Page 63 of Snitches and Serpents

Fucking hell, what did I do?

Squeezing my hand into a fist, I pound it against the wet tiles in the shower. It does nothing to expel the panic that whirls inside me like a crackling lightning storm.

I drag in a deep breath to calm myself.

That doesn’t help either.

Blindly reaching out, I turn the valve until the water is as cold as it can get.

A gasp rips from my lungs and my body jerks as if I’ve been slapped when the freezing water hits me. Bracing my palms on the tiled wall, I drop my head and breathe deeply through my nose as the cold water rushes down my back.

But it makes no difference. I can still feel the warmth of Elle’s body. Can still feel her hands on my skin. Can still taste her on my lips.

God fucking damn it, why did I do that?

I only meant to confront her. To put her back in her place. Which is underneath my fucking heel.

But then… that happened.

An astonished laugh escapes my throat, and I shake my head at the memory. The memory of Elle smirking up at me, spreading her legs, and saying ‘then start eating’.

That comment shocked me. Truly shocked me. I had no idea that perfect little Elle Summers had such a sharp tongue underneath all the careful politeness she always displays.

And I have to admit, I’m also a little impressed by her fighting spirit. I thought she would fold immediately when I got the real police involved. But she didn’t. And I’m kind of impressed that she won’t go down easily.

Another astonished laugh escapes me.

Maybe the spoiled rich girl knows how to fight after all.

I shake my head and draw in a breath. Raking my fingers through my soaked hair, I straighten again. Cold water hits my chest, running down my stomach and trying its best to cool the molten fire in my veins.

It works very poorly.

I thump my fist against the wall again.

God damn it, I shouldn’t have fucked her. Just kissing her in that alley messed with my head like crazy, so fucking her should’ve been out of the question. But I just…

Forcing out an angry breath, I shake my head again.

I don’t even know what it is about her that makes me react like this. What it is about her that draws me to her. She’s nothing like me. She has never had to fight for anything. She has never had to live with the constant pressure that I have. I’ve spent my entire life trying to prove that I’m good enough. Good enough to get out of our hellhole of a town and actually start my own life. Something a rich girl like her would never understand.

So why the hell do I suddenly feel this weird kind of connection with her?

Cold water keeps hitting my body, dropping my temperature but doing nothing to extinguish the fire in my blood. Since it’s not working anyway, I turn the shower off and grab a towel.

Water drips onto the floor as I step out of the shower while drying myself off. Then I wrap the towel around my hips.

Because I was showering in cold water, there is no condensation on the mirror.

I stare at my reflection there for a few seconds.

Deep down, I know that I’m just imagining things. But I swear that my lips almost look swollen from our angry kiss even though it has been more than an hour since I left her on her knees in that bedroom after we hate fucked each other.

Raking my hand through my wet hair, I shake my head at myself in the mirror.

I’m so fucking stupid. I shouldn’t have fucked her. I shouldn’t have kissed her. I shouldn’t even have touched her. But I did. And now, I can’t get her out of my head. Now, I know what she feels like. What she tastes like.

And now, I fucking crave it.

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