DECEIT (B723) by Hazel Grace (ebook reader for surface pro .TXT) 📕

if Mills did kidnap those kids, I’ll help him hide the evidence. I’d do anything that involves Emmy and the well-being of her offspring.

“Uh…no,” he replies, bouncing the baby gently in his arms like he’s done it a million times before.

He looks slightly uncomfortable, and I can’t say that I blame him. He just ripped two infants off.

Stepping to—I don’t fucking know—help Mills, he eyes me suspiciously as I approach. Two bassinets are set up next to each other in his living room, and he’s going to need all the aid he can get.

Peering down at the second little bundle in a white blanket, it’s sleeping and sucking on one of those pacifiers. Remnants of dark curls softly lay on its forehead as it peacefully rests.

“Which one is this?” I ask through the significant blockade lodged in my throat, backing away because I’m full of germs and shit. I don’t know crap about kids, but I have a feeling I’m about to quickly here.

“Atlas,” Mills answers. “It’s the girl.” I turn my neck to face the one in my buddy’s arms, the boy.

Emmy would be perfect to raise a rowdy little shit. The thought almost makes me smile until Mills opens his mouth again.

“Alaric.” His gray eyes slam into mine. “His name is Alaric.”

I stare at him, hearing his words, but…that’s my name.

Are these my fucking kids?

My attention snaps back to the girl, Atlas, and I can’t fucking tell. She has pudgy little cheeks, and the only thing that resembles me is the hair color.

No, no, she’d never do that to me. 

Not a secret this large. She’d definitely never stay with Alexander while carrying someone else’s children.

I think.

No, she wouldn’t let another man raise my offspring, right? Is it because she wanted to do something to subtly tell me how she felt? Is it because we went through so much shit? Is it in honor of me?

Squashing the civil war in my head, I focus on the kids at hand.

The stolen kids at hand.

I think this one takes the cake over all the stupid shit we used to do.

“Why do you have them?” Kyson’s question is livid-pissed. And for once, I’m taking Mills’s side. Ky will have to deal with it and whatever honorable bullshit that’s dashing through his head.

“I need to feed them real quick.” Mills’s stormy eyes ping-pong between Ky and I. “It’s been a long day.”

I bet.

“And it’s gonna be longer if you don’t spill your shit,” Kyson shoots back, showing up at my left and playing big-brother. “You didn’t borrow Emmy’s car or steal her phone charger. These are her fucking kids.”

“No shit,” he mutters, still bouncing Alaric.

“Chill,” I drawl, who’s tapping his foot impatiently on the hardwood floors. “They belong to us.”

A knock on the door behind us sounds and it opens promptly afterward, causing Kyson and I to both glimpse over to find Blue striding in with a few plastic bags in her hands.

She frowns when she notices Ky and I. “Oh, hi.”

“What are you doing here?” Kyson presses, crossing his arms along his chest and watching her walk to the kitchen.

Her green eyes knit on us. “Could ask you the same question.”

“So which one of you wants to tell us what the hell is going on? Believe it or not, I’m running out of patience.”

Blue reenters the room, standing alongside Mills, and I don’t miss the reasoning.

She’s supporting him.

And Blue doesn’t support shit besides dick when she wishes for it.

“Why does something always have to be going on?” Blue rolls her eyes as if Kyson’s questions are exhausting and sometimes they are. But something must be vibing him weird. “I’ve been telling you that you need to get that paranoia shit looked at.”

“And you need to practice your adult skills and answer a question when it’s asked instead of avoiding.”

She shrugs dismissively. “I didn’t like it.”

It’s then that I realize this is it—us.

The four of us, minus Marty, and how empty it feels. How no one tries to say her name anymore. That it weighs like a brick wall, that it hurts too much to admit, that we’ll never ever be the same.

No one will ever take her place.

“Blue—“ Mills exhales a defeated breath. “—it’s hopeless at this point.” She glances over at him before moving to the other side, standing directly next to Atlas as if she’s protecting her from us.

“I’m not going to take her away,” I defend sharply. “If y’all body-snatched, I’ll help…take care of them. Just tell me what we’re up against.”

“Remember you said that,” Mills recites cautiously before the baby he’s holding belches out. For something so small, it’s loud, and Mills quirks a small smile.

I shrug. “Alright, what you need me to do?” Mills casts another worried look on Blue. “Did you off Alexander?”

Some people may say they’re sorry they said it, but I’m not.

I just wish I was there to participate.

He shakes his head to my disappointment. “Nah…not yet. Atlas and Alaric—“ He gives us one more look over. His jaw tightening in aggravation and alertness. “—they’re mine.”

My face contorts at the surface of his words as Kyson’s voice booms through next. “Explain. Now.”

“I…” His eyes fasten to mine, glossing over with uncontaminated remorse. “Emmy and I—“ I lunge forward, forgetting that there is a two-month-old baby between us. That my destructive ways take nothing or anyone into consideration when it rears its ugly head.

Kyson catches me by the back of the shirt and hauls me backward, getting me to trip on my own feet, but I catch myself.

My elbow catches Kyson’s ribs as I start for him together.

All I see is him.

“Bish.” My best friend gets a hold of me again, arm wrapped around my middle to keep me from advancing any further.

My eyes bore sharp daggers into Mills, and I’ve never wanted to kill someone as much as I desire to do right now. The betrayal on both sides is immediate, but it surfaces on him first and foremost because he’s in front of me, explaining that he fucked Emmy behind my back.

He knows