Chapter 3
3
D avian’s eyes were wide when he took in the scene. The red heart he wore shone brilliantly in the dim light as he moved closer to the table.
“Drink?” Camren pointed the taser toward the bottles on the table. “Jarosh, serve us two glasses of rum and coke.” He pushed the other guy out of his chair, smirking when Jaro nearly bumped into the table.
“No.” Davian held up a hand. His blue stare met Camren’s. “I won’t drink with you. I came here because I was worried about my cousin, not because I wanted to see you.”
Liar.
“That’s too bad because I want to see you. Sit.”
“Why?” Davian shook his head slowly, lips pursed into a stubborn line.
“You know why. Because it’s been too long.” Camren watched Jaro fill up three cups with shaking hands. He hadn’t asked him to serve himself, but he’d let it slide for now.
Davian carefully pulled out a chair, metal scraping the wooden floors. He dismissed the drink his cousin slid toward him.
“Drink,” Camren ordered.
“No.”
“Drink.” Camren pointed the taser at Jaro’s temple.
A muffled curse spilled past Davian’s lips, but he lifted his cup and took a sip.
“Good. Now, we play. Who wants to go first?”
“I’ll go,” Jaro proposed when Davian didn’t answer.
“Oh yes, your cousin has already revealed some pretty interesting details.” Camren’s lips curled into a lazy grin. “Since I was curious why you disappeared after our final get-together.”
Davian’s gaze slid to Jaro, an unfamiliar glimmer in those blue eyes. Interesting .
“Question or Command?”
“Question,” Jaro muttered.
Camren’s gaze snapped to Davian. “You’ve got a question for your cousin, or shall I go?”
“I, yeah, uhm?—”
“Too late.” Camren’s smile widened as their stare continued. “Jaro, why did you and Davian switch to online classes?”
“Don’t tell him,” Davian snarled.
“He’ll find out anyway,” Jaro sighed and turned Camren’s way. “Because we were at home. Combining classes while trying to save the family’s business.”
“Hmm, interesting.” Just like the way Davian looked away, a soft blush coating his cheeks. “So one day, right after our…fall-out, you decided to avoid coming to campus? Just like you avoided my hundreds of messages begging you to return my calls?”
Good Light, he hadn’t intended to mention that. But fuck, if that hadn’t hurt. To be ignored by the guy he’d spent every free minute of his life with.
Davian at least had the decency to look embarrassed, that cute blush deepening.
“He lives his own life,” Jaro threw in. “I don’t know what happened that day, but he didn’t want you in his life anymore, Cam, and then…things happened, and we were needed at home. That’s all.”
“That’s fucking not all,” Camren snarled. “You’re not telling me everything.”
“And why should we?” Davian got up out of his chair, looking glorious with his flushed skin, bright, blue eyes, his kissable lips pulled into a sneer.
Camren sank deeper into his chair, chuckling. “Ouch. So touchy. You used to smile so much. Clever, warm, faithful. You used to speak the truth.” The word lingered. Davian’s gaze wavered blue glistening with a flicker that was gone when he blinked. “I’m trying to figure out what kind of situation we have here,” Camren downed his drink, wiping his mouth with his hand. “So…who’s next? No volunteer? Davian, it’s your turn. Sit down, baby.”
Davian scoffed but didn’t look away. Slowly he sat back, making Camren’s dick tent his pants. His desire was battling with his patience, which started to run thin.
“ As my best friend, you are my second self, ” he murmured, air quoting. “Remember those words?”
Davian flinched as if the words physically stung.
“ It is not so much your help that helps me as is the confidence of your help. ” Their eyes met. “That was my promise to you.”
“Empty words,” Davian scoffed. A fine trickle of sweat ran down his temple, their gazes still embracing in a silent challenge.
“Ahh, are they? I think I’m starting to understand the situation here.”
“Cam, cut it out,” Jaro exclaimed. “He doesn’t want to see you.”
“Liar.” Camren didn’t take his eyes away, not missing how Davian’s blue gaze widened.
“It’s true,” Davian finally uttered. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing tonight, and I only showed up at the party because my—” His lips snapped shut.
“Oh yes….how could I forget?” Camren cocked his head, using his outstretched hand to scratch Jaro’s cheek with the taser. “‘Someone’s missing at our party.”
“No, there isn’t,” Davian gritted through his teeth. “Times have changed. And your promises are empty.” He dragged his chair back and tipped the content of his glass down his throat. “We’re done here. Let’s go.”
“Sit. Down.”
“No!”
Camren yanked his chair back and threw it against the wall, tipped up Jaro’s head, and pressed the taser onto his skull. “You’ve got three seconds.”
Davian’s gorgeous eyes widened with shock as they darted to his cousin. “Why are you dragging him into our fight?”
“Don’t worry, it will soon just be me and you. Now, be a good boy and text our missing lady. I heard that you have a girlfriend, baby?”
Davian’s lips pressed into a fine line. He didn’t deny it, much to Camren’s annoyance.
“Question, Jaro? Does he fuck this lady friend?”
Jaro spluttered in his hold.
“ Jarosh ,” Davian warned.
“Get her here.” Camren’s hand dug deeper around Jaro’s neck, and he grinned when the other guy struggled as he fought for air. For a hesitant moment, it looked like Davian was going to refuse. His eyes shot daggers and he shook his head in disbelief. Then he finally relented, typing a quick message on his multi-slate. It dinged almost immediately with the response.
“Someone’s eager,” Camren joked.
“She’s on her way,” Davian ignored him. His voice sounded gruff.
“Good.” Camren kicked back his own chair and let go of Jaro, who wheezed as his hand moved up to claw at his neck. He plopped down into his own and grabbed his cup. “Let’s wait for her—what’s her name?”
“Galya,” Davian said reluctantly. “Galya Haerlo.”
The name didn’t ring any bells. Camren quickly texted Andry for a background check.
“She’s a junior.”
“And how long have you been together?”
For the first time, Davian dropped his gaze and stared at his hands instead.
“Well?”
“For some time,” Davian said cryptically.
“Jaro?”
“A few weeks, I believe.”
“What a coincidence.” Camren inwardly purred. The same time as when the Mink shop had gone bankrupt. Yes, he’d been fucking right about this. He could feel every nerve-ending activate. False promises, huh?
It is not so much your help that helps me as is the confidence of your help.
Davian was asking Camren for help in his own clumsy way. The guy’s heart was a danger to himself.
“Your turn,” Camren smirked. “Question or command.”
“Question,” Davian said through gritted teeth. Fucking finally. With the way he stuck his chin in the air, he was looking for another fight.
“Very well,” Camren pretended to contemplate. “I met you when I was four and you were three. From that day, if I recall well—and please correct me if I’m wrong—we spent every day together. Best friends. We had our first judo practice together. Spent our first night out together. First time drunk. First time in high school. First time in love—” He halted for the wanted drama effect, stomach fluttering when that cute blush on Davian’s cheeks flared. “And then, one day, boom. You threw me out.”
Davian looked away. “You know why,” he mumbled.
“Remind me.”
“Times have changed.”
Camren raised out of his chair and leaned forward, planting both hands on the table. “Don’t give me that fucking bullshit!”
Davian flinched but didn’t move. His blush had crept up to the tips of his ears. “You k-kissed me.”
“Oh, yessss.” Jaro spluttered at the words, making Camren’s grin spread even wider. Fuck yes, tell it to the whole world, baby. “That’s right.”
“And I didn’t like it.” Davian tilted his head back and his slick, blonde hair cascaded over those hot ears and framed parts of his temple and cheeks. He licked his lips and flared his nostrils. Something flashed in those blue eyes. Something that made Camren lean further, closing their distance, dipping his gaze when Davian swallowed to catch the way his Adam’s apple bobbed.
Beautiful.
“No, you’re right, you didn’t like it. You fucking loved it. Craved it.”
“Davian?” The glass door to the library opened, bringing a fresh wave of ice-cold air. A girl walked inside, halting when she took in the situation. “Oh.” Her eyes darted to Camren’s black heart.
Camren kept his eyes on Davian. “I presume you are Galya?”
“Uhm, yes?”
“Why don’t you invite her in, Jaro.” It wasn’t a question.
“Come and sit with us,” Jaro rasped. “We’re playing a game.”
Slowly rising out of his seat, Camren circled the table until he’d reached Davian, who still sat stiffly in his chair. There was no way any one of them could miss the tent in Camren’s pants, which was part of the fun. The other part was to grab Davian’s throat and lean in, flicking his tongue against those sweet, soft lips in a fleeting movement. “I’ve missed you,” he whispered. Then he released Davian and walked back to his chair. Plopping back, he asked, “Question or command, Galya?”
“I know you.” She said instead, looking at him in pure agony. “You’re one of the Black Harts.’
Camren grinned. “Clever girl. So, question?”
She nodded hesitantly.
“Do you love him?”
Galya blew out a breath, brushing a hand through her ginger curls. “Yeah. Yes, of course, I do.”
“She doesn’t sound convincing,” Camren turned to Jaro, “do you think?”
Jaro bit his lower lip. “Why don’t we just go back to the party and have some fun there?” He tried.
“Has he ever fucked you?”
Galya flinched, eyes darting around before it swept over his black heart. “He’s my boyfriend.”
“Your boyfriend ?” Camren grinned. “Oh sweetheart, I think you are mistaken.” Tipping down his drink. “You and little man, enjoy the party. Davian, unless you want to make a scene in front of every single student at Cor, meet me at my favorite spot in the building.” Tucking the taser back into his pocket, he didn’t wait for the others to leave and walked out of the library.