Page 17 of Make Me Scream
“I hope you both have a good day at school,” she says as we grab our shit to leave. As I swing my gym bag over my shoulder, she grabs onto Abel and pulls him into a hug. He stumbles into her, his eyes going wide, but his arms wrap around her all the same.
“I’ll, of course, let you know if I hear anything today, but try not to worry, my love. We’ll always be here for you, and this will always be your home, okay?” She pulls back to look into his eyes—which he avoids readily. He nods stiffly and purses his lips.
Ma smiles sadly, eyes crinkling. “All right, then. I’ll see you both after school… practice?” She corrects, glancing back and forth between us.
“Yeah, last practice for me before break,” I let her know.
“Think for me, too,” Abel mutters.
“Good. I’ll have dinner done before I leave for work. I love you both so much,” she says softly as she pulls us both into a tight group hug. We all stumble together with surprised grunts, but I wrap my arms around them both because it’s Mom—and I’ll do anything to make her happy.
“Love you too, Ma.”
“Yeah, uh… Ditto, doc,” Abel whispers so softly, I wonder if I heard him right. But Mom’s sniffles tell me I guessed right, and then, he pulls away sharply, and we split apart.
“Get in, runt,” I say once we’re outside. The breeze this morning is bitter. The cool, late autumn wind is particularly biting as it seeps through my hoodie.
“I’ll walk,” Abel mutters as he strides right past me, his sharp, lopsided chin tilted into the air like he’s fuckin’ something.
“Excuse me?” I snap. I reach out, grab his arm, and yank him back. Abel whirls around, crooked teeth bared into a snarl.
“Don’tfucking touch me.”
“Don’tfucking walk away from me!”
“You don’t get to tell me what to do!” he retorts.
“Yes, I fucking do.”
“Since when, Peris? Since fuckingwhen?Since you stuck your dick in my ass and called me yours?”
His words bring me up short—which makes Abel laugh. “You’re lying to meandto yourself if you think I’m anybody’s.” And with that, he strides away like he didn’t just fuck everything up inside me all over again.
CHAPTER 8
ABEL
Cigarette ash stains my clothes,and pot smoke clings to the fibers.
“Holy shit, man.” Gabe coughs dramatically and waves his hand in front of his face as I walk past him in the commons room during lunch. I roll my eyes toward him and raise a brow.
“Yes?” I drawl slowly, my tongue feeling like glue in my mouth.
“You stink, dude. Been smokin’ it up, huh?”
“What’s it to you?” I retort, slowing my steps.
Gabriel’s shaggy hair shakes as he laughs, surrounded by his usual group of jock friends. They’re all staring at me, and it must be the heat from the high buzzing in my veins, but I relish in their attention like I would have all those months ago—like the old me would have.
“Oh, just that it’s like a cloud surrounding you,” he says with a chuckle. It’s warm, and it makes mebuzz.
“Not a fan of the smell?” I drawl, leaning in close. Gabriel’s eyes widen, his dark irises swallowed by his pupils, which are nearly the same color. Everyone’s conversations slow into a low-lying buzz before eventually drawing to a close.
“Abel…” Gabe starts.
“Yeah, babe?” I hum, pulling my bottom lip between my teeth and biting it. Gabriel’s brown skin glows with a red flush, and I grin widely at the sight. I fucking missed this shit. Fucking with people. Feeling the power I can hold. Seeing the way people react to me.
I needed this.
