I want Ora to watch. I wanna make her uncomfortable, skin her lips from her face and taunt her with the fact that I still have mine to kiss all over Bunny with.
See why I walked away?
I’m bound to do something I can’t take back. Every nerve is frayed and zapping, creating this uncomfortable pull on my skin that makes me wanna claw out of it.
Really, going back to Bunny’s room and laying with her would soothe me. But I can’t. Because when I look at her, all I can see is the photo crowding my head. I imagine her feeling sneaky, trying to hide it, and my brain is twisting shit to come up with a variety of reasons as to why they’d even kiss in the first place, landing on one that’s threatening me to snap.
Is she in love with her? Does it make her feel sick? Am I being used to combat something that scares her? Have they done it before? What do they do when the lights go out and they’re alone in their room?
I inhale heavily, skimming my reflection in the mirror to grab my clothes. As I head out of the bathroom, the front door is screeching open.
Man, the fucking universe must be testing me right now. Because there’s no reason I should be running into the face I’m contemplating tearing apart.
My pulse flits, my vision going full sniper on Ora staggering inside the living room with Xene.
Don’t. Just-just walk off. Take some time.
Fuck. I don’t know if I can. My feet are solidifying to the carpet in the hallway, and there’s a compulsion I can’t break. I’m just staring at her smile, her tipsy laugh puncturing down my spine in the form of rusty needles.
Tumbling in together, Ora and Xene obliviously turn into the kitchen, yammering about something they clearly wanna piss their pants over.
Everyone else comes in shortly after, the loud chatter of a full house fading to the back of my mind. I’m still stuck here. In the same spot. Holding my clothes. Watching Ora.
Her eyes finally snag on me, her conversation with Xene and Gwen falling short. It must be unsettling.
Poor thing.
Her smile is dissolving and she’s quickly looking away, like she knows she fucked up. But she’s not sorry about it. Dread isn’t sinking her face. Her jaw is shifting and a smugness washes over her.
And that’s not something I’ve ever seen in her before.
Studying her stiffness, possibilities drain through my head. She’s cocky. I’ll give her that. She’s headstrong and wouldn’t necessarily vomit if she was on my shit list. But I’m getting the feelingshe’sthe one that has feelings for Bunny. Feelings Bunny most likely doesn’t know about because, let’s face it, my girl is awkward as fuck and would make it as obvious as she does with me.
“Did you cut my alarm clock?”
I get taken back to the truck, to the driver’s seat when I looked over at the defensive state Bunny was in. So much has happened, so many firsts with her and things that have excited me, I forgot to poke around the house for the fucking villain that messed up her routine.
I’m not sure I have to poke, though. The longer I look at Ora pretending to tune back into Gwen and Xene shooting the shit over old ass pizza and soggy nachos, the more I see the shapeshifter she really is.
I’m watching you.
As if she picks up the energetic exchange, her façade succumbs to worry, and she looks at me again.
“Raze… What’s up, my man?” Cash hums, slipping an arm around me for a rough pat on my shoulder.
He thinks I’m gone. Bonkers. Off my fuckin’ rocker. And maybe I am. But maybe tapping into my crazy has helped me see that shit in others.
“Just… thinkin’,” I respond numbly.
Which isn’t a lie. Now, I’m just waiting for Ora to look away first.
“Do you need to be chained up outside or something? Like, are we safe in here with you tonight?” Aries clips.
“Okay, ground rules!” Cash pulls off me, stepping into the center of the living room to get everyone’s attention. “We’re not talkin’ ‘bout it. It didn’t happen. If someone asks, nobody ever seen the fuck that marched on our turf. Got it?”
Ora’s no longer looking at me, so I don’t stick around for the nods, or the drum Xene beats on his chest.
No. No one’s safe, Aries.
