Page 41 of Toxic Kiss

So. Fucking. Dangerous.

chapter

fourteen

“She moved on, but I never stopped bleeding her name, and all the parts she broke are the ones I need to survive.” – Cyrus

CYRUS

Dinner before a show is never quiet. It’s noise and nerves and the excited edge of performance buzzing through every breath. As sick as I am of this life, this feeling is hard to match. We’re always wired, but tonight…tonight something is different. Haven is here with us and she has brought a light with her.

She sits at the table, phone in one hand, chopsticks in the other, eating lo mein and laughing at something Vex has said. I’ve rarely seen the bastard so friendly with anyone, not even us…the band. He is leaning too close, pointing at something on her phone.

Ash is on her other side, relaxed as hell, casually stealing bites from her takeout container like they are best friends.

And Haven? She is glowing. Not glam glowing. Just fucking alive and naturally beautiful. Her smile is totally infectious and goes right through me. She looks like she belongs here, like she’s always been part of this fucked-up family.

The guys are eating it up. Literally and figuratively.

She tilts the phone and starts filming, narrating like she’s shooting a documentary.

“Behind the scenes with Venomous. I know all you hungry bitches have been wanting this. And lucky for you…I’m just the girl to get all the juicy and steamy takes.” She winks at the camera before laughing. “I mean, look at these wild beasts in their natural habitat. Observe as Vex Monroe double-dips his spring roll,” she says, and then makes a face for the camera as if she might faint. “It’s so hot how his tongue licks off the sweet sauce.”

“Jesus…” Vex looks at his spring roll mid-bite and then at Haven, who has the camera firmly on him. Recovering, he leans in and glares at the camera like he might eat it next before giving it a wink. I can only imagine the reaction it will get online.

Ash raises his drink. “Ten bucks says she posts that and it gets more than Cy’s singing tutorials.”

I scoff from my corner. The teaching videos are not for money, but just something I like to do.

“Maybe if I start posting it as a thirst trap and lick the microphone while I teach, it will go viral.”

“Now that’s an idea, can you deep throat it?” Ledger calls out from across the room where he’s lounging. “We can get you one that vibrates.”

They all laugh. Haven included.

I don’t.

“Oh, I know, you can post one of those pics that Haven caught of you earlier and caption it, ‘When you’re dead inside, but still hot as fuck.’ Instant trend, and perfectly on brand for the great Cyrus Vale.”

His words stab me deeper than he knows. Everyone goes still as we glare at one another, the tension in the room shifting.

Eren nudges my shoulder. “Hey, did any of you notice how much time Vex took to style his hair tonight? It was longer than we take for rehearsal,” Eren says, trying to break the suddenly sober mood.

“Well, that explains the change to the set list with this new song, Slicked to perfection,” Ash says, making us all groan. “What? That was good, come on. It totally has a double meaning.”

“That title does match his love life, and the crate of lube that was delivered for him,” Ledger adds, and that does the trick. The tension fades as we all laugh.

“What the fuck, man? You know that was Eren fucking pranking me,” Vex grumbles, but smirks.

Ledger takes a sip of his beer. “Never proven.”

“Okay, I need to hear this story,” Haven says, as she keeps filming.

Ledger launches into the story about the April fool’s joke and Haven laughs so hard that tears run down her cheek, but her face is lit up with happiness.

Once the story is over she moves on and get clips of the table, close-ups of the guys, even a slow pan of the room, and I hate the way her eyes dance when she looks at Vex. Hate that Ash touches her without thinking twice. Hate that Ledger makes her laugh so hard she almost spits soda across the table.

Most of all, I hate that it makes me want to punch something…or someone, like no time has passed. I want to throw them over the balcony so that I can keep her all to myself.