Total pages in book: 46
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 48567 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 243(@200wpm)___ 194(@250wpm)___ 162(@300wpm)
“Me. I’m M.”
"A guy?” I point at him.
“My next therapist is a guy?”
She pats my shoulder.
“We just think, trying everything to help you get over your…sensitivity, might be great, and he’s trained in anger management from Duke!”
"That’s an actual program?” I’m flabbergasted.
"Sure is, little buddy." He smirks at me.
I’ll end him.
I lunge.
“See.” My old therapist holds me back.
“That was a test.”
“Little dude failed.” M chuckles.
“But we’ll try next week, for our first hour-long session.” The guy pulls out a box of licorice from his Mary Poppins bag from hell and tugs on the end.
“Can’t wait, bruh?”
I almost yell I’m not your bruh, instead I stomp over and stare at the tub of licorice.
“Gonna take five. Candy tax, you understand.”
"Take ten.” He grins.
“Sugar’s good for the soul, and you probably haven’t eaten due to the anxiety of having to come in here and talk…” He crooks his finger.
“About your feelings.”
I jerk back, ten licorice pieces in my hand.
“You’re different.”
"I’m the best.”
“Because I need it.”
He pauses briefly, then shrugs.
“You are different though, aren’t you, Eli?”
He knows.
Holy shit, he knows.
His eyes flash blue.
Thank God.
I take more licorice.
He laughs.
“Have a good night, and take care of Ava, she’s special.”
I stop midstep and look over my shoulder.
“How do you know her?”
He shrugs.
“I know a lot, see you next week, better hurry, it’s another full moon.” He looks at my old therapist with a sad, pathetic look on his face.
“Makes some people crazy, am I right?”
“So crazy!” She agrees.
I bolt with five pieces of licorice in my mouth and barely make it to my apartment in time to toss the rest on the counter and pretend to look unoccupied, grab a book, hold it upside down twice before figuring out that I just kept turning it, only to have the lock sound.
I'm calm. I’m serene. I'm not angry.
But the minute I smell him on her, I lose my shit, throw the book against the wall and stalk toward her.
“Did he touch you? Tell me now! Did he fucking touch you?”
She stumbles back, her eyes clear.
“Once, my hand, when I spilled my beer, and—“
I kiss her.
I can’t help myself.
The moon is there, but quite honestly, the pain is bearable.
It’s switched to something else.
The pain of not having her by my side.
Chapter 24
Feast
AVA
"So…” I ask.
“What do you do for fun?”
Xavier shrugs.
“Nothing much. I work a lot.”
Wow. Fun.
“And…” I clear my throat.
“What about the beef between you and Eli? What’s that all about?”
Xavier goes silent.
“It’s about our past, something he doesn’t know, refuses to remember, it’s better that way though, we all have our things. I’m his. He’s mine. End of story.”
Okay, weird.
I nod my head like I understand.
“So, why did you ask me out?”
“Because…” He leans in, his smile wide.
“It will drive him insane and that’s really, if you’re asking, my favorite hobby.”
I think I was more hurt then than when I was by Eli.
“Oh.”
“Not that I’m not attracted or don’t like you, I think we could work things out, I just really like getting into his head. All things considered, he’s just a pain in the ass and self-righteous, he doesn’t even know—“
"—know?”
“Nevermind. Hey, you want nachos? Let’s get nachos, margaritas, just hang out.”
I clear my throat.
“I prefer beer.”
“Oh.” He shrugs.
“Okay, sounds good, let’s do some craft beer!”
I could not get away from the “date” fast enough, but I also didn’t expect Eli to be so upset when I opened the door, he was ready to pounce.
Am I wrong in loving it?
Am I wrong in jumping into his arms the minute he yelled?
Am I wrong in tasting his tongue right now and knowing that I’ve found my home?
He shoves me against the couch.
“Is the pain bad?” I ask.
“Horrible.” He peels my shirt from my body.
“So bad, I could die.”
"Bullshit.” I laugh.
"No, really. It’s so bad. Just like me, so bad.” He groans into my mouth, his lips are so wide, so soft.
“I missed you.”
My heart nearly stops in my chest, I pull away from him.
“What? Was that a vulnerable comment from my pimp?”
“Aw.” He swipes my cheek and kisses his thumb.
“Was that a tear from my whore?”
I sucker punch him in the stomach.
Oh shit, I think he likes it.
His eyes flash blue.
“Do it again.”
"Why?”
“So I have a reason to chase you around my apartment without feeling guilty for tackling you to the ground from behind and fucking you.”
Stunned, my mouth drops open, he takes full advantage, his lips molding against mine, his hands digging into my hair and then I’m getting carried somewhere. I can’t take my clothes off fast enough.
We litter the ground with a trail of them until I’m on the balcony and getting set on a chair.
I’m completely naked by this point.
He gets on his knees and spreads mine wide.
“I just wanted a reward for going to therapy and not killing anyone. I want a reward for not killing Xavier for thinking he could possibly…” His fingers inch up my thighs until his thumbs dip low by my ass.