AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I knocked her hand away when she reached out to touch me. She dropped her gaze to the ground, frowning.
Although it seemed genuine, I refused to let her break my heart any more than she already has. She was in love with Jace, and I was already convinced that she only fucked Isaac as a means to wrap him around her finger and earn his trust.
That was probably her intention with all of us from the very start. This was all just some stupid fucking game. A brutal game of deceit and seduction.
“You fuckingusedme, Samara. All you had to do was justtalkto me, confide in me,trustme. But no. After everything I’ve done for you, every encounter we’ve ever had, it still didn’t matter. You didn’t care. You never cared about any of it, did you?”
“I do care,” she swore, her shaky voice cracking. “I’m not a monster, Rhett. I-I didn’t mean to hurt—”
“Well, you did, and I have nothing else left to say to you other than good luck.”
I walked away, ignoring her as she repeatedly called out my name until her voice cracked and she was on the verge of tears.
Nineteen
Samara
Isatdownonthe poolside bench later that afternoon, staring out at the water, the one-piece bathing suit Sky let me borrow hugging uncomfortably around my frame. I was waiting for Sky to get here, but I was also thinking about Rhett, too. I hadn’t stopped thinking about him all damn day.
He was furious with me, and he had every right to be. I’d hurt him. Only I didn’t realize how much until I saw all that goddamn pain, rage, and devastation canvased along every inch of his handsomely sculpted face. I hadn’t expected it to bother me like this, to make me feel so… guilt ridden. He was right. I did use him. That was my whole plan, after all, and now look what’s happened. I should’ve talked to him. Let him help me save Jace. It was idiotic of me to think he’d forgive me after what I did.
And as for Phantom and Isaac… Fuck them. I wanted to gut them both for what they did to us.
Hell, I still might.
With my first trial being only days away, I decided to take Rhett’s warning seriously. Today at lunch, I talked to Sky and told her that I wanted to learn how to swim and asked if she’d teach me. She wasn’t here when Kinsley drowned me in the pool, so I had no other choice but to relay the news to her when she started asking questions. Let’s just say she had no objections.
But where the fuck is she? She should’ve been here by now.
I reached for my phone to call her, barely able to get it out of my bag, when I heard footsteps approaching from afar. I looked up, confident it was Sky.
My smile wiped dead off my face when Kinsley Sinclair walked through the door dressed in a yellow bikini.
“Don’t worry,” she said with an annoyed scoff as I jumped to my feet and hauled up my bag. “I’ve been given strict orders not to touch you.”
“From who?” I asked, not buying that shit for one minute.
She blinked at me like I was stupid. “Who else? The Ravagers. Duh.”
Kinsley stalked around the other side of the pool and dropped a hot pink gym bag down on the bench. She opened it up and pulled out a scrunchie, then hauled up her long hair, wrapping it up in a perfect bun.
“What are you doing here, anyway?” she asked, facing me with a smirk. “I thought you couldn’t swim.”
“Not that it’s any of your business, but that’s kind of why I’m here. Sky is supposed to be meeting me. Why areyouhere?”
“I come in every day after school. I swim a few laps, then spend at least an hour in the gym on the treadmill and step-climber.”
“Good for you,” I muttered. “I guess I’ll leave you to it.”
“I can help you out if you want to learn.”
I stopped walking and craned my head, glaring at her like she’d lost her goddamn mind. “Why, so you can finish the job this time? I’ll pass, thanks.”
Kinsley rolled her eyes. “Look, you’re wise not to trust me. I don’t trust you either. Fact is, I caught on to Rhett’s little hint at the clearing, and I’m pretty sure whatever they have us doing involves knowing how to swim. As much as I don’t like you, I know how dangerous these trials are. You don’t have a lot of time left, so if you want my help, I’ll do it.”
I didn’t have time to respond because my phone started ringing. Once it was in my grasp, I peered down at the screen.
It was Sky.
