Page 53 of Wicked Dreams

Layering is the name of the game.

My little warm-up canvas sits on the table next to my mason jar. I painted a flower because he asked us to capture something pretty. And seeing as how there isn’t a lot of beauty in my life, recently—thank you, Caleb Asher—I went with some figment of my imagination.

“So, Margo.” Caleb eyes me, dropping his brush again as soon as Robert has moved on.

Should I be calling him Mr. Bryan when I’m here?

“So, Caleb,” I parrot. Unlike him, I keep going. I layer on more color, deepening where shadows are meant to be.

“You’re coming to my game.”

I freeze. “What? No.”

It’s a really bad lie.

“Riley’s going.” He smirks. “She told Eli she would. And she’s bringing her new best friend along, isn’t she?”

I clear my throat. “It would be supportive of me to go.”

He snorts. “For the team? Or her?”

“Her, obviously.” I wrinkle my nose. Maybe I can add a double chin to this painting of Caleb. It’s a whole lot of nothing right about now.

“I’ll drive you.”

I shake my head. “I’m going withRiley, as you just deduced?—”

“Riley’s going with Eli.”

“You’re bossy.” My palms are sweating.

“You’re a pain in the ass.”

“Aren’t you playing?” I clean my brush and set it down. “You have to be there early, don’t you?”

He rolls his eyes. “You’ll be fine.”

“What about Savannah?”

“What about her?”

I really do not like him. “You’re just going to kiss her again, aren’t you? Embarrass me in some way?—”

His smile grows. “By all means, keep giving me ideas.”

I groan and turn back to the canvas. Robert is across the room, demonstrating to a few students a different way to hold their palettes.

“I’ll pick you up at four,” Caleb whispers.

“No, you won’t.”

He tuts. “Arguing will do you no good, baby.”

Why does he keep calling me that?

I can feel his smile, even when I’m not looking at him. It’s because I didn’t protest or keep arguing. He knows that I know I lost.

Just another piece of this sick game we must play. He’s bullheaded about things. He’ll push and push and push until I give in… and then what?

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