Page 3 of A Lesson in Deceit
I felt a hand grab me and yank me from my stranger’s overwhelming presence. Marianne’s stunned face had me sighing and wanting to explain a situation I didn’t even know how to comprehend. “Riley, what the hell?”
I turned my head to the man now leaning against the wall, one of my braids practically slapping me in the face. “It wasn’t me, okay. It was him.”
He raised his hands up, laughing. “I’m sorry for invading your thoughts, gorgeous. I’m not sorry about why I did it.”
I scoffed and so did Marianne. I watched her as she eyed him. “You’re River St. James?” I saw her tongue pressing into her cheek, a telltale sign that she was collecting every piece of information she knew about someone.
He winked at her, nodding. “Guilty.”
I shook my head. “Is that supposed to mean something?”
Marianne gave him a raised eyebrow but focused on me. “Nope, not to you.” She grabbed my forearm, dragging me away from him. Her ponytail swung as she looked over her shoulder. “Use your powers on someone else, River. Your reputation precedes you, believe me. Leave her alone.”
The lack of information I was getting about this man just intrigued me more. Marianne moved in a determined fashion, but I found myself sneaking a look over my shoulder.
He had that mischievous smile again. His voice rang out through the music. “If I promise to not use my powers on you ever again, do I get a date?” There was a joking nature in his voice, but also a hint of sincerity, and I didn’t know why I liked that so much.
I didn’t even fuckingknowhim.
Marianna huffed, wrapping her arm around my shoulders. “How about we just go to your house and eat popcorn drizzled in chocolate and those tiny pretzels you like? I can drown my Ainsley sorrows in empty calories.”
I blew out a breath, nodding in response. Once we were outside of the bar, I waited while Marianna tapped her phone to bring up the rideshare app. It would be a long hour ride home. I wrapped my arms around myself, looking up at the dark sky. I scanned the people waiting to get into Arcane, wondering how many of them had powers and how many of them were just simple humans like me.
I chewed on my bottom lip, fiddling with the ruby gemstone my mom gave me for my twelfth birthday, needing to find something to do with my hands. I looked towards the entrance of the club, wondering what River was doing. River St. James must be quite popular if Marianne is revoking her stamp of approval already. He had annoyed the hell out of me, yet he had this alluring way about him that in a matter of two minutes I already wanted to dry hump him. I didn’t feel like diving into what that said about me.
“Riley, come on.” Marianne called when a black car rolled up in front of her.
I started to make my way over to her, while at the same time I was mentally giving my number to the telepath who had my pulse racing. I could doonedate. It didn’t have to mean anything.
1
Riley
ONE YEAR LATER
“My birthday is like three months away, why are you asking me this now?” I laughed, sliding off my bed. The soft carpet hit the bottom of my bare feet as I padded over to my desk. A scoff came from behind me. “Besides, wejustcelebrated your birthday.” That was last week, which also happened to be the last week before spring break for the unified community college I got accepted to at the last minute.
“You had class on my birthday, but we got to spend the entire night in bed together, so I’ll forgive you,” River teased. “But aren’t you happy I was well prepared and had everything fucking perfect for your last birthday?” he asked, with a tone that came off like he knew the answer, but he just liked hearing me say it out loud.
Hehadbeen well prepared, but that didn’t mean he was well liked. Scratch that…he was well liked by everyone but Marianne. The minute I had told her we had been talking, she nearly popped a blood vessel in her head. When I’d told her I’d agreed to a date, I thought she would combust right then and there.
“RIVER ST.JAMES! You’re actually going on a date with him?” Marianne screeched as she pushed open my bedroom door.
I stumbled out of my closet, the dress I had decided to wear not fully pulled down my legs. “Well hello to you too.”
She pointed her finger at me. “When you told me that you guys were just talking, I thought it was just some mindless flirting. He’s hot, I get it. I just don’t want you to get into some hot guy mess that you can’t get out of.”
“He’s been nothing but polite since we started talking.”
“Oh right, cause having you pinned against a wall was just the politest meet cute.”
I stared at her, not really interested in having the same conversation in person that we’d had over text. She only knew about River due to her college tour of Mystic Riegan during the summer of our junior year and apparently, she had overheard some things she didn’t like. “You’ve really yet to explain to me how he’s so bad. Is he a womanizer? Does he do drugs? Does he have a violent history?”
Marianne sat on the edge of my bed. “No, it’s that power of his. It gives total invasion of privacy and lazy behavior when it comes to dating. You were pissed at him for doing it in the first place, or have you forgotten?”
I walked over to my floor-length mirror, examining my outfit. She narrowed her dark brown eyes at me as if she was waiting for a response. “He apologized for that. If he does it again, he’s out. Hot or not, he knows where I stand.” I raised one of my eyebrows, turning to look at her. “Lazy dating?”
“Come on, Riley. The guy doesn’t have to try. He knows everything. He has no need to work for it if all he has to do is get into your head and boom! Every single detail right there. It’s like taking a test you already have all the answers to and being fake surprised when you pass. Studying isn’t required for people like him.”
