Page 42
Chapter 42 of "Tempting Venom" begins with: She leans closer in her seat. âWhat hurt?ââThe whole thing. I donât know. It justhurtand... See the full story!
She leans closer in her seat. âWhat hurt?â
âThe whole thing. I donât know. It justhurtand not in a fun âOh, Iâm being beaten up, so now I feel aliveâ kind of way.â
âThen in what way?â
âIt was uncomfortable. As if I were kicked out of my own skin, stomped all over, then disallowed back into my body again. There was static and pain that flooded my senses all at once.â
âWhat do you think is the reason for that?â
âOsborn, of course! That creepy motherfucker! Donât worry, though, I came up with a genius idea.â
She raises her brows.
I scoff. âThanks for the vote of confidence, Dr. Duret. Honestly, so touching.â
âAre you going to tell me about this idea?â
âIâm glad you asked. I stole his motorcycle!â
âMotorcycle?â
âHell yeah.â I grin. âOkay, okay, let me take you back. After Osborn had the audacityâthegallâto make me feel like my skin didnât fit, I spent the entire night walking the edge of the roof. Fun times. Naturally, Dad found out. Because Hayes is a traitor with a badge and a savior complex.
âAnyway! I pumped myself full of meds afterward, which meant, surprise, I couldnât wake up the next morning and missed open skate. Cue Kane and Jude getting their panties in a twist. Jude practically kidnapped me for the whole week to âmonitorâ me and make sure I took my meds on time. Dramatic, right?
âWhat was I talking about again?â I clap my hands together. âOh, right! Osborn. I was brainstorming the best revenge, and obviously, the first idea was sleeping with his girlfriend. Classic. But plot twistâhe doesnât fucking have one. Not even an on-and-off someone. The man is as romantically barren as Stantonvilleâs economy. So that wasnât fun.
âSo then I thoughtâwhat does he actually care about? Andboom. The motorcycle. So Hayes and I went to their shitty Stantonville college parking lot and stole it. Hayes cried the entire time, insisting it was ânot a good ideaâ and âbelow his pay grade,â but heâs a Goody Two-shoes, so his opinion is worth approximately nothing.â
I hold up a finger like Iâm presenting a prize on a game show. âBut we got it. Oh, we got it. Right before I came here. Osborn is probably losing his fucking mind as we speak. He spent money and hours custom-building his precious littleFrankenbike. Apparently, he works part-time as a mechanic just to get employee discounts and mess with bike parts. Yes, itâs a shit bike, but itâs a one-of-a-kind shit bike. And nowâpoof. Gone. Thanks to my genius.â
I laugh, feeling somewhat lighter now that I got back at the prick.
Forget about women. He loves that bike more than women, and if itâs gone, heâll be hurt the worst.
âWhat happens now?â Dr. Duret asks in her usual monotone voice. So much for celebrating my wins, I guess.
âHeâll come crawling to me and beg, the way he was supposed to from the start instead of picking âantagonize Preston.â Bold choice. Wrong one, but bold.â
âWhy do you believe you went through all this trouble just to have him come find youâŚhold on. Let me word that differently.â She sits taller. âIf you feel so uncomfortable around Osborn, why do you want him to come find you?â
âTo make him beg me so Iâll give him his bike back. I just said that. Focus, Dr. Duret.â
âDo you want to feel a sense of power over him?â
âYeah, that.â I snap my fingers in her direction. âNo one offends me and gets away with it.â
âDo you believe youâre making it too personal?â
âHeâs the one who did that when he targeted me in the game. Whose side are you on anyway? Youâre my doctor, not his. Believe me, he canât afford you, so donât go biting the hand that feeds you.â
My phone vibrates, and I pull it out as I stand up, a grin curving my lips. âHold that thought. Good talk, Dr. Duret. You tell my dad or Julian any of this, and Iâll strangle you with your precious plants.Compris?â
She doesnât recoil. Just keeps staring at me with her usualexpression. Guess Iâve been threatening her with murder for so long, she doesnât take me seriously anymore.
I walk out of her house, staring at the screen.
So right after I stole Osbornâs bike, I had to tell him. Otherwise, how would he know it was me and not some other thief?