Page 552 of Lessons in Cruelty

That other shit is still bugging her.

What more does she fucking want from me? To spread out the coals and shuffle over them on my knees as I plead for forgiveness?

Guess I just have to figure it out.

I know women are supposed to be all mysterious and whatever, but this is fucking bullshit.

She holds out the cup to me, but I wave her away with a flick of my hand. She shrugs and drains the last of the hot chocolate, then swaps out the flask for the bag of marshmallows.

I watch her as she spears two of them onto a long skewer and sticks it in the fire. Flames paint her face orange, making the tiny smudge of hot chocolate at the corner of her mouth that much darker. I try not to let it bug me, but my eyes keep going back to it.

To her.

Like they always have.

Like they always will.

Until we inevitably have to part ways again.

She’s got at least two years of college left. I’ve got a few months. I might have lost the internship, but I’m still leaving Agony Hollow the day I graduate.

Abandoning her again.

“Shit,” Haven mutters, jerking the stick out of the fire.

Both marshmallows are ablaze, and she blows furiously at them, trying to put out the flames.

“You’re not going to eat that, are—“ I cut off with a groan as she gingerly pulls the crackling skin of a blackened marshmallow off its melted body and pops it into her mouth.

“Ow, ow…mmm...” When she glances at me and sees my deadpan stare, she shrugs and starts pulling the skin off the other marshmallow. “What?”

“And you were making fun of my cooking?” My eyes dart to the smoking marshmallows.

“This’s different.” She holds out what’s left of the gooey marshmallow to me. “I know you don’t like them, but just taste this.”

“Not a fucking chance.” I knock the stick away.

She drags the melted lump from the stick, giggles, and hides behind the back of her hand as she holds out the stick again for me to take the second one. “But it’s so good, Kai.”

“The fuck is wrong with you?” I bat away the stick, getting marshmallow on the sleeve of my hoodie. “Jesus, look what⁠—”

Her pounce catches me completely off guard. We both fall over, me on my back and trying to turn my face away as she smears the melted marshmallow over my mouth. “It’s so yummy, Kai!” she shrieks, laughing so hard I can barely make out the words. “Don’t pretend you don’t love it, Kai!”

I push her off me, and she straddles my lap as she licks melted marshmallow off her fingers. When I try to wipe my mouth, I just get sticky candy all over my hand. I give my lips an experimental lick, and shudder at the sweetness.

“Drama queen,” she says, shifting from side to side in a little happy dance as she cleans her fingers.

“Stop it,” I grate, trying to use the sides of my hands to grab her hips so she’ll stop gyrating on my cock.

“Who doesn’t like marshmallows?”

“Me.” I use the back of my hand to wipe my mouth, but that just gets sticky too. “Jesus, this shit’s like fucking ectoplasm. How the hell do I get it off?”

“You eat it off.”

“I don’t wanna⁠—“

She ducks down, propping herself up onto her elbows, our noses an inch apart. “By all means,” she drawls, gazing at me with heavy-lidded eyes. “Allow me.”