“Boring! That’s not making the walls bleedless, Blaze.” Pandora drums her fingers against my thigh.
“It’ll make them bleed slightly less, since you aren’t adding Ezio’s blood.” I lift up her hand and kiss her fingers. “Want to come back to my place and fuck Asch?”
She smiles brightly. “You know I do! But he hasn’t answered any of my recent texts.”
“Yeah. He’s holed up in his room, ‘studying.’ Or wallowing in his sty of a room. You’ll have to lure him out because I don’t want to fuck in that mess.” I can’t believe it’s already gotten so messy even though we’ve only lived there for a bit over a month.
“Challenge accepted!” Pandora packs her laptop into her backpack. “Come on, what are you waiting for? It’s either sex or murder, and you said you didn’t want the murder.”
“I do want the murder!” I complain, getting up. “But not right now.”
We’ll save the murder for when we can take our time and really make Ezio suffer.
3
ASCH
My wrist bumps against the mug on my desk. I glare at the mug and pick it up to place it somewhere less likely to get in my way. Unfortunately, the desk is piled high with books from the library, several other mugs, a t-shirt that probably needs to go into the wash, and of course my laptop, which I’m supposed to be using for studying.
Maybe I should study downstairs in the dining room. Or at the library.
Ugh.
I need to clean up, but I also need to study, which is more pressing. It’s not like the mess is going anywhere, after all.
No, it’s just going to pile up and get that much worse, which I know on a realistic level but don’t feel like dealing with.
It’s only a matter of time before Blaze gets fed up and comes in here with his judgment and his “help.” I hate it, and I should deal with it before then.
I sigh, looking down at my laptop and going to sit on my bed instead. I have to move a pile of clothes before I can sit down, but those only get tossed into my desk chair. At least they’re clean.
I think.
I glance at my phone, where I have two texts from my mother, and I consider giving her a call. She’d like it; she hasn’t heard from me since Thanksgiving at Pandora’s, and I’m not used to going this long without talking to her.
But she still betrayed my trust, and I don’t know what to say to her that won’t sound accusatory or passive aggressive. She doesn’t deserve that.
I know on a rational level that she did what she thought was best, but I hate that that was something that kept me in the dark.
I decide to at least send her a text, which has nothing to do with me procrastinating and everything to do with me wanting to assuage my own guilt.
Asch
I’m studying for finals. I’ll call you soon.
Mom
Good luck studying. I know you’ll knock it out of the park. I love you.
Asch
I love you too
I stare at the mess on top of my desk, considering straightening up again. I can take the dishes down to the kitchen, at the very least.
There’s no way I’m going to be able to focus, not like this.
Before I can make up my mind about what to do, my door swings open. I tense and glare at the intruder.
