Sins Of Her Venom
Chapter 46: Partners In Crime

Chapter 46: Partners In Crime

-Kathrine Andrews: (Song of the Chapter: Okay by Chase Atlantic)

The sting on my lip wouldn’t let me forget. No matter how much I tried to push it out of my mind, it throbbed like a constant reminder of what had happened.

Every time my tongue brushed against the cut, a fresh wave of anger and something I couldn’t name washed over me.

Glyndon.

Her slap had been unexpected, yet when I closed my eyes, I could still see the fear in hers.

Why was I thinking about her so much? Why did she take up so much space in my mind, like an invader I couldn’t chase out?

After we left the Eiffel Tower, the teachers gave us some freedom to explore Paris in groups.

Of course, I stuck with my friends: Michael, Brandon, Lily, Emma, Ryan, Ethan, and Daniel.

They were loud, dramatic, and unapologetically themselves—exactly what I needed to distract me from the storm in my head.

We wandered through the streets, the lights of the city casting a golden glow on everything around us.

The air was filled with the sound of street performers, the smell of freshly baked crepes, and the laughter of tourists. It should have been perfect.

But my mind was elsewhere.

"Hey, Kat, you okay?" Brandon asked, falling into step beside me.

"Yeah," I said quickly, forcing a smile. "Just tired, that’s all."

He didn’t look convinced, but he let it go.

Our little group ended up in a small bookshop at Michael’s insistence.

He loved reading, and even though none of us shared his passion, we went along with him because that’s what friends do.

He flitted from shelf to shelf like a kid in a candy store, excitedly showing us books and telling us about their plots.

Brandon, stayed close, nodding along and asking questions even though it was obvious he had no idea what Michael was talking about.

The way he looked at Michael—with so much love and patience—made my chest ache.

I wanted that.

Not just love, but love without fear. Someone who would be proud to be with me, someone who would hold my hand in public without hesitation.

I pushed the thought away and tried to focus on the conversation around me.

"This place is so cozy," Emma said, running her fingers along the spines of the books. "I could spend hours here."

"Same," Lily agreed. "But I’m starving. Let’s grab food after this."

"I’m in," Brandon said before turning to Michael. "Find what you’re looking for, baby?"

Michael nodded, holding up a small stack of books. "Yep. Just need to pay, and we can go."

As we waited for him, a sudden thought popped into my head.

"I want to get a piercing," I said aloud.

Everyone turned to look at me, their faces a mix of surprise and curiosity.

"What kind of piercing?" Brandon asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A lip piercing," I said, touching the spot where Glyndon had hit me.

Brandon grinned. "I’ll get one too if you’re doing it."

Before I could respond, his grin turned mischievous. "But wait—which lip are we talking about?"

For a moment, there was silence as his words sank in. Then, he burst out laughing, doubling over like he’d just told the funniest joke in the world.

"Bran!" Lily smacked his arm, but she was laughing too. "You’re ridiculous."

"I’m just saying!" he said, still laughing.

"Who the hell even pierces there?" I asked, shaking my head.

Everyone turned to Emma, who turned bright red. "Don’t look at me like that! It’s not like Michael doesn’t have his dick pierced."

My jaw dropped. "Why do you even know that?"

Michael shrugged casually. "We’ve known each other forever. We share everything. That’s what best friends do."

Brandon nodded, completely unbothered. "No secrets. It’s just... us."

Ryan, who had been quiet until now, spoke up. "Even our darkest secrets. Like how I slept with our history teacher last year."

All heads turned to him.

"She was grooming me," he continued, his voice steady. "I didn’t realize it at the time, but now... yeah. I see it for what it was. I was eighteen, but still."

The casual way he said it left me stunned.

Daniel cleared his throat. "Okay, my turn. I think I might be bisexual."

"Really?" Lily asked, tilting her head.

"I kissed a guy on the hockey team once," Daniel admitted, looking nervous. "And I liked it. Does that make me bisexual? I mean, I love women, but I think I like that guy..."

Michael smiled warmly at him. "If you kissed a guy and liked it, then yeah, you can call yourself bisexual. You don’t have to have all the answers right now. Just embrace it."

Daniel hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah... okay. That makes sense. Thanks."

Ethan cleared his throat " I have a fat crush on one of my mom’s friends. She is double my age." Everyone stared at him with wide eyes.

Lily, never one to shy away from shock value, said, "Well, one of my darkest secrets? I love pegging guys."

My jaw dropped again. "Why do I even hang out with you people?"

"Because we’re amazing," Lily said with a grin.

I looked at Michael who said, "Well, they kind of exposed me already, I have my dick pierced."

I chuckled and looked at Brandon who smirked and whispered "I like his piercing."

Michael nudged him with a flushed face and we all laughed as Brandon said "Okay one of my darkest secrets is I have the worst daddy issues ever, I hate my dad and when I was younger I have always tried to hook up with way older men, it was sickening and I went through a lot of shit. I did drugs and all I was fucked up at sixteen but This guy.." He nudged his boyfriend " Helped me, and loved me at my worst and now I’m okay. I go to therapy and I’m getting better."

He leaned into Michael and kissed his forehead which made Michael blush and whisper " I love you."

Brandon smirked. "Your turn, Kat. Since you’re one of us now, spill something."

I hesitated, feeling their attention like a spotlight. But for the first time, I felt like I belonged.

"Well..." I said slowly, smirking. "You should probably know—I may or may not be toying with Glyndon."

The room fell silent, their eyes wide with shock and curiosity.

"What do you mean ’toying with’?" Emma asked cautiously.

"I mean..." I trailed off, letting the suspense build. "I’ve been messing with her. Pushing her buttons. Seeing how far I can go before she snaps...Sexually."

Brandon leaned closer, his eyes gleaming with interest. "And? How far have you gone?"

I smirked, leaning back against the bookshelf. "Far enough to make her unable to stop thinking of me."

They stared at me, a mix of disbelief and intrigue written across their faces.

"Well, damn. I can’t believe Glyndon Walton, the biggest homophobe at school, the same girl that goes to church every Sunday to confess her sins, the one that bullied Kathrine for being a lesbian, is secretly into women." Daniel said finally.

"You’re braver than I thought for actually fucking with the homophobes," Michael commented

"You have no idea," I said, my smirk widening.

Lily leaned forward, her brow furrowed in confusion as she stared at me, her voice low but firm. "So... what you said back at the Eiffel Tower—- it was true. You didn’t mean what she said. You meant what Alex thought, didn’t you? You... fucked her?"

Her words lingered in the air like a heavyweight, and all eyes were on me.

The playful atmosphere from earlier had shifted, replaced by an uncomfortable tension.

My friends, who had just been laughing about pierced lips and private jokes, were now silent, waiting for my response.

I hesitated for a moment, feeling their gazes pierce through me, then leaned back in my chair with a dry chuckle.

"Well, I didn’t fuck her, alright?" I said, my voice calm but sharp. "But I did do things. A lot of things. Things that a straight girl shouldn’t have let me do to her."

Lily’s jaw dropped slightly, and Emma let out a quiet "Oh my God" under her breath.

Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat, while Brandon arched an eyebrow, trying to stifle a smirk.

Ryan simply shook his head, looking like he was debating whether to say something.

"Well, shit," Brandon finally said, leaning forward on the table. "I mean, I was just here for the lip piercings and deep secrets, but this? This is next-level drama."

"Bran," Michael chided, nudging him. "This isn’t funny, baby."

Brandon shrugged. "Hey, I’m just saying, it sounds like Kathrine’s life is a soap opera, and I’m invested."

I rolled my eyes and stood up abruptly. "Look, I didn’t bring this up to make it a big deal, alright? I don’t like her, I’m doing this just to hurt her as she hurt me."

I said, brushing off their stares. "Anyways, forget all that. Do you guys wanna head to a tattoo shop so I can get my lip pierced?"

-

Without waiting for anyone else to chime in, I grabbed my bag and motioned for the group to follow.

Despite their shock from earlier, they all nodded and fell in step with me as we wandered the streets of Paris until we found a small tattoo and piercing shop tucked into the corner of a cobblestone street.

The neon sign above the door flashed "Piercings et Tatouages" in bold letters.

The inside was dimly lit, with dark walls covered in graffiti-style art and framed pictures of intricate tattoos.

Shelves lined with jewelry glinted under soft, golden lighting.

A man stood behind the counter—a tall, lean guy with tattoos running up his arms and a lip ring of his own. His black hair was tied back into a messy bun, and he greeted us with a warm but tired smile.

"Bonsoir," he said, his French accent thick. "How can I help you?"

I stepped forward, determined, but also trying not to sound too clumsy with my French. "Bonsoir," I began. "Je voudrais... euh..." I paused, wracking my brain for the right words. "Un piercing pour la lèvre?"

The man smiled, clearly amused by my effort but understanding enough to respond. "Ah, une piercing de la lèvre," he corrected gently. "Lower lip, oui?"

I nodded quickly. "Oui, c’est ça."

He gestured toward the back of the shop. "Come. You can choose the jewelry first, and then we do the piercing. It won’t take long."

Brandon grinned and nudged me as we followed the man. "I’ll get one too. Let’s match, yeah?"

"Hell yeah." I replied, feeling some of the earlier tension melt away.

The man handed me a tray filled with various studs and hoops, each one glinting in the light.

After a bit of deliberation, I picked a sleek, black hoop that felt subtle but bold at the same time. Brandon chose the same one, flashing me a grin.

I sat down in the piercing chair first, leaning back as the piercer prepared his tools.

He explained everything in French, but his gestures made it clear enough what to expect.

"This will sting a little," he said, switching to English with a wink, "but you look tough enough to handle it."

I smirked, clenching my fists slightly as he pressed the clamp against my lower lip.

A sharp pinch followed, quick but intense, and then it was over.

The hoop clicked into place, and I ran my tongue over the inside of my lip, feeling the cool metal.

"Looks good," Brandon said as he took his seat, wincing slightly when it was his turn.

After we were both done, we stood side by side in the mirror, admiring our matching piercings. "Now we’re officially partners in crime," Brandon joked, throwing an arm around my shoulders.

I laughed softly, but my gaze flickered to the corner of my lip.

The same spot where Glyndon had slapped me earlier. It was strange, almost poetic, that I’d chosen to pierce it. As if I was marking the moment, reclaiming it somehow.

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