Page 25 of See Me After Class

And instead, I lethimseduceme. Somehow, he was the one who took over, and now, I didn't really know what to do. I frowned at the fluffy rug next to the bed, considering my next move.

The idea was that he'd give me the right answers because he'd be, well, in a pussy-haze. It obviously hadn't worked because somehow, the asshole had turned the tables on me.

"I'm just making sure I have everything," I replied lamely, acutely aware that I came with nothing except the lone robe on my body.

"Sure you are," he retorted, not missing a beat. He clapped his hands together. "So, you can leave. But have some coffee before you go. You don't need to be the one making it."

My back stiffened. I didn't want to invite more condescension, but perhaps I could glean some information. I needed to draw out my time. I angled my face to him. "Black, no sugar."

His smile widened, became almost feral. "Just like your heart, huh?"

I didn't gratify that with a response.

"Where are you going, by the way?" he asked, lazily buttoning his shirt. I noticed he left the top two buttons undone and almost rolled my eyes.

He handed me a cup of the hot beverage and I sipped. It felt good. His question did not.

"None of your business," I retorted instinctively and then paused.

This is stupid. I'm doing this wrong. I'm not supposed to be antagonizing him.

"I only ask because if it's not important," said Leon, nodding toward the bed as he spoke, "we can, you know, go for round two."

"Shush,"I said, flapping my hand at him. "I'm thinking."

The room felt as if it held its breath, mirroring the tense atmosphere between us. Outside, the night in Stillingbrook wrapped the Institute in shadows, the moon casting a pink glow over the sprawling grounds. A gust of wind rattled the windows, hinting at hidden secrets swirling in the dark.

Nothing had really changed, had it? Leon was still eager for a dalliance, and I was still chasing the shadows of Oswald's demise. So what if my ego took a few hits along the way?

Leon looked up, his expression one of cheeky triumph, reveling in the small victory of having his desires met. "Tell me what's going on in that peculiar mind of yours," he prodded.

Absolutely not. I was the inquisitor here, not him.

Pacing to the window, I peered out into the night, the grounds sprawling ominously before me. "I was just pondering," I began, my voice slow and deliberate. "How long have you been part of this place?"

"Oh, years," he replied nonchalantly, stretching out on the bed. "Six, maybe seven. I'm practically part of the furniture."

"Huh." My gaze shifted back to him, analyzing. "So you're quite familiar with the inner workings, then?"

His grin widened. "Absolutely. And that's precisely why you should befriend me. I could show you corners of this place you'd never discover on your own."

His insinuation was blatantly sexual, but my interest lay elsewhere.

Liar, whispered that nagging voice of self-doubt. I quashed it with a raised eyebrow directed at Leon.

"I'm aware of your... reputation as the Institute's slut," I said coolly. His smile faltered. "But I'm more interested in your knowledge of the institute's deeper secrets. The staff, the dramas, the unspoken truths?"

"Did you just call me a slut?"

My shoulders squared. I'd overstepped, but I refused to back down. "Am I wrong?"

He opened his mouth to say something, but then, he closed it just as quickly. "No," he finally said, shadows snapping in his eyes. "Of course you're not. Can't deny what's true."

"I might enjoy a bit of fun," he retorted, regaining his composure, "but I'm not an open book for your convenience. And if we're exchanging barbs, what does that make you? Jumping into bed at the drop of a hat?"

"I never said I was judging," I retorted, a little too quickly. "All of this was in jest. I'm all for living freely, regardless of gender."

Great, now I'm rambling.There goes the plan.

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