Page 203 of Forbidden Lessons

Why?

He winks at me, comes closer. Slides an arm around my shoulder. I shrug it off, but it’s back a second later.

Stop.

But my voice isn’t working. My body is limp, unresponsive. I’m just standing here, on the DJ deck, staring at a sea of glowing bodies.

Fuck, I’m so high. My jaw clenches, and I taste blood as I pull my lip into my mouth.

Ow.

“…tell us what it was like?”

Huh?

I hear my own voice echoing back to me, so loud I flinch. There’s a microphone by my mouth. I bat it away, and there’s a screech of feedback through the speaker system.

“The fuck are you doing, man?” someone calls out behind me.

But then the rain starts.

No, it’s always been raining.

What the fuck is happening?

I touch my hair, soaking wet. My trash bag, plastered to my body.

The fuck is?—?

“—No one is more deserving than you are. Can I get a round of applause for Haven Lee, everyone?”

The music starts up again.

No, it’s just clapping. A few yells.

Someone’s calling me.

Haven Lee.

Haven Lee.

Heavenly.

Little Miss Heavenly. That’s what I’ll call you. Because you’re a little angel.

Kai?

I whip my head around, but it’s only me and Ezra and the DJ.

The DJ looks angry. At me? I don’t want to be up here. I try to walk to the edge so I can climb off, but Ezra seizes the back of my neck, and pulls me back.

“Don’t be so fucking rude, Trailer Trash.”

I put a hand over my mouth. Was I being rude? What did I do?

Sorry.

But my voice still isn’t working. My legs are wobbly. There’s this achy, awful feeling inside me, and it’s the taste of body paint in my mouth, the burning on my lips, the way my entire body is tingling like I can still feel Kai’s touch.

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