Page 8 of Burn With Me

“Just one question, though,” Paris says.

“What?” I set my glass back on the bar.

He pushes a hand up his forehead and into the red-brown curls that hang into his face. “How are you going to break her?”

I let my eyes level on his before moving to Shep’s and back. The words, when they leave my throat, feel like a vow and a curse all at once.

“I’ll do whatever I have to,” I tell them. “I’m going to make Aurora Summers wish she’d never come here.”

And perhaps when she’s as far gone as a human can be, maybe then … I’ll let her see the truth of it all. I’m not a good man. I may only be breaking her to save her, but at the end of the day, it’s not about altruism. No, because I know I’ll enjoy it.

4

RORI

Idrop into my seat at one of the tables in front ofBeanBerry, the campus coffee shop, across from my best friend, Selene, and her cousin, Helen—my new roommates. It’s already been a hell of a week, and it’s only Tuesday. Thankfully, though, I’ve got my dorm situation at Hazelwood all figured out once more.

“He really tried to force you to live with his son?” Selene asks not for the first time today. It’s like she can’t believe it. I get it—it’s a crazy situation.

“Yup.” I pop the end of the word as I swirl my straw around the opening of my Frappuccino.Dick, I think snidely.

“Damn.” Selene shakes her head. “Good thing Marcus showed up.” I frown at that, but she’s not wrong. Itwasa good idea to call Marcus, but that, too, has come with consequences. As if reminding me of them, my phone buzzes in my pocket. I pull it out and read the text.

I’m stopping by your dorm later. Be there.

No thanks. No please. Just “be there” as if I’m someone to be ordered around. I love my brother, but he can be such a commanding douchebag sometimes. I grimace but don’t send a reply. I already know I’ll meet up with him. Whatever Marcus has to say can be dealt with later. Right now, I just want to sit back and enjoy my victory over Damien and Isaac Icari, as well as my very first taste of freedom.

I mean, yeah, even though my mom is more than a little flighty and I never knew when she’d come barging back into my life, I’d still technically lived with her. There was always the constant threat that she’d be there, fucking up all of my carefully laid plans through high school with her expectations and random selfish desires to try and make the family she’s never been able to hold together with the various men that parade in and out of her life. This is different. This is me on my own. This is true freedom.

“Marcus is in overprotective brother mode,” I confess.

Selene tips her head to the side and holds the top of her latte cup with two fingers. “What is he doing?” she inquires.

I blow out a breath. “It’s not what he’s doing,” I confess. “It’s what hewilldo that worries me.”

“What will he do?” she presses.

My eyes slide to Hel, but her face is completely focused on her phone, her fingers flying over the screen at lightning speed. I slowly let my eyes rove over her face, dark skin, even darker hair, and big eyes. She’s completely absorbed in whatever she’s doing. They’re complete opposites—from how they look to how they act. I shake my head in amusement before I return my attention back to Selene.

“Marcus has been on Hazelwood’s campus for three years already,” I point out. “He’s got this place locked down. When we were in high school together—just that one year was unbearable. No one would fucking touch me, much less go out with me.”

“Are you looking to date?” she asks.

I shrug. “I’m looking to expand my horizons. The last time I had sex was … ugh, too fucking long ago.” I roll my eyes and put the straw to my lips, sucking back a mouthful of chocolaty goodness. I don’t even taste the coffee. Just the way I like it.

“And you think you’re gonna be blue balled while your brother’s around,” Selene sums up.

“Pretty much,” I say mournfully, setting down my nearly empty cup. “Thankfully, though, he said he’s got a friend and his girlfriend coming into town soon, so he’ll probably skip the first week of classes to spend time with them. They don’t get to see each other much.”

“Do they go to another school?” she asks.

“Yeah.” I flick the tip of my straw with my finger distractedly. “And Mom is going on her long-awaited honeymoon with the current step-dick.”

“Then you should take this opportunity!” Selene jumps forward, startling me. Her hands slap against the table and even Hel jerks her head up from her phone, frowning at the two of us.

“Opportunity?” I repeat.

Selene’s white-blonde hair flies around her face as she bobs her head excitedly. “Yes!” she squeals. “There’s a party at the end of next week at one of the houses off campus. It’s a Gods and Goddesses party.”

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