Cynthia is hot on my heels. I note her out of my periphery but don’t turn to her as she comes to mimic my stance and leans against the wall right beside me, crossing her arms over her chest. In a red maxi dress that’s skin tight, her hair pulled up in a loose bun overflowing with her brown curls, she looks so good.She could still be out there having fun, getting drunk, and collecting more numbers—although she and the football player, Tylone, have been texting daily.
Regardless, she’s back here with me. The friend and roommate who lied to her and now, is getting in fights with her friends.
“You know,” she says casually, “I don’t like Tasia all that much. If you want, we can both throw punches.”
Despite myself, a laugh bursts through my lips like a seal breaking. “Shut up,” I murmur with no heat, staring at the silver wall. “She’s just got daddy issues.” I swallow the lump in my throat. “Makes two of us.”
“I don’t know, the way Faust Darling was looking at you, I think he’s your daddy now.”
My eyes widen as I turn to my best friend and she’s grinning from ear-to-ear.
“You’re unbelievable,” I say with a mirroring smile, a blush hitting my cheeks because honestly, that word has never, ever appealed to me but if I had to use it on anyone in bed, it woulddefinitelybe Faust.
“Tasia is just jealous because she wants to grind all over Sylvan’s dick one more time and she knows that even as she triesto steal the man you had first, what was his name?” She snaps her fingers. “Spade?”
I’m laughing all over again. “Ace.”
“Yeah, same thing. Anyway, she knows you’re the only one with the chance.”
“I don’t think she’s used to not getting her way.”
Cynthia ducks her chin and levels me with a look. “She better get used to it, because she doesn’t know you.”
A shadow falls over the both of us before I can reply to that, and when I lift my gaze above my friend’s head, Faust is there like a shadow, quiet and unmoving.
Cynthia notices my distraction and turns.
Immediately, she rolls her eyes, then glances at me. “You good?”
I nod once. I don’t know what he wants to say to me but it could be about the murder investigation or Sylvan’s fucking attitude, and I’d rather hear either thing alone.
“I’ll catch up with you soon,” I promise Cynthia, nodding toward her and hoping she knows how grateful I am that she came out to check on me.
Cyn smiles, then shoots a glare at Faust for good measure before stalking back down the hall, her heels clicking.
A guy brushes by us both, exiting the bathroom, and I see him do a comical double-take at me, right in Faust’s view.
“You good?” Faust challenges the guy, his voice low.
The other man sucks in a breath, stares at Faust, then double-takes him too. “Oh, yeah, sorry, man, I didn’t realize she was your girl.” He holds up his hands in mock surrender. “Good game by the way. You guys tried hard.”
I wait for Faust to correct him, because I am absolutelynothis girl, but he says nothing, only stares the man down until he walks away, disappearing from view. Of course he doesn’t say anything.
“You enjoy that? Everyone wanting to suck your dick?”
Faust tilts his head as he props one shoulder against the wall, facing me. “I would if you did.”
I push my tongue up to the roof of my mouth and keep my body still, not wanting him to realize how much those words affect me. “What is it you want?” I shrug once. “Besides your dick sucked, because I know you think I’m a whore but I’m not doing that here by the bathroom?—”
He grabs my wrist and cuts off my words as he yanks me closer to him. His head bends, his lips by my ear as my heart thunders inside my chest.
“Stop saying that.” The words are ice against my skin. “You’re not a whore.”
I breathe a little laugh. “You don’t know me very well, do you?”
His strong fingers tighten around my bones. “I’m going to.” It sounds like a promise.
I jerk away from him, but it’s him who lets me go. “What do you want?” I demand.
