Deal • REWRITE • BOOK 1

16; In My Blood

I hated it and I hated her.

I didn't want to think about what she was doing or wonder about what she'd done after I'd left her standing by her bedroom door.

No. I wanted to think about how she fücking got through life being the bítch she was, or how anyone tolerated her since keeping secrets and blindsiding people were her speciality.

I scoffed at the thought but felt my shoulders slump at the hurt look on her face that flashed before my eyes, my tongue running over my teeth again when I replied to Alex.

"Who told you?"

"You just did," he sniggered, his words leaving me to hum sharply since I should have seen it coming. "I figured something was up when you completely went off on one when I asked where Aria was a few days ago."

"You're an ásshole," I muttered, gritting my teeth together as I swallowed.

"I'm just fulfilling my job of being an older brother," he said to me, the smug tone that he used only pissing me off further. "It's moments like these that will be used as life lessons that you tell your kids."

"Kids?" I asked, my mouth curving into a frown at the thought. "Why would I want kids? So I can put them through what we're having to go through now?"

"No. You'll have kids so I have a chance at being the fun uncle," he said like it was obvious, his words making me roll my eyes. "Anyways, what's happening with you and Aria?"

"Nothing is happening," I said to him sharply, his disbelieving laugh and drawled out call of my name leaving me to press my lips together.

"C'mon. I've waited so many years for you to have girl trouble and it's finally happening."

"Firstly, shut the fück up," I said to him when he laughed. "Secondly, whether I have girl trouble or not, I wouldn't ever come to you considering your track record."

"This is coming from a man who didn't spare a woman a glance unless he wanted to fück her or use her as leverage against the enemy."

"What's your point?" I asked tiredly, suddenly wanting nothing more than to end the conversation.

"Aria is changing you and it's amusing."

"Aria is not changing me," I bit back, my eyebrows furrowing at the distasteful thought. "So what if we had a little fight. I'm allowed to be pissed off at her."

"...because you care," Alex trailed off like it was obvious, cutting me off when I went to tell him to fück himself. "I mean...you've killed people without a second thought but you're brooding over an argument with her...so..."

"Shut up," I told him, my eyes squinted even though he couldn't see me. "You don't even know what we had an argument about."

"So tell me then?"

"I-"

My mouth closed quickly when I took a moment to reflect on what had happened between Aria and I, the prompting questions I'd asked as a result of caring about her being the reason that we'd had the argument in the first place.

I fücking just had to wonder what was wrong and why she was upset.

Fück sake.

"I'm waiting..." Alex suddenly said, reminding me that he was on the phone still. I knew he would've mocked me for what I'd done considering I'd made it clear that I didn't care about Aria despite knowing what I truly felt.

It only left me telling Alex that I had to go before I hung up the phone and slipped it into the pocket of my slacks, my hands running through my hair again as I closed my eyes and sighed deeply.