Page 86 of Toxic

Archer winced slightly. "Okay, maybe I’m a redneck, but unlike you, Mr. Progressive, I don’t hit betas or omegas."

Don spat on the floor, "At least I don't want to lock them in kitchens, we’re equal!" And he quickly walked away.

Archer gave me a strange look, then slightly bowed his head and… walked off too.

I stood there, watching them leave.

What a catastrophe. I destroyed Skye’s world, and in doing so, I destroyed mine too. Once again, I had nothing. This time, by my own choice. My heart was broken, just like Skye’s—and just like he did before, I sank to my knees, pressing my hands to my face as I cried, pierced by a sharp pain in my chest.

What have I done?!

Was I really protecting myself from pain by pushing him away? It was stupid, but on some level, I was probably right—alpha-beta relationships just didn’t work out. Why would ours be the exception? So, I shielded myself by rejecting him and hurting him…

His tear-streaked face, the cruel words I’d said—they kept playing over and over in my mind like a torturous loop.

I don’t know how long I sat on the grass. I even had the urge to call Liam, but I knew exactly what he’d say—that I did the right thing, the logical thing, that I was protecting my heart and my future. But I didn’t want to hear those stupid words of logic.

The only thing I wanted was to run to Skye, apologize, and beg him to forgive me.

But I couldn’t. My rational mind tried to convince me of that, and it forced me to get up and head back toward my dorm. Yet, when I reached the main entrance, I felt myself turn in a completely different direction. My feet refused to listen to me, and I realized I was walking toward Skye’s dorm.

I went up to the floor, where he lived with Alvin, and clenching my jaw, I approached the door. I took a deep breath, bracing myself for whatever was to come—the emotions, the possibility that I might be in a relationship again, that I might have a boyfriend I truly cared about.

I knocked, heard footsteps, and then Alvin opened the door.

"Well, well, look who’s here! The fucking mantis who’s been breaking guys’ hearts all over campus whenever he snaps his fingers."

"I’m looking for Skye," I muttered.

"He hasn’t come back to the dorm yet." Alvin’s face was icy, his eyes full of hate. "But I’m here, after Don ditched me to chase after you!"

I took a deep breath. "When he gets back, can you tell him I was here and that I really need him to contact me?"

"And why would I do that, fucker?"

"Just please, do it. Just tell him I was here—"

"Tell him you were here for what, exactly?" He tilted his head with an ironic smirk.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

"You’ve made a mess and want to fix it?" His smile was vitriolic and triumphant.

"Just tell him I was here. That’s all."

I left, still holding on to a sliver of hope that I could fix this. I went back to my dorm and lay on my bed. I wasn’t just relying on Alvin, though. I texted Skye,

"Can we talk?"

But that night, Skye didn’t reply.

I waited, biting my nails, tossing and turning until finally, exhausted from all the stress, I drifted into a restless sleep, full of nightmares where Skye’s face mixed with Anton’s, razors on the floor, blood on my hands… I woke up shaking.

It was already morning, and the sun was shining outside. Still no word from Skye. No texts. It could be around 10 am. Hesitantly, I texted Alvin to ask if Skye was back, and I got a short reply:

"Skye’s still not back."

I froze over the screen.

---