Chapter 2

Please. That "wonderland" line? Lucas's favorite pickup trick. Worked every time on guys too horny to Google.

Because the only thing smoother than chocolate? The nasty pus leaking out when you got something seriously wrong down there.

I just smirked, slow and filthy.

Christian rolled his eyes. "Cat's out of the bag, Victoria. Lucas and I are official."

I let my shoulders sag, fake heartbreak. "Love's love, dude. Congrats."

He blinked, thrown.

Then the claws came out. "He's tasted me, Victoria. You'll never get another bite. He's mine—mine—mine!"

I tucked my buzzing phone behind my back, hiding the screen lighting up with Lucas's thirsty emojis.

If he was so yours, why was he sliding into my DMs every five minutes?

"Anyway, just so you know, Lucas loves me more than anyone!

"He only loves me!"

Christian stormed out, door banging like a gunshot. Straight to Lucas's bed, no doubt.

I cackled, opened my burner account, and airdropped Lucas the deluxe 108-position rainbow playbook—plus tracking links for every glow-in-the-dark toy on the internet.

The next evening, Christian limped through the door clutching his cheeks like they were stuffed with hot coals.

I sipped my coffee, innocent as a nun.

Every day after that, "helpful stranger" me fed Lucas darker tutorials: double-ended dragons, industrial-grade plugs, stuff that needed safety words and a safe word for the safe word.

Christian's walk turned into a duck waddle. Even designer cologne couldn't mask the sour, rotten stink leaking through his jeans.

Keep that pace, and his ass was gonna need its own zip code.

Sure enough, Six days later, he cracked.

He dragged me into the bathroom, voice tiny. "Victoria… I ripped something."

I raised a brow. "Define something."

"My freaking butthole!" Pants around his ankles, he bent over the sink, sobbing. "Blood everywhere. Hurts to breathe. I'm leaking pus like a busted pipe."

One look made my stomach flip. Swollen, angry red, glistening with yellow-green sludge that smelled like death left the stove on.

Yeah, that was nothing like the perky peach he used to wink at in selfies.

"Victoria, do I need to go to the hospital? Every time I move, stuff just comes out. I have to wear diapers now," he whimpered.

Gross.

I frowned, glaring at him. "Go to the hospital? You mean you actually want Mom to find out some guy's been screwing you up the ass?"

Mom had already been suspicious. Christian was hardly ever home, and whenever she called, his phone was turned off.

When she finally caught him, they barely exchanged two sentences before he'd clutch his butt and rush straight to the bathroom.

Her gut told her something was off.

He clenched his jaw and asked, "Then what the hell am I supposed to do?"

I rubbed my temples. "Relax. This must be your male version of that time of the month—just a normal bodily reaction. I'll grab some meds from the pharmacy for you."

He let out a breath of relief, grinned, and ran right back to Lucas's place.

Later, I ordered some veterinary meds online—cheap stuff. He didn't even look at the label, just shoved them up his ass like it was nothing.

He started to get better for a few days—until he and Lucas started fooling around again, screaming loud enough for the entire building to hear.

I pretended not to notice. Kept buying him meds on one hand, and on the other, secretly sent Lucas a few "how-to" guides.

But Mom—she heard the gossip about them, and it freaked her out.

Finally, she snapped. She dragged over my brother's lovestruck coworker, Scarlett, shoved her into the house, pressed a kitchen knife against her own neck, and yelled,

"Christian! If you don't marry Scarlett today, I'll kill myself right here!" she said.

But Christian didn't even spare her a glance. He just said carelessly, "Do what you want. I'm not marrying her."

Mom froze, like someone had pulled the ground out from under her.

It took her a while to find her voice again. "Christian, Scarlett's beautiful, her family's got money. With their help, your life would be so much easier.

"Why are you being so damn stubborn?"

He snorted, spread his hands, and said, "Because I already have a boyfriend."

That hit Mom like a thunderbolt. She just stood there, blank, even when Scarlett burst into tears and ran out.

"Wait, what did you just say? Are all those rumors out there... actually true?" Mom stammered. "You really let Lucas… do that to you?"

Christian just pursed his lips. "Lucas and I love each other. For real."

When he said it, Mom's eyes rolled back. She clutched her chest and fell onto the sofa.

"Break up! You must break up!" she shouted.