Pretty Poisoned Novel by Elle Mitchell

But shit. He’s kind of right. And I just realized I have a problem. “I don’t have any clothes,” I say. Luca fixes his pants, then wraps me up in his shirt. I slip my arms inside, and he buttons the few remaining buttons. Blood seeps into the white shirt in the shape of the…

“I actually don’t know the answer to that,” Luca says. “Hey, baby. Do you have any allergies?” I nod. “Kiwi.” “Really?” he asks. “Uh-huh. I have an EpiPen in my bag.” “Don’t give her any fucking kiwi.” “We have a nurse on staff,” Hazel says. “She’ll be fine.” “What the fuck happened to you?” River…

I walk across the hall, then put on a pair of jeans, my boots, and a vintage black crewneck sweatshirt. I pull my hair into a bun on top of my head, put on my sunglasses, and then meet them in the hallway. I follow them to the elevator, where we’re joined by Rhett and…

I look up and see Eli standing at the end of the table, his arm around another girl I’ve never seen before. Guess he ditched the two he brought home—two-stop rule. He seems to like bloodsluts just fine. Exclusively, even. “I didn’t want to interrupt, but the cars are here,” Eli says. “Let’s get out…

He’s upset. Or hungover. Probably both. “Are you okay, sweetheart?” Hazel asks him as he pulls out the chair beside her. She kisses him on the cheek, then massages the nape of his neck. “I’m fine,” he grumbles. “Oh shit, did you guys see this?” Brady says, looking up from his phone. “One of the…

I don’t answer. But he’s right—I did fuck him afterward. “You and I are not that different, Teagan. When you finally let go, you’ll see that.” Eventually, without saying a word, he picks up that book and starts reading again. I take mine from my bag and do the same. The drive to Portland is…

“Hello?” “What the fuck is going on?” she says. “Do you check your texts at all?” “Um, not since last night, why?” “Well, check them now,” she says. I sigh, then bring up my home screen and click on the messages app. I click on her name, and I’m assaulted by a barrage of messages,…

“Small security breach. Just escorting her out,” he says. “Sorry for the commotion.” Declan grabs the man by the collar of his shirt. “Get your fucking hands off of her before I slit your throat and watch you bleed out like the pig you are,” he says through clenched teeth. “She’s my fucking family. Don’t…

“Serve drinks with blood here. They’re not like you, right?” “Some of them are, or they will be after tonight, and that’s because of us. But to be honest, sharing this part of ourselves has a lot to do with aesthetics,” Rhett says. “Those videos they’re making are going to get millions of views. That’s…

Of course, there is the context. Blood soaked into the soil merely thirty feet away from me. We burned our clothes in that fire last night. And that clearing by the waterfall—that place where I went to escape, to find peace—well, there’s a body there now. Everyone keeps telling me to put those things out…