Page 170 of Tainted Romance

“Zane, don’t lie to her. You and me, that is how it is. Her and Blake, that is how it is. Why are we all fighting it?” Ebony snapped behind him.

“Shut up, Ebony!” Zane threw over his shoulder, but his eyes were on me.

Normally, his eyes would make me still, and freeze me, but my heart was already bleeding for a loss so all I wanted to do was run.

“Just stay away from me,” I staggered out, with my hand on the doorknob. “I can’t believe I trusted you!” God, I am so stupid. Zane has never been, nor will ever be trustworthy.

“ALLIE, DON’T…”

I closed the door in the middle of his sentence and picked up pace, wanting nothing more than to leave him and her behind.

Blake had been right. We both had mates we wanted to get away from. Well, at the time I didn’t want to get away from Zane but now… now I never wanted to see him again.

***

ZANE

She wouldn’t acknowledge me. Every time I reached into her mind, she wouldn’t speak back to me. She just pretended like she couldn’t hear me. I was living for the classes we had together so I could get a dose of her being near.

I needed her. Physically needed her. I knew she needed me just as bad because I felt it.

Fucking Ebony.

I glanced at her as she sat beside me. We still weren’t speaking, although she was acting like everything was fine between us. Even though I had told her straight out what I thought of her and said I wanted nothing to do with her, still, she didn’t piss off.

Still sat next to me and still spoke to me.

Like nothing had happened.

I still couldn’t believe Ebony had pulled a stunt like that.

I took my eyes off Ebony and looked back at Allie.

She was actually doing her Math work. She knew I would be in her mind, so I think that’s why she had an earbud in listening to music.

She was so busy working on the fraction, she didn’t realize Blake and Chase had just walked in.

Late like normal, although Chase wasn’t in this class.

“Where ya been!” Blake smirked at her.

She looked up slightly shocked. “How did you know I was listening to that?”

“Good hearing, babe.”

She moved to her side of the table. “What are you doing in here, Chase?”

Chase pulled another table to theirs, sitting on the other side of her.

“Changed classes.” He frowned. “You actually studying?”

“Don’t start me on it. The teacher is threatening to fail me.”

Blake laughed and put an arm around her shoulder. “What? Again?”

I felt Ebony go stiff next to me. She hated seeing them together nearly as much as me. Blake was always making a habit of touching her. They were glued together as soon as she came back to school.

Ignored me and went straight to him.