Total pages in book: 69
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 66997 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 335(@200wpm)___ 268(@250wpm)___ 223(@300wpm)
“Cool,” I whisper to my reflection. My voice is steadier than I thought it would be. Cold. “Let’s just go get this over with then.”
It doesn’t take me long to walk to his office. His door is cracked slightly open like he’s expecting company, the conquest or the whore? What will it be? I’m on the edge of my seat.
I don’t knock.
I push it open and freeze. Evans stands behind his desk, black tie loose, shirt slightly wrinkled, and leaning against the edge of the same desk. Her. I can tell by the black ballet flats. I’m not surprised she’s in a gray cardigan and tight skirt like she’s already channeling all the potlucks and family photos in front of her white picket fence in Connecticut.
Perfect blonde hair. Perfect smile, though her once-fixed lipstick is smudged and currently half on Evans’s face. A perfect package wrapped in designer lies. She shoots me a fake oops and takes a step back.
“I assume…” I nod. “…that you’re the whore in this scenario if I’m the conquest?”
Her mouth drops open.
“Lilah!” Evans shoves her even further away. “It’s not what you think. It’s—”
“Sex.” I shrug. “I get it, a man of your nature has needs, but I just wanted to come in here and let you know that you gave me chlamydia.” I hold up my phone. “I just got tested and apparently it’s super contagious, I felt like it was the only responsible thing to do. Should I just notify the school nurse first or—”
“Lilah—” He snaps. “Don’t, and how do you know it was from me?”
“Ah there it is.” I nod. “As if I would ever sleep around when I was already so pleased by whatever you call what you do is…I mean I think it’s sex but I can hardly feel it each time, either way, I would get checked out,” I point at her. “Ashely?”
“Kingsly.”
“Same thing,” I mutter with a smirk. “Same thing, anyways, have a great day both of you. And Evans, safe to say our little tryst is over, but have fun. I’ll close the door on the way out.”
“Don’t.” His eyes are desperate as a tear slides down his cheek.
“Ah,” I nod and stare back up at Kingsly. “So, it seems we both had it wrong. I wasn’t the conquest, I was the prize, I wonder what that leaves you as?” I shrug. “Stop crying, Evans, it’s beneath you.”
And just like that I close the door and march back down the hall.
Away from him.
Good riddance.
Away from Jude—try not to puke.
And toward the only future I have right now.
Survival.
4
“He listened in the dark. Not for love. For evidence.” –The Count of Monte Cristo
JUDE
He’s an idiot. I mean I already knew that, but now everyone else does too. I watched him for a while and was astonished at how sloppy he was, but Evans is the type who is just arrogant enough to think he won’t ever get caught, and just enough of a narcissist to assume that everyone who wants him will kindly look the other way.
See? Idiot.
I didn’t peg her for the type to actually fall so easily for guys like that. Then again, she’s not the best judge of character; how she manages to look at herself in the mirror with a straight face is beyond me. She destroyed my life and gets to just magically live hers? Hell no.
They say the prettiest things are the most dangerous. With long dark hair I always wanted to wrap around my hand and tug, to the full lips that always taunted me while still saying not to touch. I wasn’t prepared to see her again. To smell her. To have her invade my universe in such a violent way it took me a few seconds to calm down. My body reacted, unhinged that I watch the sway of her hips now and I’m instantly hard. Does that make me sick or just human?
I guess it doesn’t matter, if anything I’m just acknowledging what a beautiful weapon she was. I still can’t believe how easily she folded. Nothing was real then; I have to tell myself that to be able to justify what I’m doing. She lied. She left. She chose money. I stayed. I suffered. I chose her.
I can’t wait to make her explode. Gorgeous olive skin, green eyes, and dark hair all wrapped up in a tempting package. One I used to assume fit right with me.
I ignore the pain in my chest when I think about the past—her face, her lies—I hardly feel it anymore. It’s more of annoyance that it even exists and that I allowed someone as insignificant of her to cause it and take up head space. Fucking, annoying. I shove in my ear pods and start making the rounds. I’m doing my usual walk back to my apartment when I see him stumble up toward her apartment complex. He types in the code and the dum-dum lets himself in. Is he for real? What? Has she forgiven him? Offered up her perfect ass for him to kiss? I’m genuinely confused and stare up at her lights. They flick on. I wait a few more beats then curiosity gets the best of me.