Page 72 of Shattered Queens: Veronica
But first, let me clean you up. I lead her to the velvet couch and sit her there. I spread her legs open and lick her clean. She looks up and notices the security cameras.
“Miles, the cameras.”
I look at her. “Don’t worry. They’re off,” I lie. Because this is footage for my personal collection.
Veronica
Chapter 33
I’m staring at the array of beautiful dresses Miles bought for me. No red dresses. The fact that he caught that detail makes me feel exposed, yet strangely cherished. It’s a detail I’ve never spoken aloud; I don’t complain about the color; I simply avoid it. He noticed something everyone else missed.
I’m heading to the hospital alone. Mom is getting discharged today. She doesn't want to ring in New Year’s at the hospital. Miles had an emergency with his aunt again. I worry about him. She seems to often be sick. I’m making my way toward Mom's room when I bump into Tomas in the hall.
“Veronica. How are you?” he asks, not as a doctor, but as a friend.
“I’m good, just worried about Miles.”
He gives me an inquisitive look. “What’s wrong with him?”
Doesn’t he know about the aunt? “Well, not about him, his aunt,” I clarify, my voice wavering as I watch his expression. “She called him earlier. She hasn’t been feeling well, and he was worried, so he flew out to Colombia.”
The silence that follows is heavy and wrong. I watch Tomas’s jaw clench, the muscles tight and rigid. He looks away, his hand coming up to rub at his temple as if a sudden headache just bloomed there.
“I see,” he says.
The words are hollow. He just stands there in the middle of the hall. Maybe Miles is lying, and Tomas knows.
“Tomas, did Miles lie to me?”
“No, god, no,” he says, answering quickly. “I-I just worry thatshemay be lying to him about all this. I went with him to Colombia weeks ago, and she was perfectly healthy. I’ve wondered lately if she uses these episodes just to get his attention.” He looks at the floor, then back at me, his gaze softening into something heavy and somber. “He’s all she has, Veronica. I can’t say the same thing about her for him. Well, not anymore.”
“Veronica!” I hear my name and turn to see Gabe walking toward me, his familiar stride breaking the tension of the hallway.
“Thanks for the information, Tomas. And thank you for helping my mom.”
“You’re welcome, Veronica.” Tomas offers me a stiff, professional nod. “I have surgery in a few. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you need anything.”
He heads for the double doors, leaving me with the unsettling theory that Miles is being manipulated by the only family he has left. I turn to Gabe, and he looks better than he did a couple of days ago. He seems to have gotten some rest. I'm shocked to see Yuri following him. My gazesnaps back to my brother. He answers the question before I can even voice it.
“She’s here with Serena. They’re visiting Mom.” I can see he’s hiding something, but isn’t he always? All of my family hides secrets. They don’t think I notice, but I do. “Let’s go.” He hangs his arm around my shoulder and steers me toward my mother’s room.
I hug Serena and offer Yuri a brief, polite greeting before going straight to my mother. I spend the rest of the afternoon with her, sending Miles updates on her progress, but my thoughts drift to Tomas’s comment. Once Mom is safely home and settled, I head back to my building to change for class. As Kai pulls the car toward the entrance, I spot a familiar figure pacing the sidewalk. It’s Tabitha.
I open the door before the car even comes to a full stop. Kai anticipates the sudden movement, but his training kicks in; he’s out of the driver’s seat in a heartbeat, his eyes scanning the street for security measures as he shadows me. I approach the person I considered to be my closest friend until she ghosted me. Not a single text. Not a single word. Now she’s standing on my doorstep. She looks as beautiful as ever; she reeks of wealth. One thing about Tabitha is that she comes from money, and she has no problem flaunting it.
“Tabitha? What are you doing here?” I stop several feet away, the distance between us feeling like a physical barrier. “And how do you even know where I live?”
Part of me wants to reach for the familiar comfort of our friendship, but a larger part of me is guarded, my skin prickling with suspicion.
“Vee,” she says, her voice cautious, searching my face. “You don’t seem happy to see me.”
“I’m surprised,” I counter, unable to hide my annoyance in my voice.
I can’t just flip a switch and be "happy." I need to know why she ghosted me. The pain of her absence was a quiet ache for so long, and seeing her now just makes it throb like a fresh wound. Behind me, I can feel Kai’s presence, a silent, lethal shadow. He doesn’t move, but his focus is locked on her, his instincts sensing the friction crackling between us.
“I’m so sorry, Vee. I’d like to explain everything if you’ll give me the chance.”
I look at her, then back to Kai. I nod, giving him the okay to stand down. My curiosity is getting the best of me. “Do you want to come in?”
