With This Mask

Chapter 12

chapter twelve

I zip up my weekend bag with a satisfying tug, the seams straining slightly since I crammed in an extra pair of jeans. A quick glance at my reflection in the mirror—dark hair pulled back in a no-nonsense ponytail, brown eyes bright with anticipation—and I'm hit with a wave of nerves mixed with excitement. This trip with Alec is my reward, a pat on the back for acing yet another semester. Perfect marks don't come easy, but they're like oxygen to me—necessary.

At least if I don’t get to travel home for Christmas break, I get a trip with my boyfriend.

It hits me every time the word runs through my head.

Boyfriend. Alec is my actual, real life boyfriend.

A sharp knock on the door rips through my thoughts, and my heart kicks up a notch. The wooden frame swings open, revealing Alec with his signature half-cocked grin and those piercing eyes that always seem to see too much.

In his hands, he holds a box, wrapped in Christmas wrapping paper.

“You aren’t supposed to buy me things,” I accuse, arching an eyebrow.

“This one was promised,” he says as he extends it toward me.

Doubtfully, I take it, and tear the paper off. There’s a white box inside, and I pull the lid off.

There, inside, are what have to be dozens of pairs of panties.

“For the ones I ruined,” he says wolfishly.

“You are insane,” I say with a laugh, digging through them all. Lacy, silky, string, boy short, there’s every kind of variety in here, all in my size.

“I’m actually very smart,” he points out with that devil-may-care smile. “This is a gift that benefits us both.”

“That’s very presumptuous of you,” I say, even as I unzip my bag and dump every single pair into it.

Alec just chuckles. "Ready for some R we're in our own world here. I’m pretty sure it’s been at least half an hour since I saw another house.

"Wow," I exhale, unable to contain the awe in my voice as we step out of the car.

"Not too bad, huh?" Alec's words are light, but his gaze on me is heavy, searching for a reaction. “At least there are a few perks that come with the Vanderholt name.”

"Your dad might be an asshole, but at least he owns awesome shit,” I say with a smirk as I grab my bag from the trunk.

I wonder if I’ve unknowingly struck a nerve when he doesn’t fire off a comeback at that. He just swallows once and reaches into the trunk, hauling out a bag filled with recording gadgets and lighting gear that probably cost more than my entire college fund.

"Planning to start your own studio or just documenting our weekend for posterity?" I tease, taking some of the load from him.

"Maybe a bit of both," he responds, a corner of his mouth lifting in a half-smirk. We carry our bags inside before returning to the car for another load of enough groceries to feed an army.

I trail behind Alec, stepping into the cavernous living room, my sneakers squeaking against the polished hardwood floors. The place screams Vanderholt—immaculate, expensive, and untouchable. I can't help but think of the cramped apartment I grew up in, where every inch was a reminder of just how much we had to stretch each dollar.

"Make yourself at home," Alec says, dropping the bags on the kitchen island. It's easy for him to say, surrounded by all this luxury. For me, it's like stepping onto another planet—one where there's no worry of overdue bills or second-hand clothes.

"Sure," I reply, trying to sound nonchalant. "Because this is exactly like my place. You know, minus a couple thousand square feet and the casual opulence."

"Opulence?" He raises an eyebrow, leaning back against the counter with a smirk. "Didn't peg you for someone who gets impressed by shiny things, Winters."

"Shiny things?" I echo, throwing my hands up. "Alec, there's a chandelier in here that could have paid my entire tuition twice over."

"Only twice?" he chuckles, and I can't help the smile tugging at my lips.

"Let's get settled," he suggests, breaking the spell as he heads towards the stairs. "And later, you can help me with the recording setup. It'll be… fun."

"Fun," I say just to myself as I follow him. I know what’s coming up. It was my idea. But as usual, I find myself questioning if I can actually do this. If I have the confidence. As I glance around the cabin that might as well be a palace, I can't shake the feeling that I'm playing house in someone else's life.

"Come on, Winters!" Alec calls out, splashing water in my direction. His voice echoes off the walls of the pool house. "You really one of those girls who won’t get their hair wet at the pool?"

I narrow my eyes for a moment, just before a mischievous grin takes over my face. I take a few steps back before launching myself into the air for half a second, just before I cannonball into the water. I send a tidal wave over Alec. His surprised laughter fills the air as he wipes at his face.

“Damn, Winters,” he exclaims, wading in my direction. “I underestimated you. Again.”

“A mistake I’m sure you’ll never make again, I imagine,” I say with a smile as he closes the distance between us. And my heart takes a journey into my throat as he fixes me with those blue eyes, drinking me in.

His hands wrap around my waist, and with zero effort, he picks me up off my feet and I wrap my legs around his waist. I loop my arms behind his neck, staring into those eyes.

“I still can’t quite believe this is reality,” I confess as I look into those gorgeous eyes. “That you, Alec Vanderholt, are the person that I crave being around most now. That you… you somehow want me.”

“It doesn’t quite feel real to me either,” he says, his tone softer than I would have expected. “You feel like the first real decision I’ve made for myself. I don’t just get to go for the things I want. But that’s you, Salem. Don’t fucking doubt it for a second.”

I tell myself that I’m going to do my best to believe him in what he says. But it’s hard. Not so hard to believe is the way his grip on me tightens, the way I feel him harden where he’s pressed between my legs. The way his mouth feels as it takes mine. As his tongue shows me just how much he likes the taste of me.

This is real. For the first time since Alec and I shattered into each other’s orbit, I’m not concerned about watching eyes. There are no asshole rich kids waiting to make a snide remark. I’m not scared about what Isabella or Josh is going to say. There’s no danger of it getting reported to some news outlet, that the billionaire heir is fucking around with some scholarship girl.

It’s just Alec. It’s just Salem.

And I further prove it when I sneak my hands up and in one swift motion, hoist myself up as I dunk Alec under the water.

We race, chase, and dunk each other until our limbs are heavy with exhaustion and our faces hurt from smiling. It's a side of Alec I haven't seen—playful, unguarded—and it's infectious. For a moment, I forget about scholarships and GPAs, and let myself just... be.

As the sun dips below the horizon, painting the sky in shades of purple and orange, we make our way to the patio just outside the pool house. Wrapped in thick towels, we sit by the fire pit Alec has set ablaze, the warmth leeching the chill from our bones. It’s cold outside, though it’s warmer than I’d expect for this time of year. But with the fire, it’s kind of cozy.

"Tell me something," Alec says as he pokes at the embers with a stick. "You're always so damn focused. What drives that?"

"Survival," I say the first word that comes to mind. The word hangs between us, weighted with more truth than I intended to reveal.

"Survival?" he echoes, looking at me with those piercing blue eyes that seem to see right through me.

"Growing up was pretty tough," I admit, staring into the flickering flames. "My mom got pregnant with me when she was seventeen. My grandparents are really… traditional. So their daughter getting knocked up a month before she graduated high school, they were ashamed. They kicked her out the day after she graduated high school.”

“What about your dad?” Alec asks with furrowed brows. “Did he take care of her?”

I bite my lower lip, feeling the familiar ache when I think about everything my mother went through. “He tried. They got engaged. They moved in together. They both worked. But there was a work accident just three weeks before I was born. He didn’t make it.”

Alec’s face pales. A curse slips over his lips. “I’m so sorry.”

I shrug. “Mom didn’t have much choice but to make it through. His parents buried him. She went home alone to their apartment. And then I came. I honestly don’t know how she made it work. Especially in those early days. I watched her struggle. Work herself to the bone. Grind so hard, only to not get much of anywhere. But she was always there for me. She was always my biggest cheerleader. Every good grade, every award. She just fucking beamed.”

I smile, remembering it all. It was always just me and her. But it never felt like I was lacking in half the love I should have had. She was enough.

“I don’t have much contact with my grandparents,” I admit. “My dad’s parents kind of forgot I existed, if I’m being honest. And my mom’s parents, they never really got over feeling ashamed that their daughter got pregnant at a young age. Any time I’m around them they’re just… preachy. They’re always trying to lecture me about worth and waiting and all this stuff.”

“Gross,” Alec comments with a look.

I nod. “I am so grateful for how hard my mom tried to keep us afloat, but I have some trauma from the lack we always had,” I confess, looking back into Alec’s eyes. He listens intently to every single word. “I swore when I was ten years old that I’d never have to struggle like she did. That I’d put me and her in a better position in life. I don’t know why it never really occurred to me that she might find someone else who might do that for her.”

“She remarried?” Alec questions.

I nod. “It’s not like Danny is wealthy, but he makes enough that she doesn’t have to keep working. She still does, for now, because she doesn’t know any different. But they have a house. He bought her a nice used car for a wedding gift.”

“You like him?” Alec asks.

I shrug once more. “I don’t know that we’ll be close. But we get along. And Mom is happier than I’ve ever seen her.”

“What would that be like?” he murmurs.

I study him, the sense set of his shoulders, the way he stares off into the dark night. “What happened to your mom, Alec?”

He hesitates, then lets out a long breath. "I lost her when I was nine. Cancer. And I hate to admit it, but honestly, I don’t even remember her all that much. But I remember the feeling changing. Suddenly home wasn’t really a place I wanted to be anymore. And Dad turned into a fucking ice sculpture after she was gone.”

Alec pulls his knees to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs. “It was like he became a robot. The diamond business was always a weight over his head. But after mom was gone, it was all he could see. All he could do. It became the entirety of his identity. And me? I became this project he needed to manage."

"Must have been hard," I murmur, unsure what else to say.

"Hard?" He scoffs, tossing the stick into the fire. "It was a bloody nightmare. Every minute of my day was structured. School. Activities. Functions where I was expected to be a mini-him. An ounce of emotion around that man was an ounce too much. He’s had this map of who he wants me to be drawn out since before I had my first wet dream.”

He slips his hand into his hair, tussling it roughly. I can feel the anxiety and stress of it all rolling off of him in waves.

And I realize that I was the lucky one growing up.

“I'm nothing but an heir with a legacy breathing down my neck,” he says, his voice coming out hoarse. “That's why I'm busting my ass with the software. I need it to succeed, Salem. I need to be my own person, not just a Vanderholt."

I climb across my lounger, crossing onto his. He watches me, his gaze softening as he watches me climb into his lap.

“You’re amazing, Alec,” I tell him, pushing his hair out of his face. I put every ounce of my being into my words, hoping he can feel how much I mean them. “Your father didn’t buy this brain of yours. He didn’t teach you any of this natural talent with a camera, with editing, with creating something that’s going to go so wild. That was all you.”

Alec cups a hand behind my neck, studying me. And I see something cracking in him. He always has these barriers up, blocking the world out with that icy glare.

But this is a different side of him.

"Thank you," I say, the words coming out raw and unfiltered. "For being real with me."

He licks his lips, his blue eyes catching the flames, making them dance within their depths. "Salem, these moments, with you... I've never been this open with anyone." His voice is a low rumble, almost lost to the sounds of the night, but it resonates deep within me.

"Thank you for trusting me,” I say softly.

He pulls my lips down to his, and gently kisses them.

There’s something new in his touch. A tenderness that he reserved. An openness that lets me see him so much more clearly. This feels deeper. This feels like another level.

“Come on,” I say, climbing off of him. “I need a shower. And I don’t want to do it alone.”

“What a good girl, telling me exactly what she wants,” he says in a pleased rumble.

I bite my lower lip and pull him to his feet. He smacks my ass before palming it as we walk back up to the cabin.

I hold Alec’s eyes as I walk backward into the primary bedroom and then to the bathroom. There’s a wild hunger in his eyes as he stalks forward. He turns the water on hot, and pushes me up against the tile. A wicked grin takes over my face as he leans in and his mouth latches to my neck. And he sucks. Hard. Hard enough I know he’ll leave a mark. For everyone to see.

Between our bodies, his hand snakes down, down, sliding over my wet stomach until they slip beneath my swim bottoms. With an annoyed growl, he drags them down my thighs until they pool at my feet.

“Fuck you’re so wet for me,” he says against my skin as Alec’s fingers slide their way through my folds, straight to my core.

“We’re in the shower,” I point out wryly, just to get a reaction out of him.

He punishes me by burying his fingers fully in my depths, eliciting a gasp from my lips.

“The shower has nothing to do with it, Dora,” he growls as he bites gently at my shoulder. Next, with his free hand, he unties my top, where it falls to the floor.

A needy moan escapes my lips as my head falls back against the tile. Alec trails his mouth from my neck down to my breast. He sucks my nipple into his mouth, sucking hard before biting down on it with just enough pressure. He soothes it with the wide, wet lick of his tongue from my under boob, all the way to my chest. His free hand comes to palm the other, squeezing the entire thing in his massive hand.

I can’t think straight. I’m just feeling. Feeling every place Alec touches me. Not being in my head about worrying about how I look right now, about how I sound, about how I taste, I feel like I could fucking fly.

Alec’s hands wrap around my waist and he suddenly pulls me from the wall. He turns me, and folds me forward. My hands fly out to brace on the tiled shower bench in front of me. Alec’s swim bottoms hit the floor.

Before I can even orient myself, Alec positions himself at my entrance, and slips inside me, smooth as butter. A heady groan escapes my lips at the sensation if his cock filling every millimeter inside me.

And quickly, steadily, he slides nearly out of me. Before slamming back in. Slide out. Slam home. A cry of ecstasy rips from me as he slams back in. His fingers grip my hips, digging into my skin in the very best way possible.

“Fuck, Alec!” I gasp, nearly overwhelmed by it all. “Faster! Harder!”

“Hell yes,” he obliges as he slams into me so damn hard, I nearly can’t hold myself upright. Harder and harder he rails into me. But holy shit, the sensation is addictive.

Another gasp rips from my throat, and I feel the surge. The rush. The freight train barreling straight through my core.

And I fucking scream. The orgasm rips through me with so much force I surely won’t survive it. Every nerve ending in me explodes and I just scream at the shear bliss of it all.

Alec roars, his fingers tightening on me as he shutters into me. And just a second later, his fingers snake their way down my hip, straight between my legs, as he rubs my clit, skyrocketing the orgasm to new heights as I chase it farther off the cliff.

The sounds pouring out of me sound more like sobs than anything else by the time the orgasm subsides. And I would collapse to the floor, my legs are shaking so hard, if it weren’t for Alec’s defined arms wrapping around my middle.

“You are the damn sexiest thing I have ever laid eyes on in my entire life, Salem,” he whispers against my skin.

My hand rises behind me to lace through his wet hair. “That… that was…”

“World altering,” he pants as he bites my earlobe.

I can only nod in agreement.

“Come find me when you’re finished,” he says in a whisper as he kisses the side of my neck. He steps under the water for just a few seconds, washing out his hair, before he steps out and wraps his waist with a towel.

What the fuck? That was just…

I’m blushing like I’ve never blushed before as I think about what just happened a few seconds before. How I had the audacity to ask for it in the first place. And then when I told him to go faster and harder?

Who the hell am I?

I nearly pass out when I look down and see Alec’s cum drip down my leg before swirling the drain.

Fuck. I’m already sore.

I wash my hair and then reluctantly my body. I turn off the water when I’m finished, and find a towel on the rack. I wrap up in it, and eagerly walk into the bedroom to find Alec.

I stop dead in my tracks when I walk into the bedroom, and find two lights set up, casting the room in a dramatic red glow.

Alec crosses the room wearing only gray sweatpants. His face is already painted black. There’s a predators look in his eyes, one I like, very much.

As he eyes me up and down in nothing but a towel, he extends something out to me.

It’s a mask.

It’s nothing like his own. As I take in the details, I realize it’s a butterfly, created with the most intricate details. Yet it matches the same coloring as his skull mask, the white and the black.

"Thought you deserved your own," Alec says with temptation in his every word.

"Wow." I turn the mask over in my hands, tracing the delicate swirls and patterns. A thrill runs through me at the weight of his gesture. "Alec, this is beautiful."

"Try it on,” he encourages, watching me with an intensity that sends shivers down my spine.

A thrill flips through my stomach, and I can’t help but smile as I lift it to my face. Slipping it on, I feel a surge of excitement at the secret identity it affords me. "How do I look?"

"Like a goddess in disguise." His words are a growl that vibrates through me, lighting up my nerves.

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Vanderholt."

"Good to know, Winters. I was thinking Mariposa for your username."

Spanish for butterfly. “I actually love it.”

“Good. I’ll set up the account.”

He steps away, setting up a camera on a tripod. My brows draw together in confusion. "Why are you all prepped to put on your mask?"

“I thought we could make something together,” he says as he looks over his shoulder at me with that devilish gaze. “Something new for the fans.”

I blink. Hard. "Are you serious?" The words tumble out before I can stop them. "That's way off brand for you. I mean, you’re Vice. The whole point is making everyone think they have a shot. It’s the fantasy. You can’t put me in one of your videos."

"I can, and you have no idea how fucking bad I want to,” he says as he stalks toward me. He’s holding a black bodysuit in one hand. “I’ve been dreaming this up for a week now, Salem.”

"Your followers will lose their shit," I point out, even as I'm drawn to the idea like a moth to flame. The thought of Vice touching me, claiming me, for his millions of viewers? Me. I can hardly breathe at the thought.

"Let 'em," he shrugs nonchalantly. "It's about time they see a piece of the real me."

"Risky move." I can't keep the admiration from creeping into my tone.

"Life's no fun without a little risk," he shoots back with a smirk.

"I’m learning that, thanks to you." And suddenly, I'm eager to start filming, to step into this new role he's offering me—a chance to be part of his world, yet on my own terms.

"Ready?" he asks, extending the bodysuit to me.

"Always."

My heart hammers against my ribcage, loud in the quiet of the spacious cabin. Alec’s fingers fly over the laptop, editing with a focus I can't help but admire. He's always had this intensity about him, like everything he touches turns to gold—and right now, he's turning us into art.

It wasn’t porn, what we just made. No private parts were seen. Hands stayed in all the appropriate places. But I felt as if I were going to melt into a puddle as we moved together, synchronizing with the music.

"Come here," Alec beckons without looking up, and I pad over, curious and a little breathless. The screen comes alive with footage of me, of us, and holy shit—it's like nothing I've ever seen before. The chemistry is tangible, pulsing off the screen in waves of desire and heat. It’s the hottest relationship reveal to ever exist on planet Earth.

"We look so..." I trail off, cheeks aflame.

"Hot?" he offers, finally dragging his gaze from the screen to look at me, a corner of his mouth quirking up in amusement.

"Understatement of the year," I reply, swallowing hard. We're magnetic, the two of us together, and it's a revelation seeing it played back like this.

"Ready?" he asks, hovering the cursor over the 'post' button.

Nervously, I stare at the screen. This could change so much, yet we have the safety net of the anonymity the masks grant. But still, it’s a huge risk for Alec’s account, and my debut on the internet in any kind of way that makes waves.

"Hit it," I say through a thick throat.

He clicks, and it's done—our heated moment sent out into the world for all to see.

The laptop snaps shut with a definitive click. I startle upright, blinking three times fast. “Wait, what about?—”

“It’ll drive you crazy if you just sit and wait for the reactions,” Alec assures me. He gives me a smile and takes my hand. He brings it up to his mouth and presses a kiss to my palm.

And suddenly it's like there's no one else in the world but Alec and me. The room is silent save for our breathing and the crackle from the fireplace that now seems to be conspiring with him, casting dancing shadows across his face as he turns to me.

“You really have no idea how fucking incredible you are, Salem,” he says, that deep voice rumbling through the space between us.

I feel my cheeks heat up again, not sure if it's from the fire or his words. "It was your idea," I manage to get out, trying to deflect some of that intensity back at him.

"Technically, you suggested a mask for you,” he points out. He reaches across the space between us, placing his hand on my thigh. "But you—you brought it to life. You always do."

I’m not exactly sure what he means by that, considering we’ve only done this once, but I don’t call him out on it. I simply blush under his gaze.

“Come on,” he says as he takes my hand and pulls me to my feet. “You’ve drained the life out of me, woman. I want to sleep naked with you.”

I giggle in anticipation, and don’t fight him one step of the way back to the bed.

The hard vibration of a phone against wood drags me from sleep. Which is too damn bad. There were Alec’s hands and my clothes on the floor. I roll over and grope for my phone, finding it on an unfamiliar nightstand.

It’s an email from my advisor. She has an internship application she wants me to come in and apply for. At one of my top targets too. Landing this would be like being launched from a shotgun after graduation.

A smile curls on my lips as I roll onto my back.

For maybe the first time in my whole damn life, it feels like things are running smoothly. My grades are stellar. My scholarship is covering everything until graduation. My project went amazingly. I have an incredible boyfriend. Boyfriend. And now one of the best internships I could have hoped for is within reach.

The heavenly aroma of bacon and eggs wafts through the air, and I fully process where I am. I sit up, shaking my head at the extravagance. This isn't my dorm room; no, it's Alec's family cabin. Our impromptu getaway had been everything I needed after the stress of the past few weeks.

I climb from the bed, wearing nothing but one of Alec’s t-shirts, which only barely covers my ass.

"Morning," I mumble as I shuffle into the kitchen, rubbing at my eyes, sleep still clinging to my body. Alec is standing over the stove, flipping pancakes. He glances over his shoulder and his eyes go wide when he sees me.

"Good grief, woman, are you trying to kill me first thing in the morning?”

I look down to see what he’s talking about, only to realize that with the brilliant morning light, my nipples are completely visible beneath the white shirt.

“Sounds like a you problem,” I tease as I raise an eyebrow.

“I think this is a we problem,” he growls as he stalks to me, wrapping his arms around my waist before smacking my bare ass, palming both cheeks.

“And a good morning to you too,” I say, my voice low and husky as I lean into his erection pressing into my stomach.

“You’re a menace,” he says in a low, playful warning.

“Wouldn’t want you getting bored.”

He bites at my lower lip before stepping back to the stove. He scoops the last of the pancakes onto a plate before setting them with the heaping of food he’s made. “Eat up. You’re going to need it.”

I arch an eyebrow at him as I take a seat at the table. “Oh?”

“For a hike. Fuck,” he teases, but the look on his face tells me he’s enjoying every second of this. “Who knew Salem Winters was this damn horny all the time?”

“Who knew Alec Vanderholt would love it so damn much,” I shoot right back, blushing under his heated gaze.

“Me,” he says immediately. “You may have been my academic rival for the past four years, Salem. But that didn’t mean I didn’t fantasize about you all the damn time.”

The butter knife in my hand slips, clattering to the table. “What?” My face goes cold.

Alec’s blue eyes rise to meet mine without him lifting his head. “Come on, Salem. Are you actually surprised?”

“Yes,” I blurt. “I didn’t even know you knew I existed until this year. You’re… you’re Alec fucking Vanderholt. You could literally have any girl you wanted at school.”

“Four girls, Salem,” he says dryly. “I’ve slept with four girls.”

“Not the point,” I cut him off, suppressing a smile. “The whole school pants over you, and most of the internet. And you’re trying to convince me you’ve had an eye on me this whole time?”

Alec folds his arms on the table, leaning in with those blue eyes locked on mine. “Freshman year, you walked into our Business Econ 101 class wearing this gorgeous blue top that showed just the perfect amount of cleavage, Dora. White shorts that showed off those damn perfect legs. And the cheapest pair of sandals I’d ever seen. Your hair was down, wavy. My favorite.”

My mouth hangs open just a little.

I have no idea what the hell I wore my first day of freshman year. Yet Alec has just given me enough details, I’m having a hard time doubting him.

“Yes," I’ve been fantasizing about you since freshman year, Winters,” he says with a smug smirk as he brings a finger under my chin, and closes my mouth. “Now eat your breakfast before it gets cold. I thought we could go for a hike around the lake, and then if it warms up a little, we might even brave taking out the paddle boards.”

“I’ve never been on a paddle board,” I confess as I grab a slice of bacon.

“It’s harder than it looks,” he says dryly.

I throw a blueberry at him.

He chuckles and unsuccessfully tries to dodge it. "By the way," he says nonchalantly, smirking, "how does it feel to be both the most hated and envied woman on the internet right now?"

"What?" I fumble, confused by his question. "What do you mean?"

He retrieves his phone from his pocket. “See for yourself,” he prompts as he taps on the screen a few times and then hands me the phone with a knowing smile.

It’s our video, the one we posted last night. My eyes widen as I take in the numbers – the views, the likes, the comments. It’s only a hair away from a million views. In thirteen hours. There are over three hundred thousand likes, and twenty-one thousand comments.

The realization that we've gone viral leaves me reeling, a mixture of excitement and disbelief coursing through my veins.

"Holy shit, Alec..." I murmur, struggling to wrap my head around it all, "this is...insane."

"Insane, indeed," he agrees, his gaze softening. "But you deserve it, Salem. You're the reason things went wild. Your new account, without having a single post, has sixty-thousand followers now."

“What?” I laugh in disbelief. I can't help but smile at his praise, even as my mind reels from the shock of our sudden popularity.

The phone vibrates in my hand, and I can't tear my eyes away from the screen. The view count rolls over a million. Comments pour in, a whirlwind of emotions and opinions that leave me reeling.

Damn, she's hot!

Holy shit, who is this girl? I'm in love.

I ship them so hard!

But it isn't all praise. There's jealousy too.

She’s not even that pretty.

Or

This is who Vice picked?

Or my favorite:

You’re doing too much, honey.

And then there are the threats – the ones that make my stomach twist into knots.

Watch your back, bitch.

You better pray I never find you. Vice deserves better.

That one sends shivers down my spine.

“Holy shit, people are mean,” I say as my stomach goes a little sour.

“Though skin,” Alec says as he takes the phone from me. “It’s essential if you’re going to post online. Don’t listen to them.”

I swallow once, and nod, even if the nasty comments are ringing through my head still. "A million views... I can't believe it," I whisper, my voice barely audible over the pounding of my heart. It’s only been a few hours. What is that view count going to be after a week? "We really did go viral, didn't we?"

Alec grins, his eyes shining with pride. "We sure as hell did, Salem. And it's all because of you. You brought something fresh and real to the table, and people can't resist it."

I shake my head, still disbelieving. "But it was just us. And some pretty lighting."

"Exactly," he insists, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear. "It's raw, unfiltered – something people crave but rarely experience themselves."

Just a few months ago the words raw and unfiltered never would have applied to me unless referring to the words that come out of my mouth sometimes. And now I’m sitting here, in a relationship with someone I would have most definitely called my enemy before. I’m wearing nothing but his t-shirt. And I just posted something very, very hot on the internet.

It’s shocking to me what Alec has done for my confidence. That he took someone as repressed and stiff as me, and helped me embrace the things I want. The things I crave. And it’s about so much more than sex now. I want Alec. Not just for his body. Not just for the things he does to my body. But for his brilliant mind. For the way he pushes me. For the way he makes me feel like there’s more to life than just crushing it at school.

“Let’s go on that hike,” I say as I swallow my last bite. I spring up from my seat, and race Alec back to the bedroom to get dressed.