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“She doesn’t want to be. How could you bring her here and get Millie’s hopes up like that?”
“We don’t need to talk about that right now, okay. Pris has complicated feelings about this. I respect that, but family is family.”
“Her feelings aren’t that complicated to me.” I mumble crossing my arms. “She’s hated me long before Millie.”
“Of course, this is about you,” Pris says jutting her hip out and crossing her arms. “This is why I didn’t want to come here. This is why I can’t stand being near you. Poor Briggs. Everyone is out to get you, right? Because the fucking universe revolves around you.”
I’m open-mouthed and fuming by the end of her speech. How dare she do this at Millie’s birthday. I glare at Xan. This is his fault. If he’d just left it alone.
“Pris,” Xan says, and she steps up closer to me.
“No. She needs to stop,” Pris says to Xan and turns a sneer my way. “You need to stop torturing my brother. I’m sick of the way he pines for you. You ruined his scholarship, you ruined his life, and just when I thought he was starting to move on you waltz back into town with his kid. Now he’s tied to you forever. He’ll never be rid of you. You’re poison, Briggs. You’re his poison and you know it, but you think of nothing but yourself. You always have.”
Her voice is an acid hush pushing through the happy sounds of the party and straight through my chest. I clench my fists at my sides and my first instinct is to punch her in her perfect teeth. My second to cry.
Instead my attention is aimed to Millie, who has entered the conversation and stands still as a statue with two tears streaking down her cheeks. Xan and Pris notice her too, Pris’ complexion paling. At least she’s not a total fucking monster and those hurtful words were meant for no one but me, but Millie heard them. Her gaze flickers from Pris to me and then I see her innocence shatter the second she looks at Xan.
Everything I’ve ever feared comes crashing down on me with one single glance.
