Page 24 of Pastel Kisses

“See what youmakeme do?” she growls, her voice taut with anger as ifI’mthe one responsible for her psychotic behavior.

She storms out, but before I can even attempt to gather my bearings, she returns, shoving something onto the desk with a slap.

“Here. Eat this.”

A sandwich.

Confusion clouds my pain-addled mind.Why is she suddenly feeding me?

I hesitate, suspicion warring with hunger. The momentary delay sends her spiraling, a shriek ripping from her throat as shescreamsat me to hurry up and finish.

Frenzied, I shove bites into my mouth as quickly as I can manage. But no matter how fast I eat, another blow follows.

The sandwich is gone in a matter of seconds. My stomach is still hollow, but my head pounds worse than before.

A bottle of water crashes against my chest, the impact jarring as she barks at me to finish it, too.

I obey, chugging it down in uneven gulps. My hands shake around the plastic, but I don’t stop until it’s empty.

For a brief second, I think she’s done.

Then another strike.

The sickening crack of metal against flesh echoes in the small room, splitting through the quiet like a gunshot. I sway, blood dripping freely down my temple, splattering against the worn mattress beneath me.

Everything throbs, a symphony of agony coursing through my veins, but I bite down a wince.

Because Iknowwhat this means.

Jaxton—my guys—rejected her.

And it must have beenbrutal.

The thought alone fuels me, a victory in the middle of a nightmare.

A smile tugs at my lips despite the pain.

Sarah sees it instantly.

Her nostrils flare, rage flashing behind her dark eyes before she takes a step back.

Something shifts in her expression, morphing from anger into something else. Somethingdangerous.

She disappears through the door, but I don’t relax.

Moments later, she returns, hands tucked behind her back, her smile eerily calm.

Every alarm bell in my body goes off.

I scramble backward, pressing myself against the wall, but dizziness rocks through me, sending the room tilting and spinning.

Sarah movesslowly, knowing I have nowhere to go.

She steps within reach, the air between us electric with tension.

Then her hand snaps forward.

A syringe.

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