“Deal.”

I sat down to eat lunch with him and to get to know him. If I was going to be his first kiss, then I felt it was the least I could do. In truth, I was honored. I could tell Collin was a good person and maybe with a little time we could actually be friends.

The rest of my classes, including fifth period, were a breeze because, instead of feeling nervous, on edge, and sexually frustrated, I calculated and planned. By the end of the day, I was practically rubbing my hands together.

Before showing up at Keiran’s house, I called ahead to make sure he was at practice, and Diana was apparently being watched by Quentin. Surprisingly, Collin was able to supply me with the fleas right after school. As it turns out, his basement was a museum for various bugs. Go figure. I haven’t paid him his kiss yet, but I’d already warned him it would definitely be a public one. The larger the crowd, the better.

Keenan answered the door, shirtless and dressed only in sweats. He snatched the bag of burgers he made me bring him from my hands before retreating into the kitchen. I called out to tell him I was going to use the bathroom before disappearing up the stairs. He had no clue what I actually came here to do. I was here under the pretense of wanting to visit a friend. It’s not that I didn’t trust Keenan, but I couldn’t risk the chance of him talking me out of it. Besides… who would willingly allow fleas in their house?

I snuck around upstairs, looking for the guest bedroom where Diana would likely be staying in. If she isn’t actually sleeping with Keiran.

I pushed open the door directly next to Keiran’s room and hit the jackpot. It was blatantly clear the room had been inhabited by a female and for a long time now. I fought back the flare of anger and shrugged off the bag on my shoulders. As tempted as I was to snoop, I didn’t have much time before Keenan would get suspicious and come looking for me.

I removed the jars he instructed me to keep warm and carefully opened the first. The pillows were my first victim before I moved on to the sheets and then her clothes. Satisfied, I made my way to the bathroom and the shower where, just as I suspected, there was a feminine bottle of shampoo and conditioner. Opening the caps, I dumped a few fleas inside before screwing them back tight and hoping they would survive. I was down to my last jar, which I saved for the best part. I made my way back down the hall and pushed through Keiran’s bedroom door. His room was exactly as it had been when I was last here during a much darker time. I remembered most how he humiliated me when he used my mouth for the first time.

It pushed me to do what I needed to.

I went through the same ritual I did with Diana’s room before making my way back downstairs. Keenan was inhaling his last bite when I walked in the kitchen.

“Took you long enough,” he remarked without looking up from collecting his trash.

“Well, you know how we girls like to primp.”

He cut his eye at me and pursed his lips. “So it would seem.”

He was suspicious but didn’t press further. I shrugged and followed him out to the living room where we watched movies until it was no longer safe for me to be there without running into Keiran.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Keiran

August 17th

Dear Diary,

I wouldn’t dare speak the words aloud. Not even to Willow, and yet I’m having trouble admitting them to you even.

Today, I experienced the strangest feeling of my life. Fear has evolved into something much scarier.

Something much more potent and dangerous. One school year had ended and now another begins.

I missed him. How pathetic is that? To miss someone who hated me more than he cared to breathe.

But that wasn’t it, was it? It was what I felt when I saw him again.

* * *

“What the hell!”

It was the middle of the night when I was woken up. Screaming erupted soon after, and I immediately jumped up from the couch where I’d fallen asleep.

I scrubbed a hand down my face before trudging up the stairs to see what was causing all the ruckus. I definitely knew who, but the what was unknown.

All the lights upstairs were now on, and when I reached the landing, I saw my uncle and Keenan standing in the guest bedroom doorway.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, you’re little girlfriend is screaming down the house,” Keenan snapped.

Coming home did nothing to ease our relationship. He refused to talk to me, but when he did, it was always a sarcastic retort. Wrong or not, I was growing tired of it. How many times could I apologize?

I pushed past them to enter the bedroom. Diana was standing in the middle of the room slapping at her skin. “What the hell is wrong with you?”

I was growing fed up with her. She had undoubtedly overstayed her welcome, but until I was able to bring Mario in, I had to deal with her. Yesterday, when I saw her exit the store with Monroe and wearing a conspiratorial grin, I felt the urge to strangle her. I knew she said something to her when Monroe emerged from the store as pale as a ghost. She spotted my car as soon she left the store, and though she couldn’t see me through the dark tint, her glare was just as powerful. I couldn’t get out of there fast enough.

Diana brought my attention back to her when she started running her hands furiously through her hair and running in place while shrieking and groaning. I rushed to her and grabbed at her hands and when I did, I noticed all the tiny jumping spots. Her entire body looked as if it was infested with them. Some of them jumped onto me, and I released her quickly nearly causing her to fall backward.