"What about this one?" Mila asks, turning towards me with a powder pink wig on top of her head. It mimics her own perfect straight across bangs but falls to her waist in waves of cotton candy.

"Pretty, but I thought the point was to blend in?"

She pouts and turns back to the mirror hanging on the store wall. "True."

After our tenth store, I've learned two things about Mila. One, she might possibly be a shop-acholic, and two, she's obsessed with wigs. Well, maybe the addiction to shopping isn't completely accurate. She loves to browse through stores and window shop but rarely seems to get anything for herself. Though this is the first item that has made her eyes light up like the moon all day.

After putting the pink wig back on the shelf, she checks her phone again. "Should be hearing from him any minute now."

Christmas is in three days, so Mila and I have spent all morning present shopping while Kwan went off to start phase one of what Mila has deemed "Project Ballbuster." I don't know all the details of the first phase, but Kwan's supposed to text us when it's done and then give us a place to meet up.

It's nearly noon though and we haven't heard from him yet. I'm not going to lie, it's making me nervous.

What if he was caught doing whatever he's doing? What if he's in trouble?

All the what-ifs and possibilities have my stomach in knots, but Mila seems pretty chill. Even when she's checking her phone every so often, she's still the perfect example of calm and collected. The only time she's lost her composure was when she spotted this beauty supply shop in the middle of the mall and insisted we need wigs if we are going undercover.

"Oh, try this one." She grabs another wig and places it on my head. After a couple adjustments, she pushes me towards the mirror.

Deep maroon beach waves frame my face, just long enough to cover up my chocolate brown underneath.

"Not bad." I nod.

"You'd make a good redhead," Mila comments before appearing next to me in the mirror with pin-straight light orangish-red strands reaching past her chest. "We both would."

She hugs me close to pose, puckering her lips at our reflections, and holds a peace sign next to her face. Her bubbly attitude makes me giggle and soon I'm joining her, mimicking her exact expression. After we break out into a fit of laughter, she tugs us away from the mirror and whips out her phone, holding it out in front of us.

"Come on, sexy pose," she instructs.

I do the best I can, giving the camera bedroom eyes while she bites her lip mischievously before taking the picture. The next one is funny faces followed by our regular smiles. When we're done, we flip through the images and chuckle at ourselves.

It's not huge, but I already feel the slightest bit of tension leaving me, making me think that was her intended goal, to begin with.

A minute later as she puts her wig back, she lets out a squeal that could break glass and snatches up another one. It's short, platinum blonde, with choppy layers that almost make it look as if it's for a guy.

As if reading my mind, Mila jumps up and down with her prize. "I am so making Kwan wear this one!"

"Yeah, okay." I roll my eyes and laugh. "I'd like to see that happen."

She scoffs. "It's been done before."

I'm about to ask for more details and possibly evidence of said event when Kwan appears at the end of the aisle.

"What's been done before?"

Mila rushes over to him. "Look what I found for you."

"Nope. No way." He shakes his head and steps away from her. "I'm never doing that again."

Narrowing her eyes, she sticks her tongue out at him and returns the item to the fake head it was previously sitting on.

"So, what are you doing here? I thought you were supposed to text with a location?" she asks, turning back around to her brother.

He looks down at his phone. "Turns out this was the best location. Asshat's been shopping for the last hour."

"How do you know that?" I ask.

"Cause I followed him here and I've been keeping tabs while he blows his cash. But I think he's gonna be leaving soon, so we should wrap things up and get going."

Mila and I both nod and follow him from the store without any special disguises. Silently, the three of us make our way through the mall and out the side into the parking garage. While my car sits on the second level, Kwan steers us to the first making sure to discreetly weave through the cars as his eyes scan the area.

"Kwan," I whisper, feeling like Project Ballbuster is now in full effect. "My car's up there."

He shakes his head, keeping his attention in front of us. "We'll come back for it. Besides, he knows what your car looks like."

I didn't think of that, but it makes sense. So far, we plan to follow Derek around and gain intel. Hopefully, we'll discover something I can use against him as leverage to break free of him or pick up any habits he might have that I could use to set him up. But there's also a strong possibility that there is nothing that'll help me. He is the golden boy of Freecaster High after all. The chances of Derek being into anything shady don't seem high.

And yet, he managed to get drugs and weapons to frame Jace and the guys.

When we finally reach Kwan's Mustang, we pile in and duck down, watching out of the windows for any movement.

"He's parked right there." Kwan points towards Derek's Charger closer to the entrance.

"So...we're just gonna trail him all day?" I ask, unintentionally letting doubt fill my mind with everything that could go wrong.

Kwan nods from the driver's seat.

"What if he just goes home after this?" I press.

Kwan shrugs but the tension in his eyes is anything but casual. "Then we try again tomorrow."

"And if that still doesn't work?"

"Then we come up with another plan."

"What if we lose him in traffic or he goes and does something during the time we aren't watching him and we miss it?"

Kwan drags his gaze away from the window and turns his head to look at me in the back seat. "We won't lose him and he can't make a move without me knowing."

That seems a little hard to believe. It's not like Kwan can just camp outside Derrek's house for the next two weeks. If he does something when we aren't around, there's not really much we can do about it.

As if all my questions and worries are stamped on my forehead, Kwan adds, "While you and Noona were shopping, I drove over to the asshole's place and tapped a spare phone under the hood of his car. All I have to do is track its location, and I'll know if he goes anywhere."

I don't know what sounds weirder, the fact that Kwan came up with this idea or that he owns a spare phone he doesn't mind losing.

"Spare phone?" I ask, deciding I don't want to know where he gets his ideas from. Best case scenario, he saw it in a movie. Worse case, my future stepbrother has some dark secrets locked away and that might just be more than I can handle at the moment.

Kwan turns back to the window. "Yeah. I like to have a few spares on me just in case of emergencies."

What kind of emergencies could a seventeen-year-old guy have that requires carrying around multiple phones?

But I don't get a chance to pry further as both Kwan and Mila tense up. Following their line of sight, I carefully look out the window and spot Derek walking towards his car with a couple shopping bags in his hands. He seems relaxed as he throws everything in his car and climbs in behind the steering wheel. As soon as his Charger comes to life, Kwan turns the key in the Mustang's ignition.

"Showtime," Mila announces excitedly.

It's been hours and so far, we've followed Derek to a hair salon, the grocery store, and burger joint where he picked up some food in the drive-through window. But since then, he's been on a straight course through town with no signs of stopping yet.

During this time, I've concluded that Kwan's driving both scares and impresses me. He keeps up with Derek's speed—well over the limit—but still manages to stay a few cars behind as he zooms in and out of traffic. The entire time, my hand squeezes the door handle like my life depends on it until the view outside slowly starts to shift. The residential homes of Central Freecaster fade into run-down-looking buildings and rough streets with even rougher people hanging out on the sidewalks.

"Where the hell is he going?" Mila murmurs to no one in particular from the passenger seat.

Looking around for anything familiar. "I'm not sure."

"Wouldn't this be considered the East Side around here?" Kwan asks.

He changes lanes again and releases the gas just enough to slide in behind another car. His attention doesn't leave the road in front of us, or the Charger just a little further down the road.

"I guess." I shrug. "I've never seen this part of it before though."

I rarely go to the East Side of town unless I'm going to the beach. But even then, the route I take is so far South, that the lines between the East Side and South Side blur together. All I know is that the lower East Side is one of those posh, expensive areas with giant homes that have more bedrooms and bathrooms than any normal family could ever need.

The streets we're traveling on now are nothing like that. If I didn't know any better, I'd say we're in a part of the warehouse district with how run-down everything is, which leads me to my conclusion.

"This is the upper East Side," I say out loud.

Mila turns in her seat to look at me. "Know much about it?"

"Not really."

The upper East Side is probably the one part of Freecaster I've never explored. When I first got my license, I drove everywhere just because I could. The best shopping streets of the South Side, the middle-class neighborhoods of both Central and North Freecaster, the borders of the riches gated communities of the Lower East Side, the sunlit ghost town of the warehouse district, and almost every inch of the West Side. That last exploration was the only one that felt like something more than driving just for the hell of it. Back then, I cruised through the West Side torturing myself with possibilities of running into Jace; deep down wanting to know what he was up to since our split. But I never did find him and eventually gave up.

Though out of all of that, I never had any desire to come here. Now I know why. Who would want to drive around an area that looks like literal shots could fire at any second?

"He's turning," Kwan speaks up.

Mila and I both look out the front windshield and watch as Derek's Charger breaks off from the road. He slowly drives through the opening of a tall chain-link fence that surrounds a dirt parking area and a run-down bar. From where we are, there don't seem to be many other cars. If we pull in for a closer look, we won't be able to go unnoticed.

As if he has that same thought, Kwan turns in the opposite direction, pulling into the parking lot of a shopping center across the street from the bar. Plenty of cars litter the area, giving us plenty of covers as Kwan selects a spot with a direct line of sight to the Charger.

"There's no way he's going inside. He's not old enough," I say, keeping my eyes pinned on our target.

But when Derek gets out of his car only to walk around and sit on the hood, Kwan shakes his head. "I don't think he has any intention of going inside."

"Yeah, but gotta say, he has some balls," Mila comments. "A silver-spoon-fed pretty boy like him just hanging out in the opening of a place like that is a risky move."

She's not kidding. Derek sticks out like a sore thumb. Everything from his designer jeans to his blue polo, sleek white sneakers, and aviator sunglasses scream "I don't belong here!" And yet, he doesn't seem the least bit worried as he casually leans back against the hood of his car.

Even in a place like this, he still oozes that forced superior confidence that makes him look like the leader of all that surrounds him. Only there's one thing he doesn't have and that's the natural instincts and overall vibe to go with it. It's like he's putting on a show, a mask of someone in control, and can't even do it successfully. Anyone who watches him for longer than a few seconds could see it. He's a fraud. A fake. A little boy trying to pretend he's a man.

Pathetic.

"So, what now?" I ask, leaning back in my seat and keeping my eyes trained on Derek.

Kwan props his elbow on the door to rest his head on his hand. "We wait."

And wait we do.

An hour and a half ticks by at the pace of a snail, the sun setting as the sky grows dark. A few times I swear I hear Mila lightly snoring and Kwan doesn't say a word. The only way I know he's still awake is from his shifting positions every so often to get comfortable as he continues to stare out the windshield. But with each minute that passes, my eyelids grow heavier. My head bobs back, wanting so badly to rest against the seat and I nearly succumb to my sleepy urges when my phone buzzes in my pocket.

I pull it out and see Jace's name on the screen, already bringing a smile to my face.

Jace: I miss you.

Alexis: You'll see me on Christmas.

Jace: Not good enough. I'm tempted to just sneak through your window tonight. I need to feel you.

Heat fills my face and I instantly look at Kwan. I know he can't see our conversation from there—hell, he might not even realize I'm texting at all—but I can't help feeling paranoid. So, as I type out my next message, I scoot closer to the passenger side of the car and huddle around my phone.

Alexis: You can't! I'm sharing my room with Mila.

Jace: Guess you'll just have to be quiet then.

I try responding only to keep deleting whatever weak comeback I think of.

Jace: I can still taste you, Lex, but I need more. I'm losing my fucking mind.

A silent gasp leaves my mouth as heat builds between my thighs.

Alexis: This is so not the time for that kind of conversation.

Jace: Why? What are you doing?

Alexis: Hanging out with the twins.

Jace: And you don't want them to know how turned on you are right now. I get it.

Alexis: Jace!

Jace: Tell me, baby, are you wet for me?

Oh my god. I'm going to kill him.

And yet...damn do I love it when he talks like that. His filthy mouth—or in this case, texts—always twists me up inside, lighting a fire in the pit of my stomach.

Alexis: You're being bad.

Jace: And you fucking love it.

Alexis: Jace!

Jace: Alexis!

Alexis: That's it, I'm shutting off my phone for the night.

Jace: Do that and I will show up in your bed tonight, waking you up with my tongue feasting on that tight pussy.

Alexis: Fine, I won't turn my phone off, but you need to STOP!

He's enjoying this too much. I can almost hear his deep laughter in my head, loving the way he's getting to me.

Jace: Alright. Fine. I'll stop...if you promise me one thing.

Alexis: And what's that?

Jace: If I can't come to you, one of these nights, I want to video chat.

Alexis: Fine. Not an issue.

Jace: No, baby, I don't think you're understanding me right now. I want to video chat and watch you touch yourself. I want to watch you come apart thinking about me.

Oh!

I've never done that before. At least not with an audience. But there's something so wickedly thrilling about the idea I find myself getting hot just thinking about it.

Then, like a bucket of cold water, Kwan speaks up from the front seat. "Ladies, we got company."

Shit.

Alexis: I have to go. We'll talk more about this later.

Jace: I'm holding you to that, Alexis. I'm not playing around with threats of sneaking in. I want you.

Alexis: I promise.

Jace: Good. Talk to you later, baby.

I slip my phone back into my pocket, trying to get myself together. I'm filled with wanton desire and cautious anxiety all at the same time. My body struggling with the mix of sexting while participating in a serious stakeout that has my future riding on it.

But now is not the time. I need to focus. Filthy promises by damned.

Scooting up to look between the front seats as Mila slowly stirs awake, I watch as half a dozen motorcycles drive into the gated parking area of the bar across the street. The bar sign now flashes on top of the tiny building, red neon letters that read "Dirty Dan's" glowing ominously over them.

"They part of your boy's crew?" Kwan asks, watching the bikers with narrowed eyes.

"No." I shake my head, taking in the snake design decorating the back of their leather jackets. "These aren't Guardians. They're Vipers."

Not that I've ever seen a Viper in person before. That night at the Hideaway, they were already gone before I got outside. But this must be them. How many bikers ride around with big green snakes on their backs in Freecaster?

Kwan glances back at me. "Vipers?"

"Yeah, another biker club...gang...whatever. But bad news. They..." My throat tightens as I try to get out the next words. "They shot at us...at Jace and my friends. They..." Oh god. "They killed someone very close to me."

Pain slices through my chest, forcing me to hold my hand over the invisible wound like I can stop the emotional bleeding.

I can't say his name. Not right now. Not with his possible killers just yards away.

Someone over there could've been the shooter.

It's stupid and weak, but right now, I wish Jace was here. He'd understand this kind of pain. He'd wrap me in his arms and try to take it all away, just like he did the night it happened when we were all cooped up in the hospital waiting room.

"Hey," Mila reaches back, all signs of her nap gone, and grabs my hand, her big dark eyes filled with concern. "I get it. It hurts to lose someone you love. But we gotta stick it out and see what's going on."

Clamping my mouth shut, I draw in a deep lung-expanding breath through my nose and nod.

She's right. There's no running now.

She looks back at the scene across the road but continues to hold my hand, lending me her strength as Kwan pulls out his phone. He holds it up for us to see and turns on the camera app. Before hitting the record button, he zooms in on Derek, giving us an up-close look at the guy that's been my tormentor for weeks now.

Derek hasn't budged from the hood of his car, but he doesn't look relaxed anymore either. The red lighting of the bar sign illuminates the tense bunching of his shoulders and with the sun down, his shades are gone, his eyes warily watching the bikers that slowly approach him.

The first bike pulls up in front of him while the others fan out a little further back, giving their leader some room. But it's Derek who closes the gap, pushing off his car and walking over. When he reaches them, the head rider removes his helmet revealing strands of nearly shoulder-length black hair and an eerily thin face.

"You ever seen him before, Lex?" Kwan quietly asks.

I shake my head. "No. Never."

Derek and Mr. Creepy talk with one another, their mouths moving in the zoomed-in vision on Kwan's phone, but of course, we can't hear a thing. They look calm but serious for the most part until Derek says something and laughs. The raven-haired biker doesn't look amused, his eyes dangerously narrowing at the idiot in front of him until he nods at one of the others.

For a second, my heart rate kicks up.

They're gonna beat the shit out of him or...kill him.

I can see it in my head. He probably said something stupid, putting his foot in his mouth, which is not a smart thing to do with scary people like this. I doubt it would take much for any of them to snap and go after him.

As another biker climbs off his bike and walks to the front, I tense, expecting the worst. Even Derek looks nervous as the humor quickly fades from his eyes. But instead of knocking out the worried dumbass, the helmet-wearing biker slides the backpack he's wearing down his arms before throwing it forward. Derek catches the pack easily, appearing completely unfazed by the interaction.

After a few more words and the leader pointing a stern finger at Derek like he's scolding a child, the bikers leave. Derek hangs around for a moment, but once his friends are gone, he tosses the backpack in his Charger and climbs in.

"What was that?" I stare at the car across the road as if I can see Derek through the tinted windows. "What the hell is in that backpack?"

"Drugs."

My head jerks to look at Kwan while Mila peers out her window and bites her lip.

"Drugs?" I ask him with wide eyes.

Kwan nods.

"How do you know?"

He sighs, slipping his phone in the center console and starting the car. "I know an exchange of product when I see it. Your guy's probably dealing for them."

"He's not my guy," I quickly blurt out.

Kwan shrugs. "Whatever the case, this looks bad for him and great for you. Could be just what we need. If we can prove that he is dealing for these Vipers, you can use that against him."

I like the sounds of that, for the most part. Problem is, how exactly do I use that kind of information? If I take it to the cops, there's nothing stopping Derek from doing the same with the video he has. Which leaves me with the second option.

I can blackmail him right back. Force him to let me go and give me every copy of the video he has in exchange for whatever we can dig up on him. It's not a perfect plan, but it's a hell of a lot better than nothing.

Kwan shifts in his seat to look back at me with a serious look in those onyx eyes. "We gotta be careful how we use this though. It's not just him that we'd have dirt on. If those bikers find out, you could be stepping into a much worse situation."

It won't come to that. It can't.

"Are you sure you don't wanna get your boyfriend involved?"

Biting my tongue, I give Kwan a nod.

"He could help, Lex. If he's got others backing him up, you might need that kind of support."

"Yeah, Lexi," Mila finally speaks up, agreeing with her brother. "I get why you wouldn't want to, but this just got a lot bigger than some high school asshat. Guys like them are dangerous as hell and we won't be here forever. We can't protect you once we're gone."

Damn it, she's right. They both are. And yet the idea of telling Jace creates a million knots in the pick of my stomach.

The other night he flipped out just 'cause he thought I was with another guy. He's possessive and protective as fuck, which normally doesn't bother me, but if he hears about this, he will lose his shit. He'll go after Derek without a second thought and then there will be nothing to keep Derek from sharing that video. I'm sure of it.

No. I can't tell him. Not yet. Not until I have something solid against Derek. I need to prove he's dealing for the Vipers and then I can tell Jace. At least by then, I'll have something to keep Derek from raining hell on all of us no matter how bad of a beating he gets.

"I can't." I shake my head.

Kwan and Mila both look at me with mirrored gazes of concern.

"At least not yet. I need more to work with first."

"And if we can't get that before we leave?" Mila softly asks.

"I don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it, I guess. But for right now, Jace can't know."

The twins look at each other with similar expressions of apprehension before looking back at me and reluctantly nodding.

I blow out a deep breath and relax against the back seat. "Thanks, guys."

"Don't thank us yet," Kwan says as faces forward. "This shit has only just begun."

Ain't that the truth.

We follow Derek out of the Upper East Side, hoping that he has more dirty secrets to show us tonight. But when all he does is go home, we decide to do the same.

Kwan swears that if Derek goes anywhere else, we'll know and be able to track him down again, at least until the morning. By then, he has to go back and switch out the phone he hid in Derek's Charger with a new, fully charged one. It's not the most convenient setup but Kwan doesn't seem to mind, thankfully.

Dragging ourselves through the front door of the house, the three of us kick off our shoes like zombies, exhausted and more than ready to rest. Yet kicking back on the couch and stuffing our faces doesn't seem to be in the cards, not when we step into the kitchen and find our parents sitting at the table. Spread out in front of them are millions of papers, pictures, and notebooks displaying churches, wedding dresses, tuxes, flowers, and God knows what else.

"Oh, hey, kids," Mom beams at us, turning around in her seat.

She looks ecstatic and full of life. Her hazel eyes shimmer in the kitchen light and a wide smile fills her face. She's practically glowing with that excited bridal vibe, and despite the seriousness of what we've been doing today, I can't help but smile back at her. Mila does the same, but a mask of impassivity quickly forms on Kwan's face.

"Hey, Mom." I walk over and take the seat next to her. "Finally getting some planning done."

Mom looks down at the mess on the table. "Yeah. I can't believe how much we half to do by July. Seven months is not a lot of time to plan a wedding."

"Do people normally go all out like that for second weddings?" Kwan asks, walking past everyone on his way to the fridge.

The way he says it doesn't seem rude or angry, just empty and everyone in the room picks up on it. There are no looks of hostility thrown his way, just understanding tinted with a bit of sympathy directed at his back so he can't see. Well, except for Mila.

Ignoring her brother's question, Mila narrows her eyes at him before joining us at the kitchen table and gracing Mom with one of her megawatt smiles. "So, you have a date picked out? That's so exciting!"

"Yes!" Mom snaps back into wedding mode. "July fourth."

"Free fireworks. That's brilliant." Mila nods with a conspiratorial grin.

Mom lightly laughs, instantly relaxing my nerves from today. "That is the plan. Which is why I'm thinking of an outdoor wedding. Maybe in the backyard. We'd be able to see the fireworks they shoot off at the park from here."

"I love it," I say, smiling.

Mila eagerly nods. "Me too!"

If I know my mom, she's going to make the wedding as magical as she can. If she wasn't a nurse, she'd make one hell of a party planner.

"Thank you, girls...actually." Mom chews the inside of her cheek and looks at Carl. He gives her a reassuring nod and wraps his hand around hers before she looks back at us. "I've been meaning to ask the both of you...I mean if you two wanted...but, well." She takes a deep breath, slowly exhaling before she asks, "Would you two want to be my maids of honor?"

From the shadows of the kitchen, Kwan leans against a counter and watches as Mila and I sit there with wide eyes.

"Oh, wow," Mila gasps before looking back and forth between me and Mom. "Are...are you sure that's okay? I mean, shouldn't it be Lex?"

"Mila, I would love to share the maid of honor position with you," I assure, locking eyes with her big doe eyes. "Seriously."

She looks at Mom who also nods. "It would mean a lot to have both of you standing there with me. We're going to be family, Mila, and I look at you the same way I do Lexi."

Mila's gaze shimmer with unshed tears but another smile quickly takes hold of her face, crinkling her eyes with happiness. "Wow, um, yeah. I'd love that! Thank you, Cheryl."

Without hesitation, Mom gets over and walks around the table to hug Mila. It's the final straw, setting free the tears Mila is trying to fight back.

"You get over here too, Lex. Girl's group hug," Mom insists, waving me over.

Playfully rolling my eyes, I get up and join them, wrapping my arms around Mila while mom adjusts to hold us both. From across the table, Carl smiles wider than I've ever seen before.

Kwan, on the other hand, appears unaffected. He finishes his glass of water, placing it in the sick and turning to leave.

"Son," Carl calls after him.

Kwan freezes and slowly turns around to face his dad who is getting up from the table and walking over to him. "What?"

The rest of us anxiously watch the two. The tension between them is palpable and if I wasn't still wrapped around Mom and Mila, I'd cross my fingers for good luck.

"I was hoping that you'd be my best man," Carl announces. He sways nervously, his eyes hopefully as he looks at his son.

There's a flash of emotion in Kwan's eyes, and for a second, I can swear he looks happy. Maybe even a little relieved. But just as quickly as it appears, it fades away.

With a shrug of indifference, Kwan steps backward toward the hall. "Sure. Whatever." Then he turns around and leaves, his footsteps thumping up the stairs.

"Well, that went better than I thought." Carl takes a relieved breath and sits back down. "At least he didn't say no."

"He'll come around, Dad," Mila insists, despite the worried gleam in her eyes.

I have to agree if only to myself. Kwan might want more of his dad's attention than he lets on, but they still have a way to go. It's just not my place to get involved no matter how much I want to help.

He is helping me; wish I could return the favor.

Shaking off that thought, I head for the fridge. "So, who wants a snack?"

💘____________________________________💘

Hey, loves! Sorry for the late update. As I said on my profile yesterday, it's been a bit hard juggling updating DME and editing KME. I really want to publish KME so I have to take some time to work on it. Because of this, I might have to limit DME to one update a week. Not positive yet and of course if I happen to have a chapter ready sooner, I will of course update ASAP. But just wanted to fill you all in. 

Anyway, I'd love to hear your thoughts about this chapter. Did you like seeing Lexi and Mila bonding? What do you think of Project Ballbuster? Any idea how Kwan knows how to do all of this? Did you enjoy Jace's flirty texting? What do you think about Derek and the Vipers? Do you think he's really dealing drugs? Do you think they'll be able to get the evidence they need? What about Kwan and Mila suggesting Jace should be involved? How did you like the little family moment? Anyone looking forward to the wedding? And do you think Lexi should get involved with Kwan and Carl's messy relationship?

You can leave your thoughts in the comments and if you like what you read, please hit that star button! I look forward to hearing from all of you!

Also, as some of you requested, I added banners for some of the Vipers as well as Monte and Kellin. Going to try to add more like Roman and Eddie but if you have any suggestions feel free to leave them here>>>

I also have been working on my author Pinterest page, making boards for the Guardians and Jexi. If you want to check them out, just search @chelseafreyauthoron Pinterest. Just keep in mind it's a work in progress lol. I'm going to be working on the Spotify playlists soon too. 

FINALLY, Dating My Ex hit 20k reads after the last update. Seriously, hitting these milestones is so encouraging and I have all of you to thank for that. You loves keep me motivated even when I feel swamped with things to do, and I hope I can keep up as much as possible.  I know I've said it before, but I really never thought either books would get this kind of attention, so thank you! Thank you! Thank you! xoxo <3

P.S.S. I had no idea what song to pick for this chapter so if you all have any suggestions, feel free to toss them at me. 😁

As usual, the teaser for chapter 14 will be posted on my Instagram and Twitter in a day or two. Keep an eye out for that!

Until next time, loves! 💜 xoxo