Page 136 of Pretty Little Things


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Young Lili, young Jac, they’re there. Lili must be around the age that the perv had his hand up her skirt, around fourteen or fifteen, but she’s not looking at Hendrick’s dad. She’s looking at Hendrick. And even in this photo, which is just a candid shot of the room, it’s clear her heart’s in her eyes and her heart belongs to Hendrick.

There are lots of photos, and I hate myself for searching out Jac. Watching how he’s all about Lili. And I hate myself searching out the girl, who’s all about Hendrick. And of course, I searchhimout and…

At some point it changes.

Lili’s about eighteen and there’s a photo where Hendrick’s with a girl but he’s watching Lili. Pretty little Lili whose heart hasn’t wavered in these photos. But now there’s hope and…a shine to her eyes.

His dad keeps away from her, but I see the looks at the girl. Subtle but I notice them because I’m studying these things like there’s an exam.

Both Jac and Hendrick’s fathers were fucking hot. And I see why Lili went for Hendrick’s dad. But I can’t shake the idea that he’s the stand in for Hendrick in her mind.

Because Hendrick’s Lili’s universe, and it hurts to see.

It hurts more when he starts looking back at her. She’s very pretty so I can understand why. And there’s one photo where the two are next to each other, talking to others. They’re to the side, and not at all the focus of the composition. But their fingers touch.

My breath catches.

There are more, so many photos, and most aren’t some kind of secret tale I’m looking for. There’s Jac draped in girls, eyes on his sister or glaring at his father.

There’s Hendrick with whatever flavor he’s dating.

And then…

It’s a candid shot to showcase a house and beautiful people. I don’t know where the house is, but the picture’s meant to be of the glass doors open, the light on the patio and the man and woman who’s place it is—they feature heavily in this series I’m looking at—but the photographer got it wrong and cut the man’s head out of frame.

I’m not looking at that.

I’m looking in the foreground shadows to the side, I can just make them out. Just.

Hendrick and Lili.

Kissing.

I can’t breathe as pieces fall into place.

Jac’s little sister didn’t have just some school-girl crush on Hendrick. She loved him.

And Hendrick loved her, too.

TWENTY-FOUR

JAC

It’s like MG’s disappeared off the face of the fucking planet.

To be fair, I could search harder, but I don’t know if I’ll like what I find.

I’m thinking about her and fucking Hendrick. Of her fucking him. Because though she might like riding my cock, might like how I fuck her, and the chemistry’s off the charts, they have a connection. I saw that. And I’m guessing their chemistry is something else, too. Up there with her and me.

And I don’t like whatever this fucking feeling is inside, the one that sets the world slightly off kilter.

Especially because it’s him.

Fuckface Agnossio with the rapist father he tried to fucking protect.

Regardless of the history, from families to enemies to frenemies, to all out combatants to business partners and Quinate members that spans back over generations, I know Hendrick liked Lili. And to see her like that, his father the one responsible…

And then to kill my father… I think the phrase is totally fucked all the way up, and if it isn’t, it fucking should be.

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