Page 109 of Merciless

“He won’t do anything. The most he’ll do is grumble about it afterward.” He eyes me for a moment. “Unless you want to fuck my brother, too?”

Shame heats my skin, and I avert my gaze. “N-no. That’s not what I’m saying.”

His eye twitches, and he releases my hand. Elijah straightens to his full height and brings me with him. I use his arms to steady myself before I can fall.

“I’ll grab your clothes and other essentials when I come back.” He guides me out of the room and checks my bleeding palms before widening his strides, which are hard to keep up with.

On our way to the elevators, I glance at the floor, seeing if Lavender somehow got out and I missed her. It shouldn’t be hard to notice a snake, but I’ve been so distracted by Elijah on our way in that anything could have gotten past me.

The ride in the elevator is quiet. Too quiet and tense. Elijah’s demeanor changed at some point during the walk. His playful and flirtatious behavior is long gone, and now he’s solemn, along with a new emotion I can’t put my finger on.

Peeking at him from the corner of my eye, I note his tense shoulders and how he keeps more space between us than I like. He’s always been touchy with me, wanting to take up my personal space. Now it feels like continents drift between us.

What changed?

The logical side of me wants to say he’s squeamish around blood. But that can’t be true.

Then my mind lands on it. He changed after he asked if I want to fuck his brother.

I bite my tongue to stop myself from assuring him that I want nothing to do with Asher. It’d be a lie, of course, and Elijah has always been sharp. He’d know right away that I’m not telling the truth.

The doors slide open, and I let out a shaky breath. Elijah steps forward, leaving me in the elevator by myself. I follow him and clutch my hands to my chest so I’m not bleeding all over the pristine floors.

My eyes widen at the open space as we enter his dorm.

Jesus Christ. It’s more of a condo than the tiny area I’ve been staying in. The living room alone is enough to fit two of my rooms in here. The layout is open, except for the hallway that leads to two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.

Floor-to-ceiling windows make up a wall across from me, overlooking the front of the school grounds. The marble floors outside the dorm change from white-and-gold to black with flecks of gold.

Fitting, since I’ve associated the twins with those colors—onyx with flecks of amber in their eyes when the sun hits them perfectly.

Asher stands from the large leather sectional couch and meanders toward us, his gaze sliding from Elijah to me. He rolls his sucker in his mouth and drops his focus to my hands against my chest.

“Help Eden with her hands. She may need stitches.” Elijah touches me for the first time since we left the room, his hand resting on my lower back.

Jealousy darkens Asher’s gaze. His sucker clacks against his teeth.

Elijah takes me by surprise as he turns me in his hold and crashes his lips against mine. I gasp and reach for his shirt, then realize that I’m still bleeding. My fingers hover over his chest. His tongue shoves into my mouth and tangles with mine.

I crack open my eyes and peek past Elijah’s shoulder at Asher. My heart thunders in my ears as I lock eyes with him. Asher stopped moving. Even his sucker is as still as stagnant water as he watches me make out with his brother.

Guilt tightens my chest.

It’s not like I’m doing anything wrong. I’m with Elijah. Not Asher. And yet, I can’t help feeling like I’m cheating on Asher.

Elijah catches my bottom lip between his teeth and nips. I wince and suck in a breath.

Asher’s pupils dilate, and he steps forward, then stops.

Elijah soothes the sting with his tongue, then ends the kiss and draws back. He tucks a lock of hair behind my ear and licks his bottom lip.

“Behave while I’m gone,” he murmurs.

I nod.

I. Fucking. Nod. Like I’m some dutiful girlfriend who’s in love with her boyfriend and would never, ever imagine what it would be like to sleep with his identical twin brother. Let alone let him kiss me like Elijah kisses me.

Elijah parts from my side and strides toward the door. I follow him, unsure what the hell I’m doing, but feeling trapped. It shuts behind him, finalizing the moment and leaving me alone with Asher.