Page 271 of Tempting Venom
“Ugh! Okay, let me think about better options.”
“I don’t believe thinking does you any good.”
“Rude.” I slide my hair to the side. “How do I look?”
“Not dead, which is what’s important.”
“You done being me, Hayes?” I scoff, then swallow. “Here’s to nothing.”
“Good luck.”
After I get out, I place my hand on the top of the car and lean down to speak to him through the window. “If Marcus rejects me, your life will be hell, and we’ll be camping out here until he forgives me.”
“Oh God.”
“That’s right, you better start praying.”
My smile disappears as I walk to the black door, my heart in my throat. Right. It’ll be okay.
Ihope.
With a deep breath, I hit the bell.
I can hear it inside, the sound long and loud.Was it always this loud?
My gaze strays to my surroundings, looking for what, I don’t know. Hayes, the traitor, has already left, and I’m all alone.
Maybe Marcus isn’t here. Sucking the corner of my mouth between my teeth, I pull on the bottom of my jacket, touch my hair, and then stop.
I’m nervous. Fuck. Me?Nervous?
Someone check to see if Julian performed a personality transplant while he was waking me up from the coma.
Wouldn’t put it past that freak to Frankenstein me into oblivion?—
The door opens, and I freeze, all the words I practiced to an unimpressed Hayes earlier sort of flying out the window.
I know it’s been three weeks since I unofficially died, but it feels like yesterday when I last saw him holding me as blood bubbled out of my mouth.
Right now, however, he’s different.
Waydifferent.
Gray sweatpants hang low on his hips, his naked chest looks the same with the bulging muscles and the drapingchain, but his shoulders are hunched, his face is sunken. The brightness in his metallic eyes is gone, and all that exists are two pools of empty gray.
Like when I first met him. When he was soulless and lifeless.
The part that freaks me out is that his expression barely changes upon seeing me.
There’s some recognition, but mostly, he’s looking straight through me.
What have I done?
“Um, hi!” I lift an awkward hand in the air, summoning my cheerful tone. “Surprise! I actually didn’t die.Hilarious, right? Okay, I know it’s not, sorry for the bad joke. I was in an induced coma, sponsored by Julian’s demons. Long story that I won’t bore you with. But all you need to know is that you have full license to blame my dad. He plotted the whole thing, and I totally had no idea what was up until a couple of days ago when I woke up. Anyway, I came here to say that. Since I heard you killed Granny for me and stuff, I thought you should know I’m alive. I also wanted to apologize for the trauma dumping through that long-ass letter. My alter ego made me do it, and Hayes should’ve just burned it instead of giving it to you. That’s all, I think. Just wanted to say hi.”
I hold my breath after basically blurting all that out.Way to not know when to shut the fuck up, me.
Throughout my entire speech, Marcus’s expression doesn’t change. He listens in silence, eyes hollow, never quite meeting mine.
