Total pages in book: 31
Estimated words: 30540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 30540 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 153(@200wpm)___ 122(@250wpm)___ 102(@300wpm)
If Paola finds out that the "new" me is merely a by-product of the Devil's punishment, will she still think he's obsessed with me...or will she also see things the way I see it, and warn me against letting the Devil get under my skin?
I'm still thinking about this when Paola and I head our separate ways, and I must've been so lost in my thoughts that when I turn around the corner I end up bumping into another girl—-
"Are you fucking kidding me?"
The furious screech yanks my head out of the clouds, and the first thing I see is Tara Glenndale freaking out over the iced coffee she's spilled on her dress.
Crap.
"I'm so, so sorry—-"
"Do you know how much this costs? Do you?"
"I'm really sorry again." Tara may be one of the prettiest faces on campus, but everyone also knows she has the tendency to go off the rails over the slightest provocation. "If you could tell me how much—-"
"Do you really think I'd wear the kind of dress someone like you can afford—-" Tara suddenly breaks off as her gaze narrows at me. "I can't fucking believe it. How do you have that?"
"Have what?" I genuinely have no idea what she's talking about, and I'm only more confused when Tara visibly seethes at my words.
"Are you trying to make fun of me, you bitch?"
I don't have a chance to answer, with the other girl already throwing the rest of her iced coffee on my face, and her friends laugh as Tara pats my cheek like I am her bitch.
"Now, we're even."
She shoulders past me as she walks away, but one of her friends stays behind to show me the photo on her phone. "Since you're such an attention hogger," she says sweetly, "I thought you'd appreciate this..."
The photo she's uploaded to her Instagram account is my hair and face dripping of iced coffee.
"Don't forget to like and follow, bitch."
#08
What seemed like an impossibly long day has finally come to an end, and it takes only mere moments before I'm naked and neck-deep under the hot bubbling waters of the Jacuzzi.
Bliiiiiiiiiiiss.
I remember the Devil telling me how he wants every square foot of my refurbished room to remind me of him, and it does. But what I'm too tired to figure out is why thoughts of him at this moment feel more comforting than threatening.
This could be Stockholm Syndrome at work again, or maybe it's because the Devil's been effectively grooming me since Day One, but...why does Tara feel more unreasonably evil than the Devil himself?
Ah, whatever.
I'm just going to enjoy my time here in the Jacuzzi and pretend that the outside world doesn't exist—-
Riiiiiiiiing.
Or not.
Water swooshes noisily around my body as I hurriedly reach for my phone. One punishment for missing a call is already one too many, thank you very much.
Hello, Sheena.
"Hello...sir." I feel rather awkward calling him that again for some reason.
I would think you'd be used to calling me that by now, considering how many times you had to explain to other people about me...
My eyes widen. "You can't have been spying on me all day?" Can he?
Can't I?
Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.
I hope the Devil doesn't think I had fun telling other people I have someone like "Sir" in my life.
Is there something about today that you'd particularly like to hide from me?
"Nope!"
Are you certain?
"What do I have to hide?" Aside from how I'm feeling increasingly strange towards him, that is.
You tell me.
Has anything out of the ordinary happened today?
"Um..."
An altercation with another student perhaps?
Oh, so that's what the Devil was hinting at.
"It was nothing—-"
No, Sheena.
Even though the robotic tone of his voice doesn't change at all, I just have this really bad feeling the Devil's insanely pissed.
Anything that has to do with you has everything to do with me.
Don't you dare feel pleased about that, Sheena.
And disrespecting you means disrespecting me.
Don't you dare!
Such disrespect cannot go unpunished—-
Whoa.
My back shoots up straight when I realize where his words are leading to. I know I can try insisting what happened was my fault and beg him not to get anyone else involved. But I also know all of it will be useless.
Everyone knows that the Devil's appetite for vengeance is never-ending, but if these days of talking to him on the phone have taught me anything worthwhile about him...
"How about a game?" I force myself to croak out.
Several moments of silence pass before the Devil gives me his answer.
Go on.
I sag in relief against the back of the tub. I know this doesn't guarantee anything, but at least he's willing to give me a chance to change my mind.
"Heads, you won't do anything to Tara—-"
Unacceptable.
"Because I'll be the one extracting revenge for myself," I manage to improvise without missing a beat.
If you break your word, you understand that I'll have to punish you as well—-