I glanced down at her. “Do you want that?”
She considered my question, tipping her head up to meet my gaze. She shrugged. “No. I love you. You still have to be you. I fell in love with you, not a version of you.”
She did indeed.
She looked at me, saw my monster, then claimed my monster as hers.
Blake
It was a couple hours into the Christmas party, after Creighton had to step out to take a call, that I slipped away to the bathroom. It was when I was returning, going down a hallway toward where the larger group had congregated. Hearing a sudden burst of voices, I glanced over, but I almost did half-heartedly because I didn’t even know there was a door beyond the women’s bathroom. It was a side exit, and I’d realize later that the door was camouflaged, and how sneaky was that, but I recognized the two big guys just coming in from out of that door.
Those were Ashton Walden’s guards. Elijah and Derek.
Right behind them, dressed in a business suit with a phone pressed to his ear, and looking distracted was Ashton Walden. My knee jerk reaction was panic, because of old habits. I was alone. Vulnerable. They could grab me, but I remembered the war was done.
I shoved that fear away and stayed put.
They had to go past me to get to their table. They had enough people at this Christmas event so their group was at one side of the banquet and we were on the other. That’d been done on purpose. I doubted my professor or the head of the center was aware of the dynamics, so I had to guess that Tristian West had orchestrated the seating arrangements. Either way, we’d barely interacted.
The two guards began to pass, but once Walden saw me, he stopped short.
He eyed me before he said into his phone, “I need a minute. Do me a favor, Molly? Let Trace know that I’m about to have a face-to-face with Psychopath’s Girl? Thanks. No. I’m okay. I don’t need you to come and She-Hulk out.” He put his phone away and fixed me with a contentious glare. “Taking lessons from your stalker boyfriend?”
I was confused. “Are you implying that me standing here is stalking you?”
“If the shoe fits . . .”
“Yeah. Uh. No.” I gestured three feet away. “Girls’ bathroom. Not a stellar stalking hideaway. But kudos to you for thinking I’d want to stalk you if that were the case.” I tipped my head toward his guards. “They’re super stellar at their job then? Going right past me.”
He rolled his eyes. “Or maybe you’re just that unremarkable? They skip right over anyone who’s inconsequential.”
“You realize who you’re saying that to, right?”
He narrowed his eyes. “What? The great and infamous—”
I stopped him before any more stupidity came out of his mouth. “I grew up tossed away like garbage. I was put in the system, and different homes were forced to take me in. You know.Thatworld. That’s where we are right now. This event. That’s who you’re talking to. I just wanted to give you a reminder that I’m a human being. I’m a person. I am used to people taking one look at me and hating me instantly because I dare to breathe the same air they do. And just so we’re on the same page, I am not going to disappear to make you happy. In case you keep going down that avenue.” I didn’t say the rest, but I was feeling it. Right now, at this event, I didn’t want to take any more of his shit.
I was tired of those types of insults.
I might’ve been garbage to others, but Creighton only needed one look to decide I was the world to him. That’s what mattered.
He grew quiet before sighing. “I hate your boyfriend. That’s the only reason behind my antagonism. No other reason.”
Fuck’s sake. My grin twisted up, and I eased some of the sudden seriousness. “Didn’t you hear? I’m the pin that either turns Creightoninto an assault rifle or keeps him null and void. Nothing unremarkable about that, now is there?”
“It’s more than just one pin.”
“Whatever. I’m important.”
“If we’re going to exchange jabs, I’d rather not unless I get permission to use knives on you, and in that case, after you.” He stepped to the side and indicated the door.
“Such a gentleman,” I deadpanned.
“Only if there’s a lady around.” He made a show of looking around, craning his neck. “Do you see one? For what it’s worth, I’ve never thought you were garbage. I’ve always known you were the linchpin to that psychopath.” He motioned between us. “Can we share these types of insults? I’m not familiar with the rules for us, what will or won’t set off that psychopathic wolverine.”
“You know.” I kept my tone casual and stepped toward him. “Creighton and I discovered that security tend to search him for weapons, but not me.” I wagged my eyebrows up and down.
His face got hard. “If you were going to stick me, you wouldn’t have waited to corner me outside the women’s bathroom, and didn’t you just remind me about where we’re at tonight? At an event forfosterchildren.” His dark amusement vanished. “What do you want, Miss Green?”
