Filed To Story: Pretty Poisoned Novel by Elle Mitchell
“Yeah?”
“Nothing, I just wish things were different. That’s all. What if we”
“Wishing is for children. Grow up.”
And there he is.
“All right. Good talk.”
“Teagan, you’ve been quiet tonight,” Blakely says. “Are you still feeling sick? Are you not having a good time?”
I look up from my drink, realizing I’ve just been staring into the glass, fiddling with the stir straw between my fingers for quite some time now. I have a lot on my mind. I know Sebastian is here somewhere, watching me, but are Luca and Declan still here somewhere, too?
And there’s still a part of methis lingering self-doubtasking me if I’m absolutely certain I didn’t make the entire thing up.
And I guess I can’t be.
“Sorry,” I tell her. “I’m feeling okay, just a little tired. I’m having a good time, thoughthe show was good.”
“Is our version of fun a little bit tame for you, Teagan?” Ashlyn taunts.
I raise an eyebrow, looking over the woman beside me. Old habits die hard, and I have no patience for her uppity mean girl bullshit.
“Do you really want me to answer that, Ashlyn?” I take the cherry from her drink and pop it into my mouth.
“Ashlyn, why are you picking on her?” Blakely asks. “She’s not bothering anyone; she’s leaving the past in the past.”
“I know why she’s picking on me,” I say. “She’s afraid of women like me. I see through it, and so does everyone else, Ashlyn. Your internalized misogyny is showing.”
“Are you going to let her talk to me like that?”
“No one lets me do anything. That’s kind of the point, isn’t it? And for the record, I am having a good time, but I do think blood orgies are more fun.”
“Teagan, Jesus,” Blakely says.
“You’re disgusting,” Ashlyn scoffs.
“Hey, don’t knock it until you try it,” Lauren says.
“And there it is,” I say. I raise my glass, and Lauren toasts with me from across the table.
“You’re joking,” Ashlyn says. “Tell me you’re joking.”
She shakes her head. “Well, maybe not the blood orgy part, but I can confirm that two is better than one.”
Ashlyn looks disgusted, and I laugh harder.
“Can we change the subject, please?” Sophie asks. “This is supposed to be fun. Do you want to come dance with me, Ashlyn?”
“You’ll have to pull the stick out of her ass first,” I say.
“Teagan!” Blakely snaps.
“What? She started it, and you know it. I’m just sitting here minding my own fucking business, but if you don’t shut her up, I will. You’re afraid of me for all the wrong reasons,” I direct to Ashlyn.
“You’re only here because your sister feels bad for you,” Ashlyn snaps. “You know that, don’t you? And now we all have to suffer for it.”
“Ashlyn, that’s not true,” Blake says. “And you know what? She’s rightit is you. And you are scared of her, so maybe just”
“Just shut up,” Lauren finishes. “Just shut the fuck up.”
“Exactly,” Blake says.
I look across the table at her and smile. There’s my sisterthe one who stuck up for me and protected me after my accident. She’s changed a lot over the past few years, just like I have, subtly enough that I barely noticed until suddenly, she was different.
I hope after I’m gone, no matter what that means, she learns how to be that person again.
“Teagan, isn’t that your boyfriend?” Blake asks.
“Huh?”
I look up and see Sebastian making his way over to our table.
Jesus. What the fuck is he doing? I’m starting to think he enjoys playing normal a little bit too much.
“Un-fucking-believable,” Lauren says. “That’s the surgeon? You have to teach me your ways.”
I almost correct her and tell them that he isn’t really my boyfriend, but the look on Ashlyn’s face stops me.
“Hey, Teagan,” Sebastian says. “Hi, Blakely. Things look a little tense over here. Is everything okay?”
“Yep.” I smile. “Everything is fine.”
“You invited your boyfriend?” Blakely asks.
“I have never invited that man anywhere in my life,” I tell her.
“Sorry to intrude,” Sebastian says. “I told Teagan I’d be here for work for a couple of days; it’s not her fault. I just wanted to say hello, and I ordered a bottle of champagne and asked them to send it over.”
Just as he finishes the sentence, the server arrives with a tray carrying five flutes and an expensive bottle of champagne.
“Oh, it’s fine!” Blakely says, changing her tune. “You’re not intruding. You should join us.” She stands, gesturing for him to slide into the booth beside me.
“Are you sure?” he asks.
“Yes, absolutely. Can we get another glass?” she asks the server.
“Better bring another bottle, too,” Sebastian says. He takes a few hundred dollar bills from his wallet and hands them to the server. “Keep the change.”
She smiles, thanking him as she takes the money.
He throws his arm around me and plants a kiss on my temple as any good, normal boyfriend would do. I narrow my eyes at him.
“What?” he asks.
“Where do you get that kind of money?” I whisper.
He shrugs. “It’s not a bad life, Teagan. You’ll see. Are you mad?”
I shake my head. “I would be, but”
“But you were about to stab the one in the white dress?” he whispers, kissing my neck.
“No, I wasn’t going to stab her. I might have punched her in the face, but this is so much better.”
New Book: Returned To Make Them Pay
On her wedding anniversary, Alicia is drugged and stumbles into the wrong room—straight into the arms of the powerful Caden Ward, a man rumored never to touch women. Their night of passion shocks even him, especially when he discovers she’s still a virgin after two years of marriage to Joshua Yates.