humanity coming from him. He genuinely doesn’t care about the people he hurts.

Including Ellison.

The waitress comes by, and Victor lowers the menu and gives her a dazzling smile that has her blushing. She glances at me, maybe to gauge if we’re together or not, then she settles her eyes on Prince Charming, returning his smile with a little too much enthusiasm.

“Hi there, what are we having to drink today?”

“Coffee, please, Miss…” Victor squints at the woman’s name tag. “Haden. What a pretty name.”

“Thank you,” she says, beaming. She turns to me, and her smile falters. “What can I get you?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” I say, forcing a thin-lipped smile.

She nods and leaves to get Victor’s coffee.

“You don’t want anything?” Victor asks.

I can’t bring myself to look at him, so I stare out the window and watch people pass by on the sidewalk. “No.”

“You’re notjealous, are you? I’m not afraid of your boyfriend, but I will be if you start catching feelings for me. That guy loves you.”

I force myself not to pay any attention to the last part of that, and instead, I narrow my eyes at Victor. “You are the last person on this planet I would want. Not even then, if it were only the two of us left, I’d still drown you in a river.”

“Wow,” he says, dragging the word out. “Well, Emily, I was kidding, but—”

“How do you know my name?” I ask, tension building in my chest.

He tilts his head. “Huh?”

“Did Blade tell you my real name?” My tone is filled with hurt, but it’s misplaced. I’m overreacting, and I know it. But I feel like a fucking traitor for a friend. It’s good that Ellison decided to leave. He’s better off without me.

“I’m confused. Was he not supposed to?”

I shake my head and stand. “I can’t do this.”

“Emily.”

Victor stands after me, but I’m already headed for the exit. I step into the hot air and start down the sidewalk, my eyes burning.

Victor follows after me, calling my name loud enough that people nearby turn our way.

“Stop,” he says, grabbing my arm.

I spin toward him. “We’re not the same!” I yell, causing him to rear back and look around us at anyone nearby.

“I don’t enjoy hurting people,” I say, lowering my voice so I don’t make such a scene.

“Okay.” Victor raises his hands. “Okay, just calm down.”

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