Chapter 5 #2
“Where are the horror novels?” Ash asks from behind me, drawing my attention around.
He’s right there. “I’ve always related to the story of Frankenstein, but I’ve never actually read it.
” Ash’s cheeks color with…embarassment? I’m so confused.
“Dracula might be a fun choice. Really, I want to read all of them.”
Again, what the hell? He is the same guy that I punched in the face on Halloween, it’s just that I interpreted his behavior differently than I do now.
Looking at Ash like a wounded little boy has endeared him to me.
Scarlett’s the same as I am, which means she got sucked into the rich boy version of a Prescott trap.
Ash is somebody any good person would feel like they should try their best to save.
“Over there.” I gesture Ash away, sending him to that chair that Scarlett once used to harass me.
Grin. She moves up beside me in her slutty red heels, hands on my arm, smelling sweet and looking cute with cat-eye sunglasses parked in her hair.
“He likes to read?” I ask, doing shit with my tongue and my lower lip that I know Scarlett likes.
“Maybe. He wasn’t allowed to have hobbies in the past, so he’s trying shit out.” Scarlett takes me by the hand, curling her fingers through mine in a way that feels right. She guides me to that same arm chair, finding Ash squatting on the floor in front of the shelves.
Ash starts pulling titles, including several that I’ve already read. Then I remember that we both watch anime and…hentai. I clench my teeth as Scarlett drags my hand over to the edge of a cart and puts it on the handle.
“Need you to shelve these returns for me. I gotta talk to my girls.” She tries to take off and I grab her, pinning her up against the side of the book cart.
Remembering her sucking me off between the shelves.
And then I came all over her and took off.
Things are different now. “Yo, Lawless, you lookin’ for library-fuck-round-two when you never finished up round one? ”
Scarlett’s attention is fixed on me. Has been since yesterday. I don’t understand how she can have all these friends and these…other guys…and still manage to make me feel like the only man in the universe. My balls have absolutely fried my goddamn brain.
“Never finished round one? I seem to remember cumming all over you.” I tilt my head to the side, like I’m being cute. My hair gets in my face and I curl my lip. I can’t wait to cut it all off. “Sounds like a fine finish to me.”
She hits me in the chest with a palm, pausing when I curl my fingers around hers. Our eyes are on each other the way they always are. In the library. At the track. While we’re making love in her sunlit bedroom. My pulse jumps. My broken brain tries to remind me how traumatic yesterday was.
“I’m going to have Hype put several million dollars into an account under your name.” That’s what Scar says to me, briefly knocking me out of the twisted memories in my head.
“Huh?”
“I want you to feel secure, Adrian. I don’t think you feel secure.” Scarlett frowns at me when I release her hand.
I position my arms on either side of her, gripping the handles of the book cart to make a cage of muscle. A pleased flush climbs up the glorious bronze curve of her neck.
Ash looks curiously our way, his gaze glancing off mine.
“Secure, how?” I ask, leaning into Scarlett. The book cart starts to roll, so I tighten my grip, forcing it to stay where it is.
“Like, you don’t believe that I’ve got you.
Alexei’s money is half mine, so it’s ours.
Bohnes gets it. Ash doesn’t care what happens as long as he’s by my side and breathing.
Right, Ash? But I need you to understand that you’ll never live in poverty again.
Never. We’re getting out of Prescott and all the trappings that come with it.
If I put money in your name, then you can rest easy.
You’ll always have that set aside.” Scarlett is breathing harder than she should.
I can’t tell if it’s arousal—oh yeah, there’s definitely arousal there—or if she’s nervous. Or maybe she’s really fucking earnest.
I tighten my grip and close my eyes. I hate that she’s legally married to Alexei. I fucking hate that. It’ll always be this little wound in my heart that she isn’t my legal wife. But…
“You don’t have to do that, Scarlett. I do trust you. If I didn’t, we wouldn’t be together right now.” I keep my eyes closed as her warm hands slide against either side of my neck.
“I don’t have to, no. I already did. I gave Hype the instructions.
When she does the transfer during the reception, she’s going to shuffle some of that money around and then put it in your name.
Even if you trust me, even if you do know, I’m going to prove myself to you with every action that I take. ”
My heart is fucking pounding. I feel dizzy with it.
I can hear it inside my head, like an echo in an empty room.
A sloshing of blood that hits me in the temples at the same time that it floods my crotch.
Every romance novel I’ve ever read is running through my mind in a series of scrambled sentences and jumbled words.
Crazy heartbeat. Sweaty palms. Butterflies.
I open my eyes to find Scarlett watching me.
“Your dick is stabbing me,” she whispers, her voice husky.
I love hearing that. I love knowing that she wants me as much as I want her.
Thank God she’s a little nympho or she’d never survive the mess she’s gotten herself in.
Satisfying me alone would be a triumph. I lean harder into her, clutching the book cart with a death grip so that I can press us together without pushing it back.
Her left hand slides down, scraping over my pebbled nipple, past my abs, and landing right on my crotch. She squeezes me through the denim, massaging my erection while Ash squats nearby and pages through a book I’ve read twice. He flicks his eyes our way but says nothing.
The gentleman’s agreement is working.
“Ahem.” A throat is cleared behind me; Scarlett groans and leans her forehead against my chest. She’s still playing with my dick, so it takes me longer than it should to realize that Bastian is standing there.
He starts talking, ruining the moment for me.
“I’m very supportive of Scarlow—that’s your couple name—but we have housekeeping to take care of.
Chop, chop. I am not bringing you gym clothes if Widow drenches you in cum again.
” Bastian steps up right beside us, and I reach down, gritting my teeth as I push Scarlett’s hand away from my crotch.
“By the way, rotten move, Widow. Isn’t it proper etiquette to clean up the mess you make? ”
He tsks his tongue as Scarlett lifts up on her tiptoes, sucking a sweet hot hickey onto the side of my neck and leaving me with pre-cum stained boxers and an attitude.
“Can you not tell your friends about our exploits?” I ask as she pauses to flick Ash’s hood off so she can press a kiss to his hair. He nearly topples over, sending his stack of books crashing to the floor instead. He’s that startled by the affection. He might struggle with touch like I do.
“Can you not jizz all over me in public, so that I don’t have to call said friends in order to get clothes delivered?
” Scarlett gives me a saucy, tight-lipped smile and then pretends to follow Bastian, doubling back and then reaching her hand into the waistband of her skirt.
I have no idea what she’s doing until she removes wet fingers and then fucking rubs them against my bottom lip.
“Hope you feel like an ass, cowboy. Enjoy. And don’t forget to shelve those books. ”
Scarlett dances out of the way, using my own shock against me as she takes off. I hear Nisha chastising her as the three of them make their way through the maze of aisles toward the library’s study area. Not that anyone actually studies at Prescott High. Lot of drug deals go down over there.
“Lick it off,” Ash breathes, like he’s having a heart attack of his own down there on the floor. His eyes are on my lips and the present Scarlett left behind. “Don’t waste it.”
I’m panting, my hands in fists (and fuck, the right one hurts). I have to let my head fall back and close my eyes. My mouth tingles. I can smell her. When I do finally run my tongue across my lip, I can most definitely taste her. Shit. I open my eyes again.
I suck in a sudden breath, tasting the edge of feeling alone. Only…I’m not alone at all.
I’m here with my friend, Ash.
My eyes open and shift back down to him, the one I hated the most out of the other three.
I don’t think that’s the case anymore. My fucked-up brain tries to shove memories of my own rape in my face.
And then it’s all covered up with the image of Maryanne bleeding in pieces on the floor of the mayor’s mansion.
By Trish’s pleas, begging me to help her the way I once begged her to help me as a child.
I smile and it’s messed up. I can taste Scarlett’s pussy and I see blood, splashed around my happy memories like Christmas tinsel. Red and brilliant and festive.
I release the cart and move over next to Ash, squatting down.
“I ain’t gonna fight with you anymore. It’s not worth either of our time. Besides, I really am grateful for Maryanne and Trish.” That’s what I say to him. It’s so much more than that. I’m giving myself permission to make a friend. I haven’t had friends since before I killed my uncle.
Ash just stares at me. His eyes are like pits. Solid black from iris to pupil.