Devil Incarnate (Boys of Preston Prep #4) - Angel Lawson Page 0,164

little kitchen is no better—all the cabinets and drawers pulled open and emptied, counter littered with junk. Everything is askew and rummaged through.

And among the chaos is Georgia, knees pulled up to her chest, staring sightlessly at the door I just came through.

Lifting a hand into the air, I repeat. “What the fuck?!” When I get nothing but a slow blink, all the worst thoughts cross my mind. Someone came in here—maybe that Freshman from before—and did something to her. Maybe Gene was here. Maybe Collins finally got fed up with waiting. It could be anything.

And she’s not fucking talking.

I kick an old takeout container out of the way as I approach her. “Who did this?”

The closer I get, the more I realize how red the tip of her nose is, eyes dark and heavy and full of exhaustion. If that wasn’t enough evidence that she’s been crying, the hoarse sound of her voice when she croaks drives it home.

“I did.”

“You?” I look around the room, completely fucking lost. “Why?”

She finally looks up, but it doesn’t connect. It feels more like she’s staring through me. “I was looking for the cameras.”

My spine turns to steel at the icy contempt in her voice, stomach doing a somersault of dread. “The fuck are you talking about?”

“It seemed kind of silly at first,” she says in lieu of answering. “I mean, you barely have a phone, so how would you have cameras? But I figure if you had one in the office…” My blood runs cold at the look she gives me. “Then maybe I should check.”

I stand, completely frozen, for far too long to play this off. There’s a long moment of tense silence where I could come clean. But I don’t. “What are you talking about?”

She gives me a slow, bland smile that’s dripping with disdain. “You’re really going to play dumb?” She tilts her head, those empty eyes searching my face. “Strange. I thought you had more guts than this. I must be even stupider than I thought. And trust me, that’s saying a lot.”

I’d flinch at the coldness in her eyes if I could move. Instead, I’m held under her gaze, mind racing with something to say. In the end, I find I don’t want to lie. “It’s not what you think.”

“So you didn’t record us fucking?” she asks, eyes still dim and lifeless. “Because the thumbnail Ozzy showed me was pretty convincing.”

Well, I’m right about one thing. It isn’t what she thinks.

It’s so much fucking worse.

My stomach explodes in a fiery storm of razors at what I’m about to say, but all I can hear is Warren’s voice, from six hours ago.

You’ll need to be honest—first with yourself, and then with her.

“I took the video because I needed proof,” I tell her, voice falling flat. “I kept it for a while, and then I sold it for ten grand to a Northridge loan shark who wants to blackmail your family with it.”

Aside from glossing over the initial bet, it’s as non-sugar-coated as I can possibly make it. It’s one of those tactics my dad taught me; make something seem worse than it is, and then people will be relieved when they get the whole story.

I would have thought it’d make it easier.

Instead, the way the life drains from her face just makes my chest feel like it’s being carved out. She presses her fists to her stomach, eyes wide and full of stunned agony. “Oh, my god.”

“Georgia,” I start, dropping my bag and keys, “just let me—”

“Oh my god,” she gasps, sounding out of breath, looking lost. “I can’t believe I let you do this to me again.” The tears start in earnest then, rolling down her pale cheeks. “I can’t believe I let you. What is wrong with me?”

Suddenly, I’m hit with the memory of her confession in that video. The imagined flash of her swaying feet as she hangs. The way her eyes looked when she lied about the reason for it being leaked. I’m struck by the realization that Georgia will never hate me as much as she hates herself.

“Fuck that!” I snap, voice hard and fervent. “This was me. You want to know what I did? Someone bet me I couldn’t fuck you. He said you’d never go for it, but I knew he was wrong. I knew how to manipulate you. I knew what buttons to push. I knew about that fucking rubber band, even then.” Feeling emboldened when she finally meets my