Page 81 of Explosive Prejudice

“You don’t have to.”

“I want to.” He stood a bit closer to me. “Besides, it’s the least I can do after you kicked Kamper’s ass. I hate that guy.”

“It was my pleasure.”

He grinned before pinching my side. “I’m starving. Wanna go grab dinner?”

“Shay-Lee…” We were going too fast.

Ignoring me, he continued. “There’s this Thai restaurant I love. They have vegan dishes. I already checked—”

“Hold on,” I said.

He turned to me with a big smile on his pretty lips. “What is it?”

He looked so happy right now that I hated what I was about to do next.

“We can’t hang out, you know that, right?”

His brows knitted close as he dropped the smile. “How so?”

I was about to tell him why us hanging out was a terrible idea when a group of students stepped out of the main building. The two of us moved fast and got off the main path, then hid behind some bushes until they passed us, and the coast was clear.

“Because of that.” I pointed in their direction. “We both know we can’t be seen together, Shay-Lee. Us talking… it’s fucked-up, you know that. Right?”

He stayed quiet, his eyes pinned to the ground.

“Hey.” I poked his cheek, and he nudged me away.

“So I’m not supposed to see you anymore?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You did,” he hissed.

Shit, he was angry.

“The less we’re seen together, the better.”

“So, can I come to the club? No one we know is there.”

His question took me by surprise. Ever since the night I found out who he was, he hadn’t returned to the club. I was still working there since quitting wasn’t an option. The first few days, I kept waiting for him to show up so I could beat his ass, but as days turned to weeks and he still hadn’t come, I realized that it was all bullshit and that I simply waited for him because I missed him. Whenever I danced, it was his eyes I searched for. When I met with a client, I secretly yearned it would be him. Whenever I had to touch someone, it was his body I imagined underneath mine. All those reasons and more were why he shouldn’t come to the club. I couldn’t allow myself to get lost in him. It was a disaster waiting to happen. At the very least, it would be the last straw between Andrei and me.

“I don’t think it’s a smart idea.” My words felt heavy, and I nearly whispered them out.

Hearing me just fine, he nodded. “I guess you’re right.”

So far, detention was an easy excuse because we had no choice but to spend those hours together.

Bullshit.

Since when did I ever do something I didn’t want to do? Realizing that, I pinched his cheek, and he frowned. Fuck. I loved his blue eyes, which held the fucking world captive inside of them. “So, that Thai restaurant… you say they serve vegan?”

A huge-ass smile spread on his lips, making me all fuzzy.

“Yes, they do.”

“How about you bring some tomorrow? Help me pass the time while I clean the gutters or some shit?”

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