Page 34 of Sweet Addiction
“What happened to you?” I whisper, shaking my head, wondering how I was ever attracted to him.
“I was fucked over one too many times.” He runs a hand softly over my hair and cups my cheek, and I wish I’d paid better attention in self-defense class and knew how the hell to flip him over one-handed. “Now, are you in or are you out?”
The bells above the door chime, and my brother Asher walks in, sucking on a straw in a giant iced coffee cup. His eyes bug out as he looks between Rome and me, who hasn’t dropped his hold on my face. To Asher, it has to look like he just interrupted something.
I want to tell him he didn’t.
That there is nothing between Rome and me.
I want to tell Asher to kick Rome Beneventi’s ass, but while Ash will probably be a pro quarterback one day, Rome is a professional fighter. There’s no chance he can kick Rome’s ass.
If I do this, it has to start now.
Do I let Asher believe this bullshit?
Or do I pull away and scream like I want to?
And give up my secret?
Out myself before Rome can do it for me?
Deal with the press?
My family?
My friends?
With everyone’s opinions. Everyone’s commentary.
All the hate. All the doubt.
“Umm... Dillan. What the hell?” Asher’s eyes dart between the two of us, a look of shock morphing slowly into a dopey kind of smirk because my little brother thinks he just got the scoop of the century. “Why is Rome Beneventi holding your face like he’s going to kiss you?”
Fuck.
I bite my lip, blood blooming in my mouth.
Deal with the devil I know or the one I’ve avoided for a decade?
It’s an impossible decision, but Rome’s the lesser of the two devils.
I turn my face into his hand and press my lips to his calloused palm and watch as Rome smiles. His thumb caresses my cheek, and I want to vomit. I try to force myself to answer Asher, but then Rome does it for me.
“Because your sister just agreed to move in with me.”
Lilah
Umm... Got something you want to share with the class, Dillan?
Dillan
Other than the fact Asher has a big mouth?
Asher
Sorry D. You didn’t think I was keeping this shit quiet, did you?
Noah
