Page 161 of Vengeful Princess

He still smelled the same, though. Fresh with a hint of citrus.

My nipples peaked in my thin vest top, and I wondered if he could feel them. The last time we were intimate, my tits were smaller. I’d gone up at least a cup size since then.

“I didn’t stand you up,” he retorted. “I fucking loved you, Thea!”

From the way he recoiled the moment the words left his lips, he hadn’t meant that declaration to slip out. But it was too late. He’d admitted what I’d known at the time.

So why was he treating me like shit? And why had he not been there, at the chapel, on the night we’d agreed to give each other our virginity?

None of it made any sense. All the hurt feelings I’d suppressed rose up.

“I was there, waiting for you, Dar. You didn’t come.” I stepped back, needing some space, but he refused to let go of my arm. His fingers bit into my flesh as he leaned forward.

He was angry at me for something he believed I’d done, but until he explained, I was in the dark.

“I waited for hours, only to find your note when I got back to my room.” My voice cracked, but he seemed unmoved.

“I realized what kind of girl you were, so I left.”

“You’re making no sense!” I cried in frustration.

Dario pushed me back against a thick pine tree. His body pressed into mine and I mentally logged how different he felt. The old Dar was lean. Dario 2.0 was bigger, more muscular, and my body liked it.

He ground his teeth. He may claim to hate me, but his body told a different story. I could feel how hard he was through his sweatpants.

“Maybe you’re jealous,” I mused thoughtfully.

“I don’t fuck whores,” he snapped.

“Really? You should probably rethink your relationship with Polly, then.” I wiggled my hips, enjoying the way he clenched his jaw. He liked to pretend he was unaffected by me, but we both knew it was a lie. “I suggest an STI check, too.” He glared at me and I couldn’t resist smirking back at him.

Then I rolled my eyes as the chill in the air began to seep through my workout clothes. All this conversation was doing was pissing me the fuck off.

He hated me. I got it.

“Why are you here, at Abernethy? Has my father sent you to spy on me?” Now that I thought about it, his presence here made perfect sense. Dario had probably told my father all about my relationships with Landon and Kyril. And also Milo and Cassian.

“Does my being here worry you? It probably should, seeing as how you’re fucking half the students on campus.”

That bastard.“Even if I was, which I’m not, it’s none of your business,stronzo.” He laughed.

“You’ll find out soon enough why I’m here,puttana.” The vicious insult broke through my paralysis and I twisted away to break his hold, but he anticipated my move and blocked it. So I resorted to sinking my teeth into his wrist.

“Piccola puttana viziosa,”he yelled in fury.

Blood trickled down his arm as I lashed out with my leg, catching him on the knee. He stumbled, and I followed it up with a fist in the face. To my delight, he lost his footing and went down.

Now we were both a muddy mess.

“I thought you’d have more moves by now,” I mocked, enjoying the sight of him flailing in the mud.

Before he could get up, I was away, running at breakneck speed toward my room in West Tower.

I’d learned nothing from our conversation, other than he hated me and something bad was coming. But at least I had the satisfaction of knowing I’d knocked his ass into the mud.

86

Thea

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