DEADLY DECEPTION

CHAPTER 21

Rick's POV

I stared at Avery, completely blindsided. She just called me an asshole—in Italian, no less. First of all, how the hell does she even know Italian? And second, she had the nerve to throw that word about me in front of everyone. I felt a mixture of shock and intrigue simmering in my chest, and before I could find the words to respond, Bryce chimed in, his voice laced with surprise.

"I didn't know you could speak Italian, Avery!"

I shot Bryce a sharp look, my patience wearing thin.

"Does that even matter right now?" I snapped. "She just called me an asshole!"

Bryce shrugged nonchalantly.

"Oh, it doesn't really matter. We all know you're an asshole."

I leaned back in my chair, tilting my head slightly.

"Vai a farti fottere, Bryce."(Go fuck yourself, Bryce.)

I muttered in a low, menacing tone, not caring if Avery understood that or not. I wasn't holding back any punches here.

Fred and George burst into laughter, clearly enjoying Bryce's stunned expression. He looked like he'd just been slapped, his mouth hanging open in disbelief before he narrowed his eyes at me and stuck his tongue out like a child who'd just lost a game.

Thomas, who had been silently observing our antics, finally spoke up, his voice carrying a note of exasperation.

"Seriously, do you guys call yourselves grown men? Act like one."

Before I could respond with a snide remark, Avery suddenly started clapping her hands, her laughter filling the room. It was an infectious sound, light and genuine, making it impossible not to crack a smile. The boys turned their glares away from Thomas, focusing on Avery instead, as if they couldn't believe she was laughing at us.

Bryce rolled his eyes, a playful smirk on his lips.

"I'm just gonna forget your little remark for now, Rick. At least it made Avery laugh after..."

His voice trailed off, and he abruptly stopped talking when Fred elbowed him in the stomach, causing Bryce to let out a pained grunt.

Avery's laughter died down, and she looked at the boys with newfound clarity, her expression shifting into one of realization.

"Huh, now I know why you guys were so sweet with me earlier. Is this because of what happened today? You all happened to know about it?"

Her eyes darted toward me, a glare burning in them.

I just shrugged, trying to look as innocent as possible.

"I didn't plan it."

I mouthed silently, hoping to diffuse whatever assumptions she was making about me. Avery scoffed, rolling her eyes.

There it was again, that damn eye roll. It was like she was daring me, silently telling me she didn't care what I thought, and it drove me crazy every single time.

"Exactly. I know you didn't plan it. Like, come on, you don't even know what being sweet is."

She turned her attention back to the boys, who were now grinning sheepishly at her, clearly caught in their act of kindness. For a moment, I found myself captivated by her reaction. But then again, nothing about this evening had gone as I'd expected.

Fred shifted uncomfortably, clearing his throat before speaking.

"Look, Avery," he began, his voice softer than usual, "the three of us felt really bad for you. We realized how tough it must be to find out your whole life is a lie. And to know that Maria lied to you... I can't imagine how hard that must be to accept."