Page 43 of Their Deviant Love
“Kinda makes me miss that study room in the library. No one ever interrupted us there.” Aurora smiles, as memories appear to flicker through her mind.
“Best study sessions ever,” I tell her, letting her feet hit the floor.
“I should clean this up.” Her hand gestures to the floor, and I look down to see a sandwich spilled out on the ground.
“Have you eaten today?” I ask Aurora.
“Yes. Go find out what Patty wants. I’ll meet you in your room,” she says.
“Ourroom,” I correct and kiss her once more before stepping inside the house and heading for the office.
I glare at Patty, and he smirks at me.Asshole.
“This better be good.”
“Catch ya at a bad time?”
Instead of answering him, I walk over to the wet bar and pour myself a serving of Jameson. The amber liquid swishes around the sides of the glass as I bring it to my mouth. Downing the entire contents in one go.
“Right, that kind of day then,” Patty says. “I’ve set up the meeting with the Albanians. Two weeks from tomorrow.”
“That’s what you called me in for?” That sort of thing could have waited.
“No, they want proof. They want you to bring them a Valentino and prove that the virus works,” he tells me.
“Well, they can fuck right off because that’s not going to happen.” Putting my glass down, I’m tempted to refill it. Instead, I walk away. I can’t lose my mind. I have to stay focused.
“No shit, but we gotta do something.” Patty looks at me.
“I’ll figure it out.”
“You know you’re not alone in this, C,” he says.
“I know that.” I have my wife. I’m never going to be alone again because I have Aurora. The best person I’ve ever known.
“I’m not talking abouther. I’m talking about me. I’m here, to help you,” he clarifies like he can read my mind. “I’m supposed to be in Boston. My pops is pissed that I’m here. But I’m here anyway.”
“You can go home.” I wave a hand towards the door. “I’ll be fine.” Truth is I don’t want him to go. But I also don’t want to be the reason anyone else’s life is going off the fucking rails.
“You could tell them. The Valentinos. Let them deal with the Albanians,” Patty suggests.
“And risk her family? She’d never forgive me if anything happened to one of them because of something I did.” My fingers comb through my hair.
Patty stares at me for a moment, and then he says one word. “Kenny.”
Guilt eats at me. “That wasn’t her fault,” I say. And now, I actually mean it. When I first started saying it, mostly in my mind, I still hated her for what she did to my cousin.
“I know. I’m just saying there is nothing you could do that girl won’t forgive you for.” He shakes his head. “You might need a few stitches, but she won’t kill you and she won’t leave you either.”
He’s right. Knowing Aurora will never leave me isn’t a free ticket to take advantage of her love or her loyalty, though. I won’t do that to her. I just need to figure out another way.
“I’ll figure it out,” I repeat aloud. “Go home and finish school, Patty. One of us should.”
He laughs. “Yeah, okay, I’m not the one with early acceptance into Harvard.”
“I gotta go,” I tell him, walking out of the office. I can’t have this conversation. I know my life is gone to shit. I get that. But there’s also not much else I can do about it. This wasn’t supposed to happen for years. My father wasn’t supposed to fucking die when I was eighteen.
I jog up the stairs with one thing on my mind. Aurora’s pussy. I need it now. I open the door, feeling for the lock because there is no way I can take my eyes off the sight in front of me, and click it closed.
