Page 150 of Healed

“Sure.”

“Lettuce?”

“No.”

“Great. More for me then. Watch the cameras, Gabriella.”

I looked back at the cameras, not quite sure what she was up to.

“Juice?”

“Am I a child?” I asked, looking back at her.

“Cameras,” she said, nodding at the phone. “As far as I’m concerned, it’s never too early for wine, but I don’t think that would be appropriate. I’m not even going to attempt to make that potion you call tea. Milk?”

“No, thank you.”

“Water it is then. Cameras,” she reminded me, shoving the fridge shut with her hips.

I looked at the cameras again, seeing that nothing had changed.

“It’s the same,” I replied with a sigh, dropping the phone.

“Exactly,” she said with a smug, satisfied huff.

She placed a plate in front of me and then sat in the opposite seat, munching her own sandwich.

I looked down at the plate, immediately feeling queasy. The red of the tomato instantly threw me into a memory.

“You know I’ve always loved it when you paint my sheets with your blood, Gabriella,” Nico told me, lapping his tongue along my wounds.

“Do you like getting your nails done?” Rachel asked me.

“What?” I asked, my breathing heavier.

“Your nails. Do you like to get them done?”

“I—”

“Bee has been practicing. She has Monster currently wearing a lovely set of bright pink press-ons.”

“I—”

“She once also dressed all the men up as Monster High characters. Vienna looked particularly… deranged.”

“Okay.”

“Eat your sandwich, Gabriella,” she said, taking a big bite.

I copied her action, though my bite was much smaller.

“Good, huh?” she asked, her mouth still full, chewing around her words.

“Yeah,” I said, not meaning it for a single second.

The food churned in my mouth like rotting flesh.

“Swallow me, princess. Let me see your pretty tears. I’m not stopping until your throat is raw.”