Page 103 of Wicked Dreams

“Not yet.” He grins. “I had to get your thoughts on the matter. And your thoughts are… that you’re jealous?”

“She’s literally going to murder me for even talking to you. You-you’ve been avoiding her for days!” I smack my forehead. “I hate you.”

He taps my temple with one finger. “I do love a good mind fuck. Just admit that you’re jealous, and I won’t ‘accidentally’ leave you to the wolves.”

“Did you just air quote at me?” I glower at him.

“Say you’re jealous and I’ll break up with her.”

I climb out of the car. Amelie and I used to be friends, but now we’re the furthest thing from it. Hell, I’d go so far as to claim we’re enemies—if only because of Caleb Asher.

He stops in front of me. The football field is around the corner, just out of sight. Yet the smell of a food truck, the sound of hundreds of people, drifts toward us.

“Well?”

I clench my teeth and force out, “Yeah, I am.”

“Good girl.” He beams at me.

That does something interesting to my insides.

“Are you going to?” I demand.

He winks. “Let’s find out.”

Chapter 24

Margo

“Caleb Asher, what the fuck?”

I crane my head back as Amelie storms toward us. He’s had his arm around my shoulder for the last twenty minutes—about the time I started shivering in my sweatshirt. His sweatshirt, I guess. Technically. But since he’s warm, I don’t mind the closeness.

That’s the only reason. Pinky promise.

We haven’t looked at each other in twenty minutes either.

At Amelie’s shrill voice, his fingers tighten on my shoulder. Can he sense my desire to escape?

We survived until halftime. Granted, we showed up halfway into the first quarter, and the game’s been exciting enough to keep the crowd entertained. Meaning: they haven’t really noticed us yet. My plan of not drawing Amelie’s ire has, so far, worked. Sure, his presence turned heads, and people keep glancing over at us, but Amelie and her gang? So far, no.

That’s about to end.

Caleb pivots us toward his girlfriend. I try to step back, and he gives me a stern look.

“What the hell, Caleb?” she yells, still yards away.

People turn toward us, and murmurs break out.

“Got a problem, Amelie?” he drawls.

He’s the freaking perfect picture of calm. His face betrays nothing, but he likes causing chaos. He’s most certainly enjoying this… however this is going to go.

Where did the sweet boy I knew as a child go?

Keep asking yourself that, Margo. He’d no sooner answer that question than solve the rest of my puzzle. As much as I slide the pieces around, they just… don’t fit together.

This Caleb thrives on darkness. Maybe I didn’t realize it before, but I can see it like a rising tide inside him. He’s ready to shatter Amelie’s world, and he’s thrilled for it.

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