Landon
“L andon?”
I found her the second she walked through the door. On his arm. In a dress that would haunt me until the day I died. Until I could touch her again.
I needed to touch her.
To feel her body in my arms. Her naked skin against mine. Sweat beading on her neck—her breasts—I had to chase it with my mouth. Thighs clenching around my waist—my head—I didn’t care as long as she was coming apart on my tongue. Crying out for more.
Staring at me with sated eyes instead of ones that hated me.
No.
I wanted more than that.
I wanted so much more.
But fuck , I’d take only that if it was all she’d give me.
“?” An exasperated huff preceded the stomping of high heels. “! Are you even listening to me?”
Not surprisingly, when I didn’t bother to look at her, an annoyed sound left the back of Elaine’s throat.
My lip curled. And when she ran her hand down my suit jacket, I wanted to rip it from my body and throw it off.
I settled for jerking out of reach, because the alternative would only encourage her.
I knew what I needed to do. I knew why I had to do it.
And yet, I still couldn’t stomach it.
The thought of touching Elaine had grown dangerous. More and more, since she’d put her hands on Quinn, I feared if I put mine on her, I’d become the guy the rumors claimed I was.
The guy he swore I was.
Last year, I tried. I’d wanted to save?—
I tried to do the right thing, but I failed. I couldn’t stop what had already been done.
Now, while I gave my heart up to do the right thing— tried not to fail again—Max Dread walked into the room like a fucking King. The one he could be with her on his arm.
I couldn’t fucking stand it.
“, we’re supposed to dance,” Elaine hissed. “Or do you not even care about that now, too? I swear to?—”
Whirling to face her, I stepped into her space. I dropped my head so it was inches from hers. But even someone as delusional as Elaine couldn’t mistake my intention.
Her mouth opened with a squeak.
Barely speaking to her the last three days hadn’t quite driven home the message.
Perhaps I needed to be more direct.
“Touch me again, and I’ll make sure you regret it.”
Her eyes watered and lower lip trembled as reality sank in. “, I’m sorry, okay? Vivian was completely out of control, and I tried to stop her, but I?—”
A growl rumbled from low in my throat.
“Elaine. Stop. Fucking. Speaking.”
Fists clenching at her sides, she wet her lips and prepared to argue. Her eyes widened at my response instead.
“Stop speaking. Stop breathing. Stop existing for all I care.” Sneering down at her, I reached up and straightened my tie. Tightening the noose around my neck. Like that might contain what I wanted to let out. Like it might bring back the control slipping through my fingers.
A tear slipped down her cheek.
“But you—Y-you were supposed to be mine.”
Her pain slid off her jaw, and the rage inside me practically purred at the sight of it. Catching the tear that followed, I brought it to my mouth.
Elaine gasped.
“You held her down while Vivian forced her head underwater. You stood by while she couldn’t breathe.”
Her voice trembled. “But I thought—They said?—”
“You bought the lies they fed you. You thought I belonged to you, even though I never did. That’s on you, Elaine.”
Tears fell freely now.
I caught another, and my lips curled around the salty taste. “I hope your sadness never ends. I hope you can’t eat. Can’t sleep.” Leaning in, I whispered in her ear. “I hope it rips you apart. Tears you up inside. Every minute of every day.”
I hoped she felt an ounce of what I did.
She spun away, putting her back to the dance floor as she hid her face in her hands to cry.
And some part of me, buried under days of being torn apart, registered that I crossed a line. What Elaine had done—The Camelot Society was also to blame. For making promises they couldn’t keep. For setting expectations we could never meet.
I was taking it too far, and a latent part of me recognized the need to rein myself in.
The darkness inside me just didn’t fucking care.
Crowding her, I took great care not to touch her. But I couldn’t keep the venom trapped within my body anymore. It had to be let out.
“I’ll never be yours.” I spat, clenching my fists at my side. “I belong to her .”
She muffled a cry and ran off.
And it should’ve eased the unraveling.
It should’ve settled my mind.
But the poison remained, eating away at my control from the inside out. Disintegrating the chains binding me. And it only grew stronger.
It only wanted more.
I wanted to be free.
And I couldn’t stop it.