Pretty Reckless

“Daria?” Via’s nervous, fake voice bleeds from the other side of the door. “It’s me. Sylvia. I know I’m probably the last person you want to talk to, but I’d really like to make you feel better.”

I immediately know that Via saw Penn sneaking into my room and is trying to ruin the moment. It makes perfect sense. She told me herself that I can’t have her twin brother. And to make matters worse, us locking the door just confirmed that we are, in fact, hiding something. I can’t say no to her. Not with Penn here. She is allegedly trying to reach out to me. He can’t know the truth.

Penn and I exchange looks. There’s hope in his eyes, and it’s crushing me because Via is setting me up for destruction. He is starting to get used to the upgraded version of his sister. He may have known her as a cunning, tongue-in-cheek, driven teenager, but now she is all sunshine and good intentions. He is falling for her when he should be falling for me—in very different ways, but it’s happening, nonetheless.

I decide to play her game. If she is going to pretend, then so will I.

“I…” I look around frantically, but looking for what, exactly? I can’t hide her brother anywhere. He is a wide receiver the size of an industrial fridge. My closet is too crowded and full of stuff, and the space under my low bed is tiny. “Let me put something on and unlock the door,” I say as I run to the window and open it for Penn to get out. He is still standing in the middle of the room in all his height and muscled glory. I’m not even sure he could fit through my window, let alone slip through it undetected.

“For real?” He arches an eyebrow. “I can barely fit through fucking doors, Skull Eyes.”

“Well, it’s either that or being pushed under my bed or into my closet. Your pick of a high school movie cliché.” I wiggle my eyebrows.

He smirks, pulling me by the hem of my shirt and kissing me leisurely, with tongue and all, as though his sister is not waiting on the other side of the door.

Penn squashes my butt, pulling me close to his erection and rubbing my body up and down against it, manhandling me in one hand without even breaking a sweat.

“You playing nice with Via doesn’t go unnoticed.”

I cup his dick between us, clutching a little, not enough to hurt but enough to tease the hell out of him. He licks his lips and raises his head skyward, squeezing his eyes shut.

“It costs me all my patience and goodwill.”

“I’ll pay you back with my tongue and dick.”

He steals one last kiss before he fumbles out the window, his laughter rolling on my skin. He is not even pretending to hide himself. Hide us. If he is open about us to Via, then that means he is not ashamed of me. That he is not one hundred percent in her camp.

I open the door, allowing Via to walk into my domain. I’ve decided I am going to be so nice she’ll want to throw up rainbows and unicorns by the time I’m done with her. If I don’t give her any ammo on me, she’ll eventually get tired of trying.

Via doesn’t take a moment to appreciate my pink champagne aquarium wall and fancy room—but why would she? She’s already been here, digging through my clothes. She closes the door and throws herself onto my bed as if it belongs to her. She inhales a deep breath, smiling from the throne of my satin pillows and vintage teddy bears.

“Smells like my brother in here.”

Does that turn you on, perv?

I sit on the edge of the bed, knowing somehow she is privy to the fact he’s already left. She doesn’t have the balls to stand up to Penn. I don’t think anyone does.

“You know, you could take the Jeep.” I examine my perfect French manicure. “Mel is probably not going to return it, so it’ll go to waste.”

I want my mother to choke on her prejudice against me, thinking I’ll be awful to Via. And if I can kill Via with kindness in the process—well, that’s just a big fat bonus.

“Ech.” She sticks her tongue out. “That thing was fucking disgusting. No thank you. I don’t know how you deal with that woman. She is so submissive. It was a huge turnoff back then, but it’s a total nuisance nowadays.”

My mouth goes slack. Did she actually just talk about my mother like that? The woman who invested more in her than in her own daughter? The woman who fought tooth and nail to bring her back? Who housed her? Who freaking jeopardized her relationship with my father and me—both of us guarded by nature—just to save her? My expression probably gives away my shock and disgust because Via explains herself.

“I vanished four years ago. She only found me, like, a month ago. And not a minute before she took Penn under her wing. Where has she been all this time?”

I saw Mel mourn Via. It was half the reason I kept mum about what Penn and I did that day. I knew she’d never forgive me. She’d hate my guts and mentally disown me if she knew. I’m not Mel’s biggest fan right now, but even I know that this is bullshit.

“She tried really hard to find you when you disappeared,” I say in what I hope to hell is an even tone. “She is not your mother.”

“Thank God. Imagine if I’d have inherited her thighs, like you.” She springs off my bed and saunters toward the aquarium. She taps it with her finger, watching the bubbles rising from the oxygen tank below. “Ever wonder what would happen if you put a hammer into this thing?”