I mean, it’s really theonlyoption I’m working with.
I caught her close to him on my porch the day he got out of jail. She bolted as if she got caught and claimed it was because I scared the shit out of her.
Nessa is always fucking with Levi. She’d sometimes—purposely—shake her ass in front of him, but I always chalked it up as her toying with him and his patience.
Now I’m starting to see the jealousy glimmering in her eyes and how our alleged leaving of South Shore would really piss her off if he wasn’t taking her with us.
Nessa stays.
That’s what Levi wanted for now, and I didn’t question or push as much as I maybe should have. In my head, we’d send for her like Levi and I talked about before.
That was the game plan.
Now, I’m not entirely sure if Levi had a different one. I didn’t suspect anything different. I wasn’t given any clue something else was happening in the background.
I trusted what was given to me, and I didn’t think twice about it.
“You know I’ve always stayed out of this whole bullshit South Shore-Landings war thing,” she states. “And honestly…I thought it would be beneficial. You didn’t need to worry about me, and I could be around for Levi when he needed it. Keep his mind off all the shit he thinks about on a daily basis.”
My skin breaks out in goosebumps, serving as a warning sign for me to tread lightly.
I don’t particularly like how she keeps mentioning Levi. It seems to be the whole purpose of this improv meeting.
“This is the second time you’ve brought him up, Nes, so what’s good? What are youaskingme?”
“It’s not so much asking as it is for the truth. Ones you’ve kept from me. Because when it comes to you, girl…” She tsks and brings her long, nude-colored nails to her chin. “He couldn’t andwouldn’tlet you go.”
Same.
And now I understand her temper tantrum. The anger behind our decision to leave South Shore.
She wanted Levi.
I have him.
And we’re never going to be the same.
“Just admit it, Bay,” Nessa presses as I blink away thoughts of him—us—and the real reason I’m out tonight. “It’s not like it matters anymore.”
“What does that even mean?” I mutter, my skin crawling with unease.
I need to get to Levi.
I don’t have time for this shit.
Time is ticking, and so is my window.
“He got lit up, didn’t he?”
My blood runs cold at the vacant sound in her voice. Thezero fucksground out in each syllable.
A woman scorned, through and through.
And when you have one of those, God only knows what shit she just did.
“Where’s the other one?” she inquires simply. “The young Wildes asshole?”
I swear I hear her fucking chuckle under her breath. I don’t like her mention of him either. I also don’t enjoy how I just gave a fuck for two seconds.
