Page 30 of Dark Things
The hair on my arms rises, and I suck in a breath through my nose. Hearing his voice again makes a shiver travel down my spine. I’m not sure I can handle it after the confrontation with Brooks.
I take a step back, trying to blend into the crowd, but he turns around and my whole body turns numb. I’m rooted in this spot, my legs won’t work. I look around, wanting to get away from him, but he’s too much in my space.
“Hey, are you okay? Chad’s a dick, but I’ll make sure he doesn’t bother you again.” He offers me a smile.
At first, I just stare at his face. A face that I once knew better than my own, but now all it does is raise the temperature inside of me. Fury radiates through me, but there’s nothing I can do about it right now.
“Yeah, I’m good.” I grit out, stepping around him, but he steps with me.
“I heard about what happened with Brooks. Seems like you’re making friends wherever you go,” he says with his classic smirk. “At least this time there isn’t coffee on your shoes.”
I take a shaky inhale and try not to let my anger come to the surface, but it’s so hard to hold it down. The last time I saw Colt before the coffee incident, he was crouching beside my body before I passed out. All I saw was the blood on his face and the sorrow in his eyes. It hits me like a truck, and I close my eyes for a moment.
“Not my fault your friend associates with vapid bitches who forget the world doesn’t revolve around them. Seems to be the current theme at Skyton.” Thistime it’s my turn to smirk, giving him the attitude he deserves.
“We’re not all that bad. Let me get you a drink, make up for that coffee, and I can try to change your mind.”
One time I would have done anything to sit with Colter and drink a beer and chat. Now I’m five seconds away from pulling my knife and plunging it in his throwing arm.
I hold up the can of margarita. “Got one already, and I’m sure you have a life to get back to. Some of us don’t have that type of freedom.”
Before he can answer I push past him, bumping his shoulder, and walk outside. I can’t stay in that house knowing he’s there, knowing he was just in front of me, talking to me.
Aslyn appears at my side, looking back to where I was standing. I glance behind me and see Colter standing by the door watching me. He was the one person who always made me feel safe, but now there’s nothing more than rage pouring off me. I snarl before turning around.
I take another big gulp of the margarita in my hand and turn to Aslyn. “Want to dance?”
She must see I’m not interested in talking so she just grabs my free hand and pulls me along toward the makeshift dance floor. There’s a crowd already, but we squeeze past and let them swallow us.
The music isn’t the best, but I down the rest of mymargarita, toss it in the garbage, and let the beat flow through me. I raise my arms up and close my eyes for a moment, just letting it all sink in. When I open my eyes, Aslyn is laughing, euphoria shifting over her face.
“I love this song!” she screams over the music. I nod my head, going with the happiness she’s radiating. None of this is my scene, but I won’t take moments like this for granted.
My attention is pulled to look behind her and on the fringes of the crowd are the three guys I no longer want to see. Why can’t I get a normal college night instead of having the past hit me in the face at every turn? Colter, Brooks, and Staff are standing, arms crossed and staring at us. Fuck, I don’t need this right now.
Aslyn clasps my hand and shakes me a bit. I turn my attention back to her and try to forget that they’re here. My hips swing to the beat and I try to lose myself in the music, but a nagging feeling doesn’t let me forget where they are.
Just as I’m about to suggest getting another drink, arms wrap around me from behind. My body stiffens but as I look down I see familiar snake tattoos and the scent of Haunt’s body wash hits me.
“You seem to be getting a lot of attention,gioia mia,” he whispers in my ear. Goose bumps form all over my arms and I lean back into him.
“Seems like I can’t go anywhere without an audience lately. It’s starting to get fucking annoying.”
He chuckles, kissing my temple before spinning me around. He hands me another canned cocktail and then extends one out to Aslyn. She gives him a bright smile and raises it in salute.
Cat comes bounding over and gives Aslyn a hug before doing the same to me. She jumps up and down on her toes before spinning in a circle and yelling the lyrics to the song playing.
Haunt laughs and pulls me a little out of the way so we don’t crash together. His eyes crinkle at the corners, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen him so unburdened. It hurts a tad because I’ve never been able to make him feel truly unchained.
Cat grabs onto Aslyn’s hand, and they start dancing together. Haunt opens up my can for me, before twisting off the cap from his water. He looks at me from the corner of his eye, but I school my face. I don’t need to make him feel bad for my stupid shit. He doesn’t know what’s going on and I refuse to make our lives worse by dumping it all on him.
I take a few gulps of the drink and look up at him. He leans down and presses a kiss to my lips. Nothing obscene but enough to get my attention.
“Dance with me,” he whispers into my lips, grabbing me around the waist and pulling me closer.
I wrap my free hand around his neck and begin to sway to the beat. We move as one, in sync, as if we do this everyday.
His huge thigh moves between my legs, and I startto grind on him. A smirk crosses his lips as he bends down and bites my neck. I move my head to the side and close my eyes, getting lost in his scent and the soft lips that are traveling up my neck.
