Page 89 of Paper Thin Love

Dash does the latter.

I do the first.

I think Dash knows our time is coming to an end because he doesn't wait for me after practice. I walk back to our dorms alone, feeling vulnerable in the cold. It’s as if Dash is preparing me to survive without him by my side.

Carrying the note in my bag feels as heavy as pulling a chariot. I have to deliver the message and hope Dash can save himself.

In the end, you think about the beginning and replay all the memories. I believe in love at first sight, as well as hate. My initial reaction to Dash wasn’t love. It was hate and admiration.

Don’t judge me.Many feel the same way when they dare to look the devil in the eye.

Bravery, stupidity, a longing for more. That’s what darkness does; it blinds you, making you no longer scared because you can’t see what’s coming for you.

Dash’s darkness cloaks me; I feel brave, used, and loved. Whether it’s good or evil that pampers you, it doesn’t matter. If you need love and are shown it, you will cling to it.

I cling to what Dash gives me.

When he pushes me, I rush forward. I know I’ll have to fight, because when I give him the note, he’s going to slink away into the dark depths of his beautifully twisted mind.

I’ve thought about how and when to do it. Do I give him the letter at dinner with Dante and Cillian in front of an audience so he has to try to remain composed and not lash out?

Or alone where I can see the truth. His fear.

Dash must anticipate that day inching up on the horizon. He must.

My trembling fingers grip my bag. The mattress squeaks behind me as Dash sinks into it. This is when we usually bask in each other’s presence as we do mindless tasks. I usually break in a new pair of pointe shoes. Dash does his homework, an act all too normal for him.

Slowly, I lower my bag to the ground. I want one night with him.

One night.

I know as soon as he peels back the paper and reads the ink, my broken prince will cease to exist. The prince can’t survive The Cleansing. A king can.

I turn, my lungs pushing against my ribs in a painful inhale that causes icy blue eyes to glance my way. Shoulders tense. Dash sits up.“What’s wrong?” He asks.

My gulp lodges in my throat. I feel like I can’t breathe. I need him to help me. Closing the distance, I climb onto his bed and straddle him.

“Mila,” a growl slips from his poisonous lips. Outside of the shower, Dash is cold and distant. He acts as if my presence is a nuisance, but I’ll tell you a secret: it’s a lie. I’ve woken up to his fingertips trailing over my skin as I sleep. A soft, unspoken caress of passion.

“Please, Dash,” I shift my hips up, and in a matter of seconds, his cock starts to harden.

Eyes narrow. All-knowing eyes that see through me. He snatches my neck, jerking my face closer to his. His lips sear mine in a devouring sickness that is the definition of a twisted delight.

He bites my lip, causing an ache of pain before he releases my mouth, his hand still curled around my neck.“You have been playing the role of a beggar, little fox.” His spine straightens, causing my core to grind down over his hardness. I close my eyes at the pleasure starting to build. A desire I know he’s going to deny me.

“You’re playing a game because you desperately want something from me.” His pupils dilate, causing the small amount of hazel in his eyes to vanish.“What are you scared of losing, Mila?”

“You,” a whisper from my trembling lips.“I don’t want to lose you.” And in a matter of minutes, I will.

He snickers cruelly, but it doesn’t reach his blackened eyes.“You can’t lose something you never had.”

Pain inflicts my thoughts.“Liar.”

“I never said I wasn’t a liar. I never claimed to be noble, Mila. I always told you the truth. It’syouwho has this new desperate idea to change my colors. I’m not a fox. I can’t change who I am.”

You don’t have to change what you are; just changewhereyou are.Foxes move and travel in order to survive. Why can't you do that for me?

“Tell me what you’ve been hiding?” He demands. His fingers skirt over my skin until his thumb tugs on my bottom lip.“Don’t make me pull the truth from you, little fox.”

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