Page 54 of They Break Beauty

Colton beamed at his praise and gratitude.

That was an interesting dynamic.

“You two seem… peaceful,” Colton said, looking between us.

“On the surface,” I couldn’t stop myself from biting back as I glared at Levi.

He smirked at me. “You like me being the asshole, huh? Lets you keep the innocent princess title. It’s a real shame, because we both know you’re a whole lot more than that.” He leaned in and grasped my hand on the bar top, making me jolt at the searing contact as the warmth of his skin burned into mine. “You think you’re living your best life, but you’re only standing in the shadow of it because of what you’ve closed off, what you’ve tried to bury.”

I went to pull my hand away, but he held fast. “If you don’t let yourself acknowledge the pain, the wounds will never heal.”

Our gazes burned into one another’s as his words hit home in an intense way that had me frozen into inaction for several moments.

“What pain?” Colton asked, thankfully cutting through the weird and overwhelming moment. “Something else you did?” he demanded of Levi.

“No, so don’t get your skintight leather pants in a bunch, cupcake.” Levi sucked back more of his vodka, right down to the last drop actually. Then he pushed it away and said, “As for me being painted as the asshole here, let’s clear that up, shall we?”

“Oh, jeez,” Colton breathed.

Undeterred, Levi shifted on his stool to face me head-on. “How about you being completely dismissive of me? Unappreciative of my efforts to make sure our first encounter was comfortable for you and that you were put at ease? Unappreciative of the pleasure I gave you at a slow and easy pace? Then dumping ice-cold water on me for my efforts too. Then let’s not forget you trying to completely wipe out my hard drive in a vicious attack.”

“Wow, that’s… you two have certainly been going at it,” Colton commented.

“And because it’s not in the way you want, asshole, you keep coming at me,” I bit at Levi. “The texts. Leaking that audio to my entire class during my presentation and fucking humiliating me.”

“You shouldn’t be embarrassed, that breathy voice of yours as you cried out ‘Oh God, Levi’ was the sexiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

“You piece of—” I grabbed the umbrella out of my drink and went to jab it at him, but he caught my wrist before it could make contact.

“Love the fire,” he said, like he’d planned the entire thing from start to finish in order to get this exact reaction from me. “Keep it up.”

“If you continue like this, you won’t be keeping it up ever again.”

Colton let out a low whistle. “Damn.”

I yanked my hand free of Levi’s and pushed off my stool, shrugging my bag on over my shoulder. “I’m headed to the bathroom.” I told Colton, “If you’re inundated when I get back, just text me some times when the recording studio is free—on campus only—and we’ll finish the song.” His eyes lit up, but I turned away and glared at Levi. “As for you, don’t be here when I get back. And stay the hell away from me going forward.”

“And like I’ve now told you repeatedly, no can do.”

Urgh.

I turned my back feeling their eyes on me as I went.

I pushed my way through the crowded bar and all the revelry taking place all around me.

It seemed like a metaphor for my life.

Never quite able to be a part of it, always holding back, always feeling like I needed to, that it was the only way I could actually be.

“You think you’re living your best life, but you’re only standing in the shadow of it.”

Damn him and his relentless bullshit.

He was starting to get inside my head.

And not just there either.

This was becoming a serious problem.

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