Page 174 of Revenge Puck

“You said that?”

He shrugs again. “I mean—didn’t that happen?”

“Yes, you asshole, but that’s not the point!”

He rubs his jaw. “She asked why things have been tense. I answered. It’s not like I fabricated anything.”

“No,” I snap. “You summarized it in the worst possible way.”

This is so bad.

“When you told her that, what did she do?”

“She looked like she was going to throw up…”

“That’s a bit dramatic, don’t you think?”

He hesitates. “It could be because I told her what the argument down on the ice was about—you know, when I had to get between the two of you.”

My brain whirrs, trying to remember the barbs that were traded between us before Storm intervened. Fragments float around, hazy and incomplete.

Conveniently dating my sister…

She is not a pawn…

Out for revenge… leverage.

You think I don’t see what you’re doing?he’d snapped.

And what’s that?I’d shot back, already heated.

“Using her.”

“Hey.” Storm has his hand on my shoulder now, squeezing. “Maybe it’s not as bad as you’re making it.”

I let out a sharp, humorless breath. “Oh, it’s definitely as bad as I’m making it.”

He hums. “The good news is, she didn’t storm out crying.” He pauses. “Fine, that’s not true. She actually did seem upset.” He pauses some more. “Fine, that’s not true, either. She picked up her shit and ran out.”

I stare at him. “Do you think that’s helpful?”

“Yes. She didn’t slap me across the face. She shut down.”

Somehow that’s better?

“Also,” he begins again, stopping when my head whips up, and he catches the look on my face.

“Yes?”

“Um… I feel like there was something about,hmm, let me think…” He rubs his chin. “She wanted to know if I believed you were out for revenge.”

I hold my breath.

Silence stretches between us.

“Did you use her?” he asks directly.

No.