Creed (The Dark Sins Duet #1)

33. Collins

Chapter 33

Collins

I ’m waiting anxiously when Riley opens his mouth and starts to sing “Leave Me In the Dark” by Alexander Stewart and…holy fucking shit.

My lips part in shock but I don’t dare breathe. I don’t dare tear my eyes away from the men performing up on the little stage. Riley Graves can sing. Like, really sing. His voice is fucking breathtaking. He's got that perfect bit of grit to go with his breathy tones, but when he hits the chorus he’s got the ability to belt out the high notes effortlessly.

He closes his eyes and I pull my polaroid from my back and take a picture of him and Creed as they perform just for me. Neither of them notice and keep going as I pocket yet another incredible memory.

The way he sings about wondering if he was enough for someone’s love, it makes me believe that he’s truly meaning each and every word that comes out of his mouth. My heart clenches as I wonder if there is any truth to what he’s singing. I can’t breathe as I think about anyone hurting someone as sweet as Riley. He’s the total package with his good looks, his sweet, endearing personality, and his seemingly endless talent. I can only imagine how lucky a woman would be to have a man like Riley to call their own.

Creed joins in on the second verse and Riley jumps to a higher harmony to sing along with him. They sound perfect as they sing together. Where Riley’s voice is softer, Creed’s is rougher, more raw. It’s just a freaking song, but these two sing it so damn well that I can feel the ghost of heartbreak through the words that leave their lips.

Apart from the moments when Riley gets lost in the music and closes his eyes near the end, they never leave mine. My heart is thrumming at a rapid pace by the time the song comes to an end and the boys step down off of the stage. The entire restaurant staff breaks out into whooping cheers and applause, the sudden sound causing me to jolt.

A huge smile takes over my face as I leap towards Creed and Riley at the same time, wrapping my arms around each of their necks. “That was amazing!” I say, stepping back to look at Riley. Creed’s fingers interlace with mine and he stands off to the side while I grin like an idiot at his best friend. My new best friend. I blush at the thought. I shake it off, looking up at Riley, who is also flushed with a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. “Riley! Oh, my God, your voice. It’s…wow.”

He laughs and pulls me in for a hug, his familiar clean scent washing over me. “I’ve never done that before. You must be special or something, huh?” He winks as he lets me go and we make our way back to the booth where Bear, Ayla, and the guy I’m assuming is Tony is sitting. I wait for the flush on my cheeks to cool down before rejoining the group. I’m sure they don’t think I’ve noticed every time they’ve shielded themselves between Tony and me, and I’m not sure what that’s all about, but I’ll ask them about it later. Right now my eyes are snagging on a shiny black box that’s sitting on the table that wasn’t there before.

I point at it when Creed slides it toward me. “What’s this?”

“Your last gift from earlier.” He answers, then leans down and gives me a chaste kiss. It’s brief and takes me off guard, but it sets me on fire. I still can’t believe this is my new reality. One where Creed actually wants me and it’s not just another dream or fantasy. I stare at him in a daze as his gaze softens and he nods down at the box. “Open it, Stardust .”

Don’t have to tell me twice.

I pull at the silk bow that’s holding it together, the fabric falling away in a very satisfying manner. I lift the lid and gasp when I’m met with iridescent colors, sparkles, and glitter galore. I lift the top garment out and my head snaps to Creed and Riley at break-neck speed. It’s barely more than a bra. “Is this what I think it is?”

“What do you think it is?” Creed volleys back, his hands clasped together, elbows resting on the table. Riley shifts in his seat when he sees what exactly I’m holding.

“This looks like a new aerial outfit,” a very revealing aerial outfit. “Is this for tomorrow?”

“It is,” Riley says, his face the sweetest shade of pink when I pick up the high waisted bottoms that are guaranteed to show off more ass than not and turn them around to look at all the detail. It’s a stunning outfit. My eyes widen when I see the extra accessories that go with it, but I don’t bother pulling them out.

“You can model that for me later, baby.” The comment would’ve made my thighs clench if they hadn’t come from Tony’s mouth. I haven’t officially met the guy, but based on the few times I’ve been able to observe him and his behavior, I don’t like him. And after the comment he just made, I understand now why Creed and Riley wanted to shield me from him.

Creed stiffens next to me, but I place my hand on his thigh in reassurance and lean over to place a kiss on his cheek and shift to whisper in his ear, “Don’t worry, I’ll model them for you later.”

“Fuck, Collins. You can’t say shit like that here.” He whispers back, kissing just below my ear and my whole body breaks out in shivers. “It makes me want to drag you out of here and devour you.”

“Promises, promises,” I tease before I pull back and look pointedly at Creed, then Riley who sits next to him. “Thank you. Both of you. So much. I love this new outfit.” I’m answered with each of them giving me a you’re welcome and varying smiles from hungry and feral, to soft and sweet.

“So,” Ayla starts next to me, pulling my attention to her. “You do aerial dance?” she asks, and I welcome the distraction from thinking about possibly stripping in front of Creed later.

“I do, yeah.” I answer while tying the bow on top of the box again. “I was taught by some pretty cool girls at the club where I worked. There’s all kinds of dance that goes on there. Pole, hoop, exotic, and aerial. I loved the adrenaline rush that came with aerial, so I stuck with it.” I shrug.

“I’d love to see it. Bear tells me that you’ll be performing during the encore? He said you’re super talented.”

I look over at Bear who looks a little more relaxed compared to his stiffness from earlier. He’s still wearing a stoic expression, but his dark eyes meet mine and the corner of his lips tip upward. “It’s true. No way in fuck could I do what you do, and you make it look effortless.”

“Thank you, it’s hard work, but I love it. It was a great escape—” I cut myself off when three of the four men at the table go rigid over my words. Not wanting to cause worry, I clear my throat and smile. “I can’t wait to perform again. I’ve obviously never done such a routine in front of so many people, but I’m honestly so excited to try.”

“You should see the way she shakes her ass when she’s exotic dancing.” Tony drunkenly mumbles out from the other side of Bear, who doesn’t hesitate to send his elbow into Tony’s ribcage.

“Shut the fuck up, asshole.” Bear hisses, grabbing the back of Tony’s neck and shoves him out of the booth, following after him. He pauses with his hand gripped in the back of Tony’s shirt and turns to look at me. “I’m sorry about him, and I’m sorry our reunion went down the way it did, but I’m glad you’re home, Collins.” He offers me a small smile but I don’t get to reply before he turns back around, escorting Tony from the restaurant .

“Well, I think that was enough fun for one evening. Shall we get the hell out of here?” Creed says, scooting his way back out of the booth, my gift box tucked under his arm. I’m assuming the tab is already settled because the waitress hasn’t come back with a bill or anything. The perks of being rich and famous, I guess.

He holds his hand out for me and I take it. He lifts our joined fingers and kisses the back of my hand tenderly before tugging me along. Riley’s behind us talking to Ayla and when we step into the open air, I'm surprised to see there’s no paparazzi around snapping photos.

“If there’s one thing I’ll splurge on, it’s privacy for me and my family.” Creed says, as if reading my mind.

“Honestly? I don’t blame you. You can’t help the fame that comes with your career, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your security and privacy anytime you step outside.”

Creed nods in agreement, steering us toward the bus. Before we step inside, I hear Riley call out that he’s going to walk Ayla to her bus and hang with Bear for a little while. I look back to Creed whose face has morphed into something a little deranged and a lot heated. He wastes no time in dragging me onto the bus. A quick glance tells me that the driver isn’t back yet and we’re totally alone.

I’ve barely made contact with the main floor before I’m being dragged once again down the hallway and into the bedroom in the back.

Moments later I find myself standing in front of Creed who’s holding the box out to me with a hungry look in his eyes.

Oh, we’re really doing this.

I take it from him wordlessly and set it aside to pull my shirt up and off my body. Creed backs up and sits at the foot of the bed, his eyes blazing all over my body as he watches me strip. My pants are next and I can feel the heat of Creed’s stare as I step out of the shorts and kick them to the side. I stand before him in nothing but a lacy black bra and panties. He releases a breath and crooks his fingers at me. “Come here.” He commands and I’m fucking shivering at his words.

I take two steps before I’m standing between his legs. He cups the back of my thighs and pulls until I’m forced to straddle his lap. “Now this looks familiar,” he murmurs, running his nose up and down the column of my throat before his tongue snakes out to follow the same path. I shiver at the feel of his wet tongue licking a path down my neck and across my collar bone. A moan escapes my lips when he nips at my skin, the sensation shooting straight to my core and setting my body alight. I’m instantly wet for him.

Not sure what to do with my hands, I reach up and grip his messy black strands in my fingers and squeeze his hair at the base of his skull, earning a delicious groan in response. I tug lightly, wanting his lips on mine and he doesn’t disappoint when he lifts his chin and bites at my bottom lip once, twice, before he’s devouring me.

I’m completely consumed by Creed. I’m drowning in his kiss, my head three feet underwater and I have no desire to come up for air. The way his tongue dances against mine, each stroke so fucking erotic, I know without a doubt that the way he fucks will be very much the same. It’s something I can’t wait to experience with him. I want to be fully consumed by Creed more than I need my next breath, but I’m letting it be his idea. I’m letting him lead in the world of affection because the last thing I want is to be rejected again if fear or pride gets in the way of what he wants.

I pull back from the kiss and he chases my lips, needing more and the action makes me smile. “I thought I was modeling my new costume for you?” I cock a brow, nodding back to where the box sits atop the tiny desk in the corner.

His eyes roam down my body, right to where my pussy is resting over his hardened cock through his jeans. The thin scrap of lace and denim are the only things separating us from connecting completely. He takes his time bringing his eyes back up, stopping on each of my breasts that are barely contained in the lacey bra, threatening to spill with each breath I take. The fire in his eyes intensifies with every rise and fall of my chest, so I test his patience in the most nonchalant way that I can. I take a deep breath, which not only allows my center to brush against the bulge of Creed’s jeans again, but it causes my breasts to swell, pushing them closer to his face. I watch the moment his bright eyes darken, his pupils blowing out and he bites his lower lip, a groan releasing that sounds nothing short of pornographic.

It’s like a switch flips in his brain as a sinister grin spreads across his face and he leans forward, licking a line directly up the center of my chest, over my sternum, and up my neck until he reaches the tip of my chin. I whimper at the sensation it creates across my skin before he growls, the sound low and raw deep within his chest and he grits out, “Fuck it. Surprise me tomorrow.”

I’m suddenly flipped over onto my back before I have time to even blink and Creed is above me, kissing a path down my body, leaving a trail of goosebumps in his wake.

“Creed,” I rasp out, my fingers still tangled in his hair, my body undulating beneath his touch.

He’s got me so wound up that I feel like I might explode if I don’t find release soon. I need him to touch me. Everything about his man sets me alight and my body burns for him.

He pauses when he gets to the mound of my pussy and my cheeks heat when he leans in, dragging his nose up the seam of my slit, right over the lace of my panties and he moans, his eyes rolling to the back of his head like a man possessed. His eyes meet mine from beneath his thick, dark lashes, arousal and hunger written within his unhinged eyes.

“The taste of you on my fingers was a fucking treat, Stardust .” He fists my panties and pulls them down and over my thighs, tossing them behind him. “But I’m fucking starved for the real thing, baby.” He nearly groans the words out before dipping his head and nipping the skin of my thigh before turning his head and biting into the other thigh. I gasp at the sting of his bite but I’m quickly distracted by the pain when he places an open-mouthed kiss directly over my clit.

I whimper, my head falling back against the bed on a soft moan when his tongue flicks out and licks up my wet center. He releases a string of curses before diving in and devouring me whole. I’ve only given myself a handful of orgasms, but none of them ever compared to the feeling building within me. Heat rushes through my body and I have no time to prepare for the orgasm that takes over me even though Creed’s barely begun.

My thighs are already quivering as he coaxes me down. I move to sit up, wanting his lips on mine, wanting to taste myself in his kiss. I want more than that, if I’m being honest. I want to feel his cock, for real this time. I want to stroke him from root to tip and make him moan and rip his pleasure from him like he’s done to me. More than that, I want to taste him. I want to see if I was right in feeling that piercing at the tip of his cock. I’m practically dripping with the need to take him to the back of my throat and let him fuck my skull until my eyes water and I can’t breathe. I’ve never been a forward person when it comes to sexual experiences, but knowing I belong to Creed, and he belongs to me? It makes me fucking feral to take control. I want to do just that but his grip on my thighs tightens and he tuts with a menacing grin on his face.

“You didn’t think I was finished with you, did you?”

“I—but I-I already…I wanted to?—”

“One is never enough when it comes to your pleasure, Collins. Give me another.” He demands as he presses one finger into my aching pussy, pumping a few times before adding another. “What a fucking delicious sight. Your pussy looks so fucking pretty when it’s filled with my fingers. I can’t wait to watch my cock sink so deep inside of you that you’ll never be rid of the feeling of me fucking you. I’ll fucking imprint it within your walls until your pussy knows it was made for me.”

This wild and uncontrolled, possessive version Creed is not the same Creed that I grew up with. He’s different at times, yet in others, he’s very much the same. He’s become this contradictory enigma that I can’t explain, but I don’t hate the change, either. It’s exciting, not knowing which version of Creed that I’ll get. Even as a kid, I knew he was no saint when it came to women. I knew he and Asher practically bathed in female attention when they thought I wasn’t paying attention. I was irrationally jealous, considering I was half Creed’s age, but I couldn’t help it. The fact that I get him now, though? That he wants me in every way that two people can want each other? I’m afraid this is all a dream and I’ll wake up, still in that house, bound and gagged in my bed, waiting for his wrath.

Before my brain can spiral into dissociation, the sound of Creed spitting just as a cold wetness hits my clit has me snapping back into the moment. My eyes widen Creed greedily licks up the wetness, collecting it on the end of his tongue before dipping his head further between my thighs. I cry out, twisting and tangling my fingers deeper into his hair at the feeling on his tongue dipping inside of my entrance along with his fingers that are already fucking hooked deep inside me, slowly coaxing more pleasure from my body. His mouth is like a goddamned siphon, because when he works his way back up and his lips close around my clit and suck, a second orgasm is ripped from me out of nowhere.

What kind of fucking voodoo magic is he working with his fingers and tongue?

But I’ve had enough of not being able to touch him. So with a whole lot of bravado and the hope that this move doesn’t flop, in one motion I hook my feet beneath his torso, squeeze his beautiful head between my thighs and throw all my body weight into rolling us over.

“What—” he doesn’t have time to protest when I release him and swing my body around, my head now by his crotch and my ass near his face. I grin to myself, proud that it actually fucking worked as I make quick work of releasing his cock from the confines of his destroyed black jeans. I’m aware I’m nearly naked while he’s still fully dressed, but I couldn’t care less right now. I just have to taste him.

When his cock springs free I nearly moan at the sight of it alone. It’s thick and veiny, with a silver piercing glinting in the soft light of the room. The tip of his dick is already beading with precum and my mouth salivates at the sight. Without waiting another second, I lean down and lick the wetness and this time I do moan at the taste of him.

“ Fuuuuck, baby.” Creed breathes beneath me and shivers when I do it again. “You keep making noises like that and you’ll find my cock in the back of your throat.”

“Mm,” I hum, gripping him at the base and licking up and down each side of his cock, wetting his shaft with my tongue. “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for.”

I don’t know who I am right now, but I’ll be damned if I stop to evaluate what kind of hussy I’ve turned into. I swirl my tongue around the tip before sucking him deep, my head bobbing and sliding further down his shaft until my lips meet where my fingers are gripping him. I shift my hand lower, allowing myself to take him deeper. I’ve never given a blowjob before… willingly , but I know what to do and I know how badly I want to swallow his whole cock. So I keep working myself deeper and deeper until I find myself taking a deep breath before his cock slides all the way to the back of my throat, cutting off my airway.

Creed lets out a loud, moaning curse and his hips buck involuntarily, lodging himself even deeper down my throat. I hold him there for a moment before working my throat to swallow, the muscles contracting around the head of his cock and he practically yells out my name. The way I’m unraveling him is turning me on even more than before. I back off his cock with a gasp when he grips my ass and buries his face within my pussy again. My body is still reeling from the first two orgasms he wrung from my body and I feel that familiar heat starting to build in my core again.

I briefly look over my shoulder and though I can’t see his face as he eats me, the sight of his tanned, tattooed fingers in stark contrast to the pale flesh of my ass is an erotic sight to behold. My voice breaks on a shout when he plunges two fingers deep into my heat again, his tongue working double time.

“My perfect, dirty girl, I’m going to need you to come again for me. Fucking soak my face, Collins.” He demands before doubling his efforts, his fingers setting a near-punishing pace within me. My body threatens to buckle when he crooks his fingers and curls them against my g-spot.

No fucking way am I coming again before I can make Creed blow so I pull all my focus back to Creed’s cock and take him into my mouth again. I use both hands to wring the bottom of his shaft at the same time I suck him as deep as I can. It’s getting harder to focus when Creed moans deep and low over my efforts and the vibration against my clit ricochets throughout my body and I feel myself barreling towards the cliff of bliss and ecstasy, nearing the tipping point.

Fuck, I need him to come. I pull my mouth from his cock and spit over the tip with the saliva that had gathered from sucking him and use both hands to stroke him from root to tip.

“ Goddamn , baby, don’t fucking stop. Fuck, just like that. Keep going, fucking milk my cock, baby.” He grits out from between my thighs, his hips bucking up, fucking the fists I have wrapped around his cock. His words empower me and I do exactly as he says.

I feel Creed’s lips on me again a second later. He kisses, licks, nips, and sucks at me at a perfectly torturous pace and I feel my body starting to shake as I reach the edge of my orgasm.

“Creed, baby, I’m gonna— oh, fuck,” I cry out, my voice vanishing as I come, feeling as if I’m free-falling through space and time.

I don’t wait to come back down as I take his cock to the back of my throat, pushing him as deep as he could possibly go, cutting off my air once again and my eyes watering from the lack of oxygen. His hips lift repeatedly, his hands release my ass and reach beneath me to grip the sides of my neck and starts to fuck my skull with a roughness I never knew I would crave so much. Men at the club had been rough with me in the past, but this is a brutality that I choose. It’s what I crave. It’s something completely different and erotic and I fucking love it .

The wet, sloppy sounds coming from my mouth as he pounds into me nearly drown out Creed’s words. “You’re such a good girl for me, aren’t you, Collins? You’re going to fucking milk my cock and swallow every drop.”

I barely manage a nod and I’m not even sure he’s registered my answer since my head is already bobbing up and down on his cock, but I am Creed’s good girl. I’ll do any-fucking-thing to stay his good girl.

“Jesus-fucking-Christ, I’m gonna come. You ready for me?” He asks, but it doesn’t really sound like a question. I remember the way it felt when he hummed against me, so I give him the same approving mhmm with my lips wrapped around his cock. That does it because a second later, his grip tightens on my neck and his hips stutter to a stop, his cock twitching with release as he comes down my throat. I swallow as he starts to fill me, and it earns another curse and groan.

My lips hardly release him and I don’t get the chance to clean the remainder of his arousal from his shaft before I’m being flipped like a rag-doll and I land on Creed’s chest with an oompf.

His lips crash into mine and the kiss is just as erotic as what we just did together. I grip the sides of his face to kiss him harder, our tongues melding together in a sensual dance. I can taste both of us and it only serves to turn me on. I want to grind my bare pussy against his semi-hard cock until he just slips in, but my body is so exhausted after the three best orgasms of my life.

The kiss slows and when we break apart I look down at his face. He’s so fucking attractive all the time, but this soft, satiated expression is probably my favorite because I was the cause of it. I smile at him before I lower my head to rest against his chest, the soft fabric of his shirt now damp with sweat and god knows what else but I’m too tired to care about that.

“I’d ask where the fuck you learned to do that, but I’m not sure I want to know right now.” He says, humor lacing his voice, but I also don’t miss the underlying truth that he really doesn’t want to know. I stiffen. I know the malice in his tone is not aimed towards me, though.

“No, you don’t.” I answer softly, my finger tracing the pattern printed into his black shirt. “And I’m not ready to talk about it, either. I’m sure you were able to deduce that some bad shit happened to me while I worked at Viper, but I’m not ready to talk about it.” I repeat. He’s silent and I’m glad he’s let it go for now. Shifting over his body and settling into his side, I sigh contentedly as I nuzzle my nose up into his neck. His arm squeezes me in reassurance and I soften completely against him.

“I’m sorry, Stardust .” He says a few moments later, placing a kiss to the top of my head, his personality shifting again to something softer.

“Don’t apologize,” I reply, kissing his neck. “I’ll tell you someday, but for now, I want to lie here and just… glow with you, because that’s what it feels like I’m doing right now.”

Creed hums and strokes his fingers through my hair. “You were definitely glowing, Stardust . You come so prettily for me, and I can’t wait to see what you look like when you come on my cock for the first time.”

My cheeks heat at his words, a bit of my prudishness coming back now that the effects of my release are ebbing out. I’m glad he can’t see the way his dirty words affect me right now. We lay in comfortable silence for several minutes before Creed’s phone buzzes beneath us. He shifts, pulling it from his back pocket. From where I’m laying I can see a message from someone named Lachlan on the screen.

He unlocks his phone and the message pops up. He doesn’t move to hide whatever it says, so I assume it’s okay to read it. So I do.

Lachlan: I’ve been able to successfully access the phone’s interface. However, with each text that comes through, the signal seems to be pinging off of different cell towers from all around the globe .

My brow furrows. “What phone’s interface?” I ask out loud. Another message pops up from Lachlan before Creed can respond.

Lachlan: Whoever this is, they must have the money and resources behind them, making it possible to throw anyone suspicious of their activity off their trail.

I sit up, pulling the blanket at the end of the bed over my naked lap, feeling awfully confused by these messages. “Creed?” No sooner that I say his name, does it click in my brain. I haven’t seen my phone since I’d fallen asleep. It had buzzed with a message but knowing it was probably my former foster father, I had reluctantly agreed to let Creed handle it, not wanting to spiral again. I still felt guilty as fuck for my last violent dissociative episode. Riley took the bandages off of his face, but the scabbing was still there, reminding me of what I’d done to him. “Creed.” I say more forcefully. He looks at me, his expression cool and passive. “Where’s my phone?”

He sits up too, tossing his phone between us, his screen still lit up with the message thread open between him and Lachlan. I read the messages before pressing further.

Me: Does that mean we’re shit out of luck, or what? We can’t just let this guy continue to harass Collins. He needs to be fucking found like yesterday.

Lachlan: I said it made it possible to throw anyone off. I’m not just anyone, Creed. He will be found, I’ll just need a bit more time to pinpoint his location, or to see if there’s a pattern. It’s possible that he could be on the move.

Me: Cocky, much? Just get it done, please. Can we do anything to help?

Lachlan: Just keep your girl safe. Try to keep her out of the spotlight. Don’t draw any unnecessary attention to her. We don’t know if this guy knows that she’s on the move. I’ll call you as soon as I have updates.

I read the last of the messages and look up at Creed, feeling a little violated that he had my phone tapped. “You had my phone tapped?” I parrot the question from my thoughts.

“I did.” He says honestly. “I was going to take you to get a brand new phone with a new number and everything, though. One that this guy knows nothing about and one where he can’t contact you.” He sighs and reaches out, placing his hand over my exposed knee and squeezes reassuringly. His eyes harden and a muscle thrums along his jaw, his nostrils flaring as a thought passes through his mind.

“Was it him, earlier? Did… he send another message?” I ask, feeling wary at Creed’s dark expression. He looks away, running one hand across his mouth, seemingly contemplating whether to tell the truth this time. Too bad for him. He doesn’t get a fucking option. I straighten and place my hand on top of his. “ Creed,” I say more sternly and his eyes come back to mine. “Did he?”

He releases a heavy exhale and nods, albeit reluctantly.

“Okay,” I breathe, standing and grabbing one of Creed’s shirts that’s been thrown over the edge of a chair behind the desk and pull it over my head. The scent of him envelopes me and I feel a little more grounded. The shirt stops mid-thigh and could honestly serve as a dress. “What did it say?”

He starts to shake his head vehemently, a hard ‘no’ without saying a word. “Nuh-uh,” I snap, marching over the three steps it takes to step in front of him and grabbing his cheeks between my palms, nearly puckering his lips with the force at which I’m holding him. “You asked me to let you help. That wasn’t a permission given for you to cut me out of what’s going on so completely. This is my life that he’s fucking with. I have every right to know what he sent. Maybe something in it can help?—”

“It won’t fucking help for you to see what he sent, Collins.” His use of my actual name in such a serious manner has my spine straightening. What the fuck was sent?

“What did he send, Creed?” I demand more than ask.

“I’m not?—”

“Tell me what he fucking said!” I shout, and quickly cover my mouth. Part of me is shocked that the sound actually came out at that volume, and the other part is shocked that I yelled at Creed. I instantly feel guilty because he’s clearly trying to protect me and I’m letting my fucking pride take over and lash out for being excluded. “I—I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have shouted at you.”

It's Creed’s turn to grip the sides of my face and he pulls my face down until my forehead rests against his. “Don’t apologize, baby. I’m the one who should apologize. I’d made a decision without you when I should have informed you. It won’t happen again.” He says so softly. His thumbs stroke the line of my jaw softly and tips his head up to give me a quick, soft kiss. I melt against him. “But please, Collins, I’m asking you to trust me this one time when I tell you that you’re better off not seeing what this prick sent. I know it’s like dangling a carrot in front of a bunny, but please, please trust me.”

“I trust you all the time.” I reassure him, pulling back to look him in the eye. His bright blue eyes are begging me to let this matter go. It tells me that it must be pretty fucking bad. “Okay,” I relent. “I won’t ask to see it anymore. But I do want to retrieve some numbers from it. I want to be able to contact Jett and Coco. They’re the only ones outside of you and Riley that I want to contact and the only two who will freak the fuck out if they can’t get ahold of me.”

Creed nods and tells me he’ll get them for me while I get ready to go out and get another phone. I don’t feel like changing again so I grab a belt from my bag and cinch it over Creed's shirt and throw on some fishnet tights and compression shorts to cover my ass and slip on my old high top Chucks. When I exit the bedroom, I stop by the bathroom to check my reflection. My cheeks are still flushed and my lips are swollen from… everything that happened earlier. A small smile tugs at my mouth when I think about how it felt for Creed to fuck my throat. I’d never done anything so fucking hot in my life and I felt like a whole different person when I’d flipped around on him.

My mind is still reeling when Creed hands me a slip of paper with my friends’ numbers on it. I take it and slip it into my little backpack purse as we exit the bus. Riley is waiting for us just outside the door and my heart flutters when he looks up at me, his cheeks flushed and his dark eyes lock onto mine and gives me that fae prince smile that shows off his canines. My belly swoops when he pulls me into the same waddling, backward-walking hug that he gave to me at the mall last week. It has me laughing and smiling all the same and it makes me feel a little lighter. He says something about finding a local electronics store to get a new phone for his new bestie. The close contact with Riley has my heart pounding for reasons I don’t understand. I nervously peek over Riley’s shoulder at Creed as Riley continues to waddle me backwards only to find that he’s looking not at me, but at Riley.

The thing that shocks me, though, is the fact that he’s not scowling or brooding like he did with Tony or Steve. He’s… smiling. Almost reverently. His eyes snap to mine just before Riley spins me around so I can walk properly, and just before I turn, I catch a sweet yet borderline manic smile on his face.

The lighter feeling that Riley gave me just moments before suddenly becomes heavy as I think about not only everything that Creed and I are and how our relationship has morphed so fast, but now there’s a new emotion thrown into the mix and I’m terrified. I’m terrified because the heart-fluttering feelings aren’t for Creed, though my feelings for him haven’t changed. This new feeling?

It's for Riley.

And I am so fucked.