Page 107 of A Perfect World
He bent back down to me, devouring me. My hands found his hair as I lost myself in him again. Smiling against my lips. “Like that?”
“Just like that,” I breathed.
He rolled off me and I grumbled, grabbing one of his shirts off the floor. Once I was drowning in his clothes, I tied my hair in a knot on the top of my head, leaning in the doorway to admire him. His eyelids drooped, a sated and dreamy look in his eyes.
“Sleep, Beautiful Monster.”
He hugged a pillow under his chin. “And dream of our perfect world.”
I nodded, smiling even with the resurgence of tears.
Minutes later, two take-out bags of breakfast in my hands, my phone buzzed. I paused outside the cafeteria and opened my texts.
Miranda: Heading over to the boys dorm. No one is answering. I’m guessing you slugs are still asleep.
I started typing out a reply when I slammed into someone, almost dropping the food.
“Oh, hey Doll.”
Internally, I shrieked. Externally, I glared.
“What the fuck, Vince?” I snapped. He stepped back, tucking his hands in the pockets of his ironed khaki shorts. I still wasn’t used to his short hair- it made his angled face that much more severe. I made to step around him, but he shifted, effectively blocking me.
I snarled, “Move.”
A muscle in his jaw twitched. “Your mutant boyfriend isn’t around, we can talk for a minute,” he said, a little too carelessly.
“Fine, you want to talk?” I asked. His chin lifted, foolishly believing I’d give him the time of day. “How long have you been working for Merit?”
The smug smirk fell off his face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
He jumped at the sound of my dark laugh.
“Bullshit. You’re a terrible liar, Vince,” I scoffed. His nostrils flared. “Stop wasting my time and tell me what I want to know or get the fuck away from me.”
“Look what he’s turned you into,” he stammered, scanning me up and down. “You’re acting crazy.”
My manic giggle echoed off the quiet street.
“No, I’ve always been crazy, you were just too far up your own ass to notice.”
My words bounced off his tight shield of denial. He shook his head and reached for me.
“You need help-”
I dodged his hand. “You’re officially wasting my time,” I hissed and shoved him aside. Footsteps trailed behind me as I stomped to the dorms.Let him follow, I’d lead him right to his demise.
“Doll, this isn’t you.”
Like he knew who I was before. Like I hadn’t suppressed everything he deemed uncivilized while catering to his every whim. Looking back at it now, I cringed at my blind acceptance of his narcissistic abuse.
“Trust me, it is, you just don’t like who I really am,” I said, refusing to look back.
“Hannah was right.”
I slammed to a halt, spinning so fast, he tripped over his boat shoes.
“My roommate, Hannah?”
