The Black Swan's Final Revenge Pirouette: The 99th Game Was Mine All Along by Kylie Homme

Chapter 5

A heavy silence fell over the hospital room, as if time Itself had stopped.

Luigi, who’d been in the middle of ripping into his friends, froze at Derek’s words echoing through the

“Holy shit, man. Tell me you haven’t actually fallen for her.”

Tall for Ariana? What the fuck?

He rejected the thought with almost violent immediacy, as if the speed of his denial could erase the strange emotion crawling through his chest.

He had always been in love with Leila–what was Ariana in comparison? Nothing but collateral damage in his revenge scheme. A means to an end.

But the logic didn’t track. If she meant nothing, why had he lost his goddamn mind when he saw those men on top of her?

Even when drunk frat boys hit on Leila at parties, he’d never gone nuclear like that.

His mental wrestling match cast the room into uncomfortable silence.

glances, visibly relieved by

his tone lightening: “Jesus, you had us worried for a second. I thought you’d gone and caught feelings or something. Getting played by your own revenge game would be such a fucking waste. Leila would lose her shit if

down whatever the hell was happening in his chest and stated. coldly: “I

relaxed, laughing as they headed for the door. “She’s probably gonna

out, Luigi slowly approached the bed, staring down at the

if even in unconsciousness she couldn’t escape

moment they made contact,

turned abruptly and stalked to the window, lighting a cigarette and taking a desperate drag, hoping the nicotine might quiet whatever

her eyes, Luigi was alone with

her bed, holding a cup of water. Seeing

turned her head away, refusing to

taking care of

when he returned, a

calls were to Lella.

entire relationship. The mysterious calls

she understood that Leila had been on

doctor came in to change her