Page 46 of Vendetta

She looks at me like I've grown a pair of horns. “I heard you were a mean bitch.”

I let her think about that as I take out the container of Chinese she brought me. Spork again. Really.

“Are you threatening me?” Hayley suddenly asks, sitting up straight. I shrug my shoulders. I'm not threatening her, not really, but I like that she thought of it.

She stands up and starts pacing the room. “He thinks he loves you," she says in a quiet, unwavering tone. She looks at me. “Do you love him?”

I busy myself, stuffing my mouth with food.

She shakes her head and scoffs. “Then leave him alone, you stupid bitch. You're ruining him. You're poison to him,” she yells, losing her temper.

The door opens. We both shut up. Devon stands there, his confused eyes looking back and forth between the two of us. Hayley clears her throat. It does absolutely nothing to clear the stuffy atmosphere in the room. I want him to come to me so bad.

He walks over to her and she props herself on her tiptoes and kisses him on the cheek.

I fucking hate her.

“Everything okay?” he asks.

“I thought you had business to take care of,” I say quietly, my tone giving nothing away.

“I do, I was just dropping in for a minute.” His gaze darts to Hayley. “Hales?”

Hayley opens her mouth to talk but then Devon glances at me, and interrupts her before she can start. “Go, I'll talk to you tomorrow,” he demands, pointing with his hand toward the door, his eyes still locked to mine. She narrows her eyes at me, pulling on his sleeve.

He looks at her and his voice softens. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay?"

I drop my head and squeeze my eyes shut. He probably wouldn't like it if I strangled her to death.

“Fine,” she says, and then I hear the door open and close. I open my eyes and look at him locking the door after her.

“Are you okay?” he asks, bracing his fingers together behind his neck.

“Just peachy.”

“What was that all about?” He approaches me carefully; almost like he's scared I'll run off.

Run off where? Most I can do is lock myself in the stupid bathroom, and even then, that lock is so flimsy he just has to shove the door to come inside.

“Don’t be like that,” he says when I don't reply, scrubbing his hands down his face.

“Don't you have stuff to do?”

I’m jealous. I’m so jealous I’m seeing red right now.

“Can we talk tonight?” he asks.

Like I have a choice? I put my hands out, palms up. “I’ll have to check my schedule and get back to you.”

“You're so fucking difficult, Leighton,” he says, leaning closer. He kisses me on my forehead, and runs his finger down my jawline.

“Really? Because it seems to me that when it comes to you, I’m easy.” I place my hand over his and trail it down to my breast, cupping it.

He looks torn. I lean in and kiss him, my eyes locked to his. Adding a little more force to it, I trace his lips with my tongue, begging entrance. He smiles when I bite his lip roughly, frustrated that he won't give me what I want.

“I only want you,” he says, pulling away. His lips twitch when he sees me fighting a smile, and he leans down to place another kiss on my lips. “Tonight.”

I slump down on the bed and go back to looking at the ceiling, instead of watching him leave the room.

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