Page 21 of Toxic

I could’ve told him how wrong he was, how badly he misunderstood everything, how ridiculous it all was… but he didn’t know what happened between Don and me, so he just pitied Don and thought I was more toxic and messed up than I really was. I knew I couldn’t explain it without spilling the whole truth, and… I wasn’t ready for that. It had to stay my secret. So the only thing I could do was to be myself—and get even more pissed off!

"What I do is none of your business! If he wants to simp for me, he can. You can’t win him anyway. Go find some other guy. He’s into me, and only me. He’d never sleep with you—I’d stake my life on it."

For some reason, I was strangely sure of that.

Something flashed across Sean’s face, a mix of anger and… humiliation.

"Seems like he didn’t want your bj today, either. Maybe you’ve lost your hold on him, your charm’s worn off," he said with a venomous grin. "My odds can still be good!"

"We’ll see tomorrow. I bet he’ll agree." The moment I said it, I regretted it. The words came out wrong, but it was too late—they were out there, hanging in the air.

Sean's face changed; a triumphant grin took it over. "Oh, so it’s a bet now? Poor Skye. He probably deserves it, just for being an alpha, right? How would he feel knowing you’re betting you can blow him? Sick!"

Something in me just wanted to scream, cry, run away, or just laugh hysterically. I made my own mess today, being even more feral than usual. And I was paying the price.

What could I say now?

Backing out seemed like an option, but would it even work?

My strength was waning, so I only sighed. "No, it’s not a bet, Sean. I just… want it. I’ve wanted it for a while now. And I don’t care what you think." I blurted out, shocked that I’d actually uttered something honest for once.

But his skeptical look said it all—it was too late to take it back. The words were out there, and nothing could change that now. So I just turned around and walked away, heading back to my dorm. I couldn’t keep up this stupid convo.

When I got to my room, I did what I’d wanted to do before—I collapsed on my bed and cried. I cried like the weak, stupid, indecisive beta I secretly was, under the whole facade of a mean bitch.

But my phone kept beeping, so I finally looked at the screen.

It was Liam.

"What’s going on? You were supposed to send me the corrected code hours ago!"

For a moment, I was tempted to tell him everything, to confess all the confusion and anger I felt, admit my strange pull toward Skye, but I only cursed under my breath. "I’m sorry. I thought I’d be back sooner, but something happened at the party. Never mind."

"You can tell me later, but now focus, Soren. In two months, we’ll be working full-time at DevApp. We can’t screw this up—it’s too important!"

Feeling even more down, I dragged myself to the laptop, grabbing two energy drinks from the cooler. I had to focus—he was right. But could I, really?

I made a big mess today. I pissed off Alvin, Sean, and Don… and even Skye rejected me.

Yep. Peachy. Just another day in my depressing life.

SKYE

The following day, after a brief and eye-opening convo with Alvin, I found two rather telling texts from Sean on my phone, apparently sent yesterday evening.

So, I took a shower and made sure to arrive just in time for the lecture—didn’t wanna risk being alone with Soren, who was, as usual, outside the building, smoking before class started.

Walking slightly hunched, I slipped into the classroom and sat down in the corner, but I was surprised to see a slender figure sitting right next to me.

"Hey," I heard Soren’s sour voice.

I looked up at him, confused. His face was still unfriendly, tense, and honestly, kinda hostile. Not much had changed there.

"Hey," I replied quietly, pretending to search for a pen in my bag.

"I’ve got a spare one," Soren muttered out of nowhere.

"Thanks, but I’ll find mine in a sec," I mumbled, avoiding eye contact.

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