Page 13 of The Enemy

I knew I needed to move away, but somehow my brain refused to listen to me.

Neo took care of that problem when he started to speak. “Is your foot okay?” His question was bit out in anger.

“I think so,” I said as I added weight to it. “Just a bit tender.”

Karma pitied me today, or maybe she was as petty as I was and didn’t want to fuck me over like she had Pricilla.

“Come on, let’s take you home.”

I looked back at the ballroom and didn’t want to go back inside to get my stuff, but I needed my keys to get home.

Neo began to drag me with him, taking most of my weight, then sat me on a nearby bench.

“I’ll be right back,” he said without looking at me.

He returned to the party while I crossed my legs to inspect my ankle better. The worst outcome would be that I sprained my ankle, but the look on Pricilla’s face made my humiliating moment worth it.

When Neo returned, I had my hand on my ankle, massaging the affected area. He looked down at my feet and then at my face. My Chanel clutch looked smaller in his large hands.

“Did it get worse?”

I shook my head.

“Why don’t you take off your shoes?”

“Uh, no,” I said. “That’ssotacky.”

For the first time ever, Neo was giving me a bemused expression. It looked kind of like when you were in class and you didn’t want to laugh because the teacher would get mad.

“Let’s go,” he said, motioning toward the path that led to the cars.

And because Neo was a distraction, I didn’t think as I got up and added weight to my injured foot. I winced as I felt the weight on my heel.

“Motherfucker.”

The pained hiss left my mouth before I could swallow it to save my pride.

“Fucking heels,” Neo muttered, but before I could question him, he took a determined step toward me.

His jaw was clenched—he did not need mewing exercises since he was perpetually mad, and his jaw got all the workouts he needed right there.

“W-w-what are you doing?” It was a stupid question, especially since one of his hands was already going to the back of my knees so he could pick me up. I let out a small yelp as he put his other hand under my arms.

There had to be some kind of bad luck juju when being carried out bridal style at someone else’s wedding.

My heart began to speed up.

We had never been this close. All I could smell was him, and it was having a strange effect on me…an aphrodisiac effect.

“Put me down,” I demanded while trying to wiggle free, but all he did was hoist me up higher and tighter against him. Everything about his actions had me feeling self-conscious. I’d seen the women who threw themselves at him, the women his mother set him up with, and they all had one thing in common: they were slim and dainty.

“You’re going to hurt yourself and me if you keep doing that.” It was clear he was agitated with me.

“I’m trying to do you a favor, asshole, it’s a long walk, and I’m not exactly light.”

Neo stopped walking, and although I had asked for this, I still felt my stomach sink and my cheeks heat with embarrassment.

When he looked at me, I was glad I was in his arms, or else I would have been sucker punched by the intensity in his eyes. I had never looked at him so closely before. At that moment, we were close enough that if I tilted my head, we would kiss.

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