Page 59 of Tell Me You Like It

White-hot anger rips through me at his suggestion. “Touch her, and I’ll fucking kill you,” I say slowly, a weird sort of madness fully taking hold.

Christian laughs like it’s a joke.

“I’m serious,” I growl. “Touch her, and you’ll fucking regret it, Christian.”

Christian lifts his hands in surrender. “Okay, okay. Dude, chill.”

An awkward silence falls over our group.

For long seconds, the only sound is the seagulls screeching overhead.

Finally, it’s Lucas who speaks. “Roman, I’m just going to say what I know we’re all thinking. Maybe you’re in too deep with this Lux chick. Maybe we should approach this whole thing from a different angle.”

My head snaps to face him. “What, you don’t think I can do this?”

“You just threatened to kill my brother, dude. You’ve never been like that over a girl,” he says. “And I don’t know, maybe we underestimated her pull.”

I shake my head. Unbelievable.

“We’re just worried about where your head’s at,” he continues. “You’re no good to us if you fucking fall forherfirst.”

Anger burns in my gut, and I clench my hands into fists. Thank God we’re in the water because I know myself, and I would have launched myself at him—my best-fucking-friend.

I take a second to collect myself.

“I’m protective of her,” I say slowly, reining in my rage, “only because she’s the key to this whole fucking thing, and I don’t need Christian shoving his dick in the middle of that.”

I suck in a breath, and will myself to calm the fuckdown. Just the image of Christian all over Lux makes me feel murderous. Goodamn. I don’t even address his comment that I might be falling for her, though, because that’s not even a legit concern. I don’t fall for anyone. She’s different, sure. She’s nothing like the usual girls I fuck around with. But that’s where it ends. When it comes to Lux, I’m interested in one thing, and one thing only…

Her complete and total submission.

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

Lux

The next day,there’s still no word from Bree, and before my first class, I do the only thing I can think to do. I design a missing person flyer with Bree's picture, full name, basic stats, and a plea to call or text me with any information. I walk over to the Graphic Resources building to have them printed out. I could have done it at the library, but the printer there sucks and gets jammed every five seconds. It costs me a small fortune to have the flyers printed out on the commercial printer, but whatever. It’s for a good cause.

Once Bree comes back from her mystery sexcapade vacation, she’s going to be pissed that I’d plastered her face all over campus. I didn’t even use her best picture. I used the one that I thought looked the most like her, which is a photo of her on a hike without any makeup on. So, yeah, she’s going to belitwhen she finds out. But it serves her right for disappearing without a fucking word to anyone.

After picking up the flyers, I head to the library to study. I’d go back to my dorm room, but honestly, I’m afraidto. I’m sure everyone in that entire fucking building heard Roman and me last night, and I just can’t handle the weird looks.

Plus, if I’m being honest, I’m hiding. Roman could show up to my room at any moment, and I’m just so fucking confused, I don’t think I could face him right now. Ihatehim, and everything he represents, but damn, the way that boy plays my body like a fiddle…

I’m not ready to confront whatever that means.

So, I do what I do best, and ignore the hell out of those feelings, and instead, pour myself into my studies. It helps my anxiety about Bree, too. If I let them, my thoughts can stray to really dark places. But no one seems worried about her, except me, so I just try to keep myself distracted as best I can.

As I walk across campus toward the library, I hear someone call my name—and it’s not Roman, thank God. The voice is definitely male, but not Roman’s deep baritone.

I turn around to see Nathan walking toward me, a smile spread across his face. He jogs the twenty feet that separate us. “Hey, Lux.”

“Hey,” I say. “What’s up?”

He shrugs. “Just wanted to check in. See if you’ve heard from your friend yet?”

I shake my head. “No. Nothing yet.”

He shoves his hands into his pockets, and looks around, a little shy. “Well, um, I thought about this after we talked last night—but my dad is a surgeon over at the hospital. I can ask him to check and see if any Jane Does have come in.” He pauses, then clarifies. “I mean, I’m sure she’s fine. But, you know, just to put your mind at ease.”

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