Page 110 of Paper Thin Love

My pulse quickens, but instead of a cold chill blanketing my exposed skin, a feverish sweat breaks out as I cross the fighting pit. It’s like I’m dancing to the crescendo of a ballet. My muscles are in pain, and my heart is struggling to match the pace of my legs.

I’m almost done.

Almost there.

In the corner of my eye I see Jared’s dead body. I hesitate before my heels presume to run to Dash.

Suddenly I feel more villainous.

I know, Jared, no wait. I knew him, and he’s dead now. Should I stop by his body or ignore it?

He lied to me; he hurt me, and now he’s dead because of it.

Cillian walks past me towards Dante. Dash remains motionless, his back to me. I know he must hear me coming, but then he looks to his right, where a small group of students is still gathering, heads tilted backward in laughter as they recall Jared’s death.

It makes me sick! I want them to have to fight in The Cleansing and face the same outcome Jared did.

Does that make me a hero, wanting to give them their due, or is that how a villain thinks?

Instead of turning towards me, Dash starts to close the distance between the students. A new fear hammers in my heart. Is he going to fight them?

When he reaches them, the gossiping halts. A few girls swoon, and others take a wise step back. Some of the guys widen their shoulders, unsure of what the newly born monster will do.

What Dash does next makes me wish this was all a nightmare. I want to wake up and beg him to run away with me.

Dash grabs Casandra’s hand. She’s one of those girls who is always after the latest and greatest. She’s been through all the guys here and a few of the girls, too. Cold, calculating, and dangerous. I’ve never been on her radar. A girl like Casandra would never even consider me a threat.

Casandra’s lips part with shock, but it’s her eyes that have me stumbling back. A sharp intake of breath has me bracing for the knife that is about to be plunged into my chest. Dash jerks her to his bare, dirty chest, the same chest that has Jared’s and his blood spattered on it.

Dash wastes no time trying to shatter all my hopes and dreams.

It was silly of me to have them, anyway.

He kisses her, holding her tighter to him, grabbing her ass to bring her higher. He angles his head, pushing his tongue deep as she moans and wraps her arms around him.

“I know what you’re doing, Dash King,” I whisper, but it reaches no one. Completely unheard is how I used to feel before Dash entered my life. Then he came and heard everything I didn’t say—all my buried truths.

Now, he wants me to live in a void again.

He’s pushing me away because he thinks I can’t handle his darkness.Newsflash, you’re not dark, Dash King. You are a flickering light in my life.

I stand there and watch, waiting for it to end. I wait and wait. Each second feels like a lifetime. I feel eyes on me, laughing and gossiping.

“She’s pathetic.”

“Of course, he wants a girl like Casandra; he’s a King. Mila is just…Mila.” A guy snickers.

“Let me walk you home,” Dante says.

I jump. When did he come to my side? How long has Dash been kissing and feeling up Casandra now?

I swallow hard and ball my fist.Don’t let it work. This isn’t real; he’s just trying to push you away.“I know what he’s doing.” I nod.“He’s trying to push me away.”

Dante steps in front of me, blocking my view.“Maybe this time you should heed his warning.” He replies with a trace of desperation, as if he were my older brother trying to push my heart inside a safe so it can’t break further.

I peel my eyes up to Dante’s,“How many times have you turned your back on the person you loved, the person who needs your help so badly but keeps trying to push you away?”

Dante’s full lips part in sadness. He reaches up as if to comfort me, but his hand swings down, leaving only coldness.

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