Page 89 of Demons and Debts
Then he invited me to the games room. I’m currently standing in the hall like a little bitch, plucking up the courage to go in. Fuck this!
Digging my fingernails into my palms, I walk inside. Four of them are there. Only Vic is missing. I've noticed they tend to hang out here when they're not in the gym or off doing whatever it is they do. Other than yesterday, I haven't really been in here.
I feel a little bit shy as all four of them turn to stare. Theo beckons me to the couch, and I go, flinching a little as he pulls me down to sit between him and Paris.
They turn on a game.
‘Have you played this one before?’ Theo asks.
I shake my head.
Paris hands me a controller. ‘It's really easy,’ he says, and he shows me what buttons do what.
At first, I'm sitting between them rigid, wondering what their game is, wondering if they're going to turn on me.
But as the minutes pass and I get into the game, I find I’m actually not bad at it and my two companions are pretty easy-going, even funny, when they’re just being friendly. I begin to relax, sitting cross legged on the couch and getting into the game. I don't win, but I'm close.
Paris says something funny and I laugh, just as Sie comes into the room. He immediately turns and walks out again.
‘Don't worry about him,’ Theo says. ‘He's just jealous.’
‘Jealous of what?’
Paris is observing me with a weird expression on his face and Theo’s hand slowly moves to my knee.
I instantly know that Paris was one of the guys watching on the camera while Theo … I look down at his hand and my stomach rolls a little. I’m such a fucking moron because, in all the fun, I forgot what this was, just as they had probably intended. They're trying to butter me up, make me lower my guard so I’ll choose one of them. They probably have a bet on who I’m going to pick. That’s something guys do. I know it is.
I excuse myself and go back up to my room, hoping no one follows me. I head straight for the closet but when I get inside, I find all Theo’s clothes gone. In their place are women’s clothes. Hanger after hanger. Designer. Expensive. Coarse fabrics like gauze, beads, andwool. Textures I’d never want against my skin. Eyes widening, I step inside. All of them are in my size. They’re for me. I finger the fabrics.
It doesn’t smell right in here. It had Theo’s scent before, but now it smells like dyes and chemicals from new clothes. It smells like a department store.
‘How do you like them?’
I whirl around to the sound of Paris’ voice. He’s leaning up against the door jam.
‘I—’
‘You don’t need to thank me, Princess.’ He shrugs, looking me up and down. ‘I told them to choose things that would look good on you.’
‘Who?’
He shrugs. ‘The personal shopper. Sent them your measurements, some photos and they did the rest.’
‘Oh,’ I say, faintly feeling a little sick from the smell of the new clothes and also the GROSS INVASION OF PRIVACY I’ve been subjected toagain. I look up at the camera.
‘You were watching, weren’t you?’
He lets out a little groan. ‘I have to say you were hot as fuck taking Theo’s mouth, his fingers spreading you so wide like that. The camera was a little far away to get a good look at you though …’
He takes a step towards me.
Nope!
‘Well, thanks a lot for the clothes. They’resuper-duper!’
I dart past him as I move through the door and, thankfully, he doesn't try to stop me.
In case he does decide to follow, I go down the back steps quickly, in through the kitchen, and out the back door, breathing in the fresh air.
