Chapter 20 #2
“And anyway, it’s not like we were trying to. I wanted to get married first. I just… Well, I’m not on birth control and the condom bro—”
“Oh my God, shut the fuck up, Roxi,” Reverie cuts in quickly, waving her hands in front of her face to stop her.
Disgust curls her upper lip, and she stares at Roxi like she’s spawned a new head. Technically, she might be spawning one as we speak.
Roxi’s teeth click shut, and her shoulders hike to her ears, defensiveness sinking into her tense muscles.
“We’re in love,” she says, her tone clipped.
“And he’s a really great man. So, would it really be the worst thing in the world, Reverie?
I mean, I know we don’t know each other very well, but if you would just let me in, we can be friends.
You could watch your sibling grow up and help give them an amazing childhood where he won’t be around to strip it away like he did yours.
” She casts a nasty look my way when she spits out ‘he’ and then softens when she returns her focus to Reverie, her gaze almost pleading.
“You could have a little brother or sister.
I'm sure it was lonely growing up as an only child, and your dad mentioned you always wanted a sibling and never got to have one. I can give you that now.”
Rev’s face pales, and her eyes glaze over, a faraway look in her eyes as she stares at Roxi. She’s solid stone, and I don’t think she sees us anymore, only ghosts from her childhood.
She no longer appears repulsed, but devastated. Triggered, even.
And I really don’t fucking like it.
My hackles rise, and I'm really getting fucking pissed now.
Steeling my jaw, I focus on Roxi, simultaneously wanting to slap her and slap sense into her.
I have to remind myself she’s being manipulated. Brainwashed. But fuck, if it doesn’t also trigger me and bring me back to that eight-year-old kid no one believed. Down to the look on her face, staring at me as if I’m the monster.
I flex my fingers and breathe in deeply, then slowly let it out.
Then, I offer her a pitying smile. “You are so ill-informed, I just might feel bad for you when you inevitably find you’re willingly fucking a deranged murderer.”
She narrows her eyes into thin slits, a snakelike quality overtaking her features.
“I see you haven’t changed,” she says, venom dripping from her tone. “Still trying to convince everyone you’re not a liar. The world saw through you back then, and I still see through you now. You’re a liar.”
My vision blackens.
“Roxi,” Rev barks, her sharp voice bringing me back from the edge of a total blackout.
I would never lay my hands on her, but I’m positive I’d walk out of this building and utilize its brick wall to crack my knuckles.
“Don’t fucking call him that,” Rev snaps when Roxi’s startled gaze flies to meet her glare. “You have no idea what you’re talking about, so watch your fucking mouth. He’s not a goddamn liar and never has been.”
Her words set off a visceral reaction inside my body, but I wouldn’t know what to call it—it’s not something I’ve felt before. It’s intense, like a punch to the chest without the pain, and it takes my breath away.
I slowly drag my stare to Reverie, taking in the raging fire within her eyes, seething beneath the wispy bangs falling in them, her flaring nostrils, her clenched fists.
My hands flex with the need to do… something. Fist her hair, squeeze her throat, and… fuck, crush those pretty lips against mine.
The need burns through my system until it’s all I can feel. Keeping my body stationary feels like resisting the power of a black hole pulling me in. My bones are bending toward her, and soon, they’re going to snap if I don’t heed to the force field.
“Why are you defending him?” Roxi gapes at Rev, stunned and furious, based on her face turning a bright red.
I turn my focus back to her, the words bursting from my mouth before my brain can give them permission. “She’s my girlfriend.”
Reverie closes her eyes with a defeated sigh, which prompts me to arch a brow at her. It’s really fucking cute that she thought I’d magically let that go, especially after spending an hour playing with her squirting pussy.
I figured the locker room was just a fluke from years of tormenting one another building up to a point of explosion. There's no way sex that incredible can happen more than once, so I convinced myself the next time would be different.
And I was right.
The problem is, it was even more amazing.
I mean, fuck, I poured her cum into her mouth and then made her spit it into mine. We’re practically fucking married now.
“What?!” Roxi shrieks, her voice ear-piercing.
Rev winces while I kind of want to punch her. It should be against the law to reach that high of a decibel unless you want your teeth knocked out.
“Why would you date him? He’s the reason Lionel went to prison, Reverie! That’s like… that’s like a huge betrayal to your dad! How could you do that?”
Reverie splays her hand in a placating gesture. “We’re not—”
“Going to let you shame us,” I cut in firmly.
Rev groans this time, and I make a mental note to talk to her later about how trying to make me her dirty little secret really hurts my feelings.
I mean, my hoodie is still wet from her cum.
She doesn't get to fuck me the way she did on her dorm room floor, come here and defend my honor afterward, make me want to bury my tongue back inside her for it, then act like I mean nothing.
That's fucking hurtful.
Aghast, Roxi’s stare pinballs between the two of us for a few beats before settling on me. Pure hatred reflects in her gaze, and if all my feelings weren’t reserved for the blonde standing next to me, I still wouldn’t give a fuck.
“You’ve bullied her for the past four years. Why the hell would you date her now?”
I grin wolfishly. “Well, if you must know, Roxi, when a woman has a golden pussy that sprays liquid cocaine and a masterful tongue—”
“You know what?” Rev interrupts loudly, her cheeks flushed cherry red, her copper eyes burning hotter than before.
“This was obviously a huge mistake. We just wanted to know if you or Lionel had anything to do with destroying my room and leaving the note and hair. That’s it.
But if Lionel isn’t here, then… then I don’t fucking know!
” The last part bursts out of her in a flood of frustration.
Roxi is slow to slide her spitting stare from me.
“It can’t be my hair,” she says, her voice bitter.
“I stayed with Lionel over this past weekend, but he never cut my hair—because he’s not the Locksmith—and he had a parole meeting this morning, so he couldn’t have possibly been here.
Plus, he wouldn’t come here without telling me.
” Doubt that. “But that’s not even his handwriting, anyway.
I have hundreds of letters to prove it. So, the person who destroyed your room is likely standing right next to you and trying to make it look like your dad.
Or did you already forget you’re sleeping with your own enemy? ”
Reverie’s jaw clenches while Roxi crosses her arms defensively.
“This really hurts to have to say, because I really wanted a relationship with you, Reverie, but you both need to stay the hell away from me. Until you work this out with your father and—” She flicks an unimpressed look up and down my form. “—drop the parasite attached to you, this won’t work.”
With that, she flicks one more vicious stare my way before stepping back and slamming the door in our faces.
Stunned, Rev blinks while her mouth flops, attempting to process what just happened. I, on the other hand, am two seconds away from busting Roxi’s door down to make her apologize to Rev.
That was really fucking rude.
Rev meets my stare, a windmill of emotions spinning through her eyes. She’s pissed—that’s the most obvious.
“I… I need to go home,” she says, robotically turning and walking past me. Without looking back, she calls out, “And for the love of God, Dread, do not fucking follow me.”
Narrowing my gaze, I watch her storm away, that plump ass angrily swaying in those tight jeans. I’ll give her until after practice to cool off, but she’s not staying in that goddamn dorm.
When she disappears around the corner, I turn and knock on Roxi’s door again.
“Ugh!” I hear from the other side, just for her to loudly stomp toward me and swing the door open again. She startles when she sees me, and I hold out my hand expectantly.
“Give me the note and hair.”
She works her jaw from side to side, contemplating if she wants to listen. Ultimately, she pulls them out of her back pocket and slaps them in my palm.
“Now leave,” she barks.
I grin wickedly and lean in an inch, causing her to bristle, fear flashing in her gaze.
“Gladly. But first, don’t ever talk to my girl like that again, or I'll make waking up next to the devil after I send your ass to hell a fucking relief. Understood?”
She rears back in shock, but I don’t wait for her to answer.
She’s not the only one with a boyfriend capable of murder. The only difference is, I’ll do it for my girl, whereas Lionel will only do it to his.
Severen: Are you alive?
I exit the gym and step out into the chill air just as I get a text in my group chat with Severen and Rogue. I frown, not understanding the question. I just finished with swim practice for the USA team and am on my way to find Reverie to kidnap her back to my place.
Me: Should I not be?
His text is immediate. It’s a video, and the preview is of what looks to be a door to a dorm room. Another text comes through.
Severen: Sound on.
Foreboding builds as I click the video and turn up the sound.
The door rattles violently, and I immediately recognize the faint sounds of mine and Reverie’s moaning, her screaming my name.
There’s a loud thump, likely from when I punched the door, followed by giggles from whoever’s recording directly across the hallway.
Fuuuuuck.
Texts fly in almost immediately.