Page 70 of Consume Me

“You still haven’t won,” I remind him, keeping the conversation light.

“You’re hard to get, huh?”

Actually, no, but the guy I want doesn’t want me.

“Are you at your house?”

“Yep. How is the asshole looking?”

“He sounds better than you.”

“Of fucking course.”

I get to the first coffee shop and order some pastries and a coffee to go. I need to see for myself how Tyson is doing after last night. He lives with Xander in a single-family house on campus. When I ring the bell, Ivy opens the door, and we both eye each other. Then she passes me by, mumbling a “hi” but not sounding pleased at all.

“Hello?”

“Up here,” Tyson says, and I follow his voice.

Inside his bedroom, bathed in darkness, I go to the window and pull at the curtains. There’s no sun today, as if the winter fog swallowed it whole, throwing a gray blanket over the campus.

Turning around, I gasp. One eye is swollen shut, and yellow and violet purples cover his cheeks. He definitely looks worse than Blake.

“Did you take something for the pain?”

“Not touching those,” he grunts, and I approach the bed, offering him the cup of coffee.

He takes small sips, and I dig into the bag and offer him a pastry.

“I didn’t know your sister lives with you.”

“Stepsister.” His tone is harsh, and he closes his eyes, munching on the pastry.

I know what it’s like not to want to talk about certain things.

“Thank you,” he says, winking at me, then hops off the bed.

“Shouldn’t you rest?”

“I want to see how good I got him.”

I chuckle. “Okay. See you on campus.”

“Or you can wait for me, we could head to class together.”

His words hang in the air, seducing me into doing something I shouldn’t, like provoking Blake.

I nod. Tyson is my friend, and I’m there for my friends if they need me.

Just then, my phone vibrates, and I see a message from Blake.

Where are you?

You’re not my father.I reply.

No, I am your keeper. That’s worse because you can’t escape me.

I try to hold on to my calm while everything in me wants to shake some sense into him. Nope, not letting him rile me up, so I shove my phone into my bag.

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