Page 128 of Thorns of Malice

"Nah."

"So you're going back to California?"

She shrugs again. "I'm not sure."

I arch my eyebrows. "Do you have a job, Lilly?"

She shakes her head. "No. My dad doesn't want me to work, so..."

I pin my eyebrows together, questioning, "No? Then why did he send you to Clifton University? What was the point of your education?"

She laughs. "So he can tell his voters his daughter got a college education."

"Oh, that's..." I pause, shaking my head. "Fucked-up."

She laughs, then rolls her eyes. "Another advantage of being a senator's daughter. Anyway, why are you here?"

My chest tightens. I glance at the people around us, then lower my voice. "My boss, Jaxon, is here."

Her eyes widen. "The one you told me about? Your only friend back home?"

I nod.

A suspicious yet devious expression lights up her face. She whispers, "Did you tell him to come visit you?"

I shake my head. "No."

"Then why's he here?" she asks.

I admit, "He's kind of jonesing."

Her lips twitch, and her eyebrow arches. "Really?"

"Yeah, really badly."

She cautiously suggests, "So... You're going to take care of him?"

"No, I can't," I blurt out, then look away.

Why am I feeling loyal to Dax?

Because he's who I want.

She puts her hand on my arm. "You can't because of Dax, can you?"

I meet her gaze again, admitting something I don't want to admit to myself. "No."

Her smile widens. "That's good, Ivy."

"Is it? I can't decide if it is or not," I admit.

She nods. "Yeah, it is. I told you, I really do think you and Dax have something."

"Something fucked-up," I toss out.

She giggles. "Maybe, but isn't everything fucked-up?"

I think about her statement. Maybe it's true.

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