Total pages in book: 85
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 82415 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 412(@200wpm)___ 330(@250wpm)___ 275(@300wpm)
“Why do you need to sneak into Spencer’s room?”
“He owes me. Or I should say, some of the guys at Alpha Alpha Mu owe me. And no, it’s not money, but they haven’t followed through on their end of a deal, and if you send Gage a message, they’re gonna know, and I might never get paid. Happy now?”
He stops punching into his phone. “Happier,” he says, his lips twisting into a victorious smirk. He looks at his screen like he’s considering whether he should let Gage know—or maybe Spencer, or both—before sliding it back into his pocket. “I’m listening.”
“Listening? I already told you more than I thought I would.”
“You only told me that this isn’t about money, and now you say it’s about a payment that’s not financial, so I’m obviously gonna want to know what that is, if you’re gonna expect me not to talk to Spencer about it.”
The more I talk, the deeper I dig this hole, and I’m so deep, I don’t know that I can climb back out. All I know is I didn’t keep tabs on the Sinners all last semester for Matteo to fuck this up for me now.
I grapple with my thoughts for a few moments before Matteo pulls out his phone again.
“Are you really gonna fuck me over like this?” I ask.
“Give me a reason not to.”
Maybe there’s a way to answer his questions without giving away my real intentions or mentioning the weird shit… “Spencer keeps a notebook in his room that I was promised access to if I helped the guys out with something, which I did all last semester, and now Preston is being evasive about when this is gonna happen. And I don’t want to keep being at their beck and call.”
“What did you help them with? And what do you want that notebook for?”
“Jesus Christ. Can you not be satisfied that I’m giving you more than before?”
“I’d be a lot more satisfied if any of this was adding up.”
“I can’t answer those questions.”
“Fine by me.” He starts to text, so I take his wrist gently—I’m doing more than trying to stop him; I’m trying to get through to him.
“Please, Matteo…please.” I hate that I’m fucking tearing up right now. I’m just so desperate.
He’s gazing into my eyes, and I wish he could see my intentions. See the pain I’ve been through at losing my brother. Know what I’d be willing to do to get some answers. But he can’t. And suddenly, I realize all my desperate pleas are for nothing.
“Fuck, this isn’t gonna work, is it? Even if I tell you the truth, you won’t believe it and you’ll text Spencer.” And once Preston knows I’ve betrayed them, it’s over for me. I won’t get any answers, and all that spying on the Sinners will have been for nothing.
I turn away from him as a tear escapes my eye.
“Just fucking get it over with, will you?” I blurt out, my voice cracking. I take the key card out of my back pocket and hold it out to him. As he takes it, my thoughts drift back to my childhood. To a moment when I was playing near a drop-off by the lake.
The ground breaks under me, and I tumble into the water below. I get some water in my mouth and start coughing, inhaling more water. I struggle in a panic before hearing a splash. Everything’s happened so fast, and I’m disoriented before I suddenly emerge from the water, coughing as I feel arms wrap around me, pulling me ashore. As we reach it, I turn to find Nick at my side.
“Alexei, just keep coughing. You’re okay. You’re okay. I got you, bro.”
Even though my body is still going through fits to recover from the fall, I know he’s right. I’m safe as long as he’s beside me.
Matteo glances between his phone and the key card.
“Just put me out of my fucking misery, man.”
Instead of texting, he lowers his phone. “How were you planning to get this notebook?”
Maybe he just wants more of the story so he can tell Spencer and Preston all the gory details. But what do I have to lose? “I was gonna head over there on Sunday—”
“There’s another party tonight. Why not do it then?”
“That won’t work. They’ll be using it.”
“Using it?”
Matteo has no clue why I can’t just answer his damn questions. “I can’t do it tonight,” I insist, leaving it at that. “So Sunday, I was gonna go over there, find a way in, and get my hands on it. What else do you want from me? You want to record my fucking confession?”
“If you steal it, won’t they realize someone has it?”
“I know what I need from it. I’ll just capture pics on my phone.”
Matteo’s gaze wavers, and he bites his bottom lip. “What if you take me with you on Sunday, and I make sure that’s all you’re gonna do?”