Page 68 of Make Me Pretty
Frowning, I mumble, “What the fuck?”
And that’s when I see him.
The sun is catching on the silver studs on his belt. Barely anything if you’re not looking. But there he fucking is. On the goddamnrooftop.
I narrow my eyes on his pacing form. His arm moves back and forth in the air, but I can’t tell what he’s doing from down here. I don’t know how the hell he managed to get up there, but I’m about to go find his ass and beat it goddamn bloody.
Maybe then I can make sense of this… this mess.
I push away from Gabe to jump in my car and shift into drive. After two taps of my index finger against the wheel with no one moving, I lay on the horn, keeping it pressed in a drawn-out beep until bodies move and I’m able to park over Abel’s… whatever it is.
Shoving my keys in my bag, I throw it over my shoulder and slam the door behind me. Gabe comes out of nowhere, fingers clutching my shoulder as we walk side by side. Eyes follow us—hot and itchy and irritating—but it’s easier to ignore them with a singular objective.
“You gonna tell me what happened?” Gabriel asks again as he leans in, throwing off my equilibrium. I grunt and shove back against him as I step over the curb, striding with purpose toward the front doors.
“There’s nothing to say,” I answer absent-mindedly as my eyes scan the common room. It’s after eight, so most of the teachers have fucked off to their rooms to prepare for first block, which means less risk of getting caught.
I can’t believe I’m doing this. Risking getting kicked out of one of the most important games of the season, my senior fucking year, just to find Abel, and…
“Where are the stairs to the rooftop?”
Gabe’s fingers curl over my trapezius as he leans into me. “Why?”
I laugh loudly, rolling my eyes. “Don’t act like you don’t know. Just tell me.”
His lips purse as he rakes his gaze over me. What the hell he’s looking for, I couldn’t say, but when his eyes do a double take on my neck, the flush is instant and white-hot.
“What?” I ask, tugging at my collar. Every game day, we have to wear slacks and button-downs, and they’re so fucking constricting, my skin is already itchy. But Gabriel’s perusal makes me think he actually sees something.
His lips twitch, doing a terrible job of hiding his smirk. Clasping his hands in front of him, he drops back against the wall.
“For fucks sake, Gabe. Spit it out,” I bark, exasperated. There are too many…feelingschurning this morning. I didn’t sleep a fucking wink after watching Abel leave. Even after I figured out my usual self-loathing had taken a hike elsewhere, sleep still evaded me.
I’ve been lost in the hauntingly vivid memory of Abel’s tight little body wrapped around me. The curve of his hip beneath my palm, the taste of his spit in my mouth. His sharp little snaggletooth against the tip of my tongue. White hair glowing pink as he rocked on top of me, unabashed, taking everything he wanted.
But before all that… The way my nightmare bled into perfect, tight heat. Impossible and good and confusing. All his words—if they were the truth or just another means to an end.
If I really do hold the power or if that’s an illusion.
Am I worthy of… oflove?
But no. What does love have to do with what we’re doing? He’s a hole to fuck, a body to bruise. And it just so happens I like doing both of those things—against my better judgment and long-gone self-restraint.
I think. Maybe.
It was all so straightforward—before Abel.
I couldn’t even let the thoughts permeate longer than a rushed jerk-off session because of Luke. It was that simple. I wouldn’t give him more power than he already took.
But fate and circumstance turned the tables by giving me the embodiment of everything I hated. Because I did—hate him. I think I still might. But it’s different now. It’s no longer black and white but messy pools of silver and pink.
And it’s… strangely nice.Being seen as I am.
“Hey, Peris!” I whirl around to face whoever spoke. Sierra’s walking by with a few of the other cheerleaders. I throw my hand up in a half-wave with a tired smile.
“Ready for the game tonight?” Lara asks.
“Yeah, totally.”
