Spoiled is the sequel to Rotten, set in a charming, small town in California, and it follows the lives of Tatum and Ethan as they try to leave their past behind and start anew.
With new identities, the two have worked hard to create a calm, peaceful...
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TATUM GOES TO WORK, BECAUSE OF COURSE SHE DOES. She rubs at her tired eyes, the morning light harsh against her already strained nerves. She can feel the weight of last night's nightmare still lingering, the image of her own bloodied face haunting her.
She can't help but wonder how much longer she can keep up this facade of normalcy, pretending that everything is fine when really, she's slowly unraveling.
She tries to focus on the task at hand, rearranging the books on the shelves with a distracted mind. It's all just busywork, something to keep her hands occupied while her thoughts race. She can feel Ethan's eyes on her, his concern palpable, but she refuses to meet his gaze.
She doesn't want to admit how much she needs him, how much she needs anyone, right now. Especially not after the unthinkable happened and Ethan and Gale agreed on something and ganged up on her, the something being that, apparently, she's not supposed to go anywhere in Le Domas by herself.
As she works, she steals glances at the display case filled with pastries and cakes. It's always been her solace, the one thing that brings her joy amidst the chaos. But even now, she can't shake the fear that something will happen, that she'll lose it all in the blink of an eye.
She jumps when Ethan suddenly appears by her side, his hand on her shoulder. "Hey, take a breather. You look like you're about to pass out," he says, his voice low and soothing.
Tatum nods, grateful for the respite, and follows him to the back room. He hands her a small pill bottle and a glass of water, watching as she takes one of the pills. She can feel the anxiety slowly ebbing away, the world around her becoming just a little bit clearer.
It barely lasts a full minute. When she leaves the back room, her world is spinning.
Tatum blinks, refocusing her eyes on Zoe's face, a boy with slicked dark hair and curious blue eyes by her side. Her mind had been drifting again, the lingering effects of her nightmare keeping her mind in a haze. She watches as Zoe speaks, her lips moving but the words hardly registering in Tatum's mind.
Something about her and the boy...
What's his name again?
Tatum can never remember it. Aidan something. She's pretty sure he's Zoe's boyfriend, or if he's not, he definitely wants to be. He hangs around Honeycomb sometimes, always when Zoe is working, and only asks for a black coffee before spending the rest of the time just watching the girl work and making small comments and jokes whenever she walks by.
Aidan reminds Tatum of Ethan a bit, to be honest. Shy, quiet, but knows how to be charming when he has to. Jada doesn't seem to like him, because she always rolls her eyes when he walks in. But best friends can be protective like that.
When Zoe finishes, Tatum nods, her thoughts still scattered. "Yeah, sure, go ahead, you and Aidan have fun" she mumbles, her voice barely above a whisper.
