Page 206 of Swallow Your Sorries

“Gant—” One second I’m peering into his coal-black eyes and the next, he’s disappeared, hidden behind black fabric he’s shoved over my head.

A hoodie. His hoodie.

“What are you—”

“Getting you dressed.”

“In your clothes?” I ask incredulously, fingering them. I should throw it off, but…it smells like him. And his scent is slowly becoming my favourite scent ever.

“Don’t worry, dove,” he says, bending down to kiss me before slipping a long-sleeved T-shirt over his head. “I have this. No one will get to see what’s yours.”

You’re not mine… but it doesn’t play in my mind snappily. It sounds more like a lament.

“I have clothes—”

“I want you in mine.”

Why?But the word doesn’t escape my lips as he slips on a pair of black sweatpants. Then his discarded socks and trainers. Then, he’s slipping a pair of ballet flats onto my feet.

“Wait. I’m not wearing pants,” I begin to protest and kick them off, but Gant merely slips them onto my feet again.

“My hoodie’s like a dress on you. You don’t need pants.”

“Are you crazy?” I hiss as he pulls me to my feet and unlocks the bedroom door. I slam it back shut. “Miss—”

“Trix? She’s in the library helping Ms. El-Agha with her resume.”

“Wait,” I say, desperately trying to dig my heels into the black-and-white tiles of Maple House’s grand staircase while checking that my ass isn’t hanging out, but it’s Gant’s hand that finds my covered bum first.

“You really think I’d let anyone look at your ass devouring those panties? At my pretty pussy? Never.”

I can feel my cheeks flame red as he continues to drag me down the surprisingly empty staircase. Most of the girls must still be in the dining hall or at some sort of practice.

“Wait.” I manage to squeeze my fingers from his as we reach the last landing. Through the glass over Maple House’s front door, I can see outside where hundreds, if not thousands, of students are streaming into the hall.

“Why do we have to go together? I can walk in five minutes after you.”

“Why would I want you to do that? We’re sitting together.”

He tries to lace his fingers through mine again, but I practically jump down the remaining stairs to get out of his reach.

“No, we’re not,” I say, holding out my hands to stop his onslaught. Damn, he looks sexy with each step that he takes. With each lock of wet hair. With each flutter of his long, sooty lashes. “I’ll go get something to eat.Alone.”

His eyes darken. Flatten. “Are you worried about someone fucking with you? Everyone knows you’re mine.”

“Not by choice and from the outside looking in, we’re still enemies, remember? Just go eat with your friends. You can watch me join the line if it makes you feel better.”

Gant pauses, then he stalks forward, and I stalk backwards until my ass bumps into the wall beside the front door.

“You don’t want to be seen with me.”

It’s not a question.

I hate the…hurt? I see swirling in his eyes because it tugs at my heart and it shouldn’t.

He has no right to feel hurt, not when he’s the cause of my humiliation.

“After all you’ve put me through of course I don’t want to be seen eating with you. No one needs to know that we have any sort of alliance going on. I like things just the way they are with everyone ignoring me. Sitting with you will just stir the pot again.”

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