Page 145 of Kiss the Villain

About the guy—not the girlfriend. He’s even considering transferring to another university in a ‘whole-ass other country’ that, apparently, he avoided because of this guy—Yulian,duh—even though he had to separate from his friends in the process. Something about hating the fuck out of the guy’s guts, but he’s still being drawn to him anyway.

Same.

Ever since our first convo, we’ve been texting daily and checking on each other’s clusterfuck of a gay awakening which sort of grew into a friendship. I like that we’re both going through the same shit, and I prefer the cloak of anonymity to talk freely—which I’m sure he does, too.

I also speak to him in reality often as well, mostly to warn him. From the little research I’ve done on Yulian, he’s sort of a basket case that should be locked up. But who am I to judge?

U think you’ll stay with him for long?

Idk. I’ll stab him if he tries to leave, though.

You’re falling for him, huh?

I stare at his text, my chest experiencing that shitty ache again.

Nope. I don’t do feelings.

Bro, I’m telling u this bcz I care about u and feel a weird camaraderie, but u kind of do. Normal people don’t think about stabbing their sex buddies if they think they’ll leave. Unless they’re a psychopathic narcissist, which is cool if u are. Not judging. But over these past few weeks, u said you’re having fun even when fucking isn’t involved, and your favorite thing is aftercare and when he gives you affection, right? So maybe u need to analyze the ‘no feeling’ statement further.

“Mr. Carson.” The too familiar deep, calm voice pulls me out of my reverie. “I hope whatever you're reading on your phone is more important than your education. If you’re done paying attention, feel free to leave. We wouldn’t want to waste any more of your time.”

His eyes are dark and stormy. Turbulent, even.

My fingers tighten on the phone as I glare back.

He’s been a major asshole since I obviously won the trial earlier. He gave the jury one hell of a critique for their reasoning, and me? Well, he dismantled me.

“Mr. Carson, your defense was superficial at best, and you tremendously failed to grasp the gravity of the case. It wasn’t just about your legal arguments, but about the human element and the empathy you should have shown for the victim. You came off as cold-blooded, indifferent, and menacing, particularly during cross-examination.

“You didn’t approach the victim with precision or care and wielded a sledgehammer where a scalpel was needed. Your tactics were harsh, dismissive, and reeked of arrogance, as though the nuances of this case could be handled with aggression or by seducing members of the jury with your intellect and charm. But rape cases, especially ones with this level of complexity, aren’t about flexing your power or stroking your ego. They’re about understanding the victim's trauma, their fear, and the lasting impact on their lives. You missed that entirely.

“If you can’t grasp something so fundamental, how do you expect to fight for the truth without crushing it under your own self-importance? I expected more from you, Carson. I’m not just disappointed—I’m unimpressed.”

Needless to say, I’ve been fuming since. Which is why I picked up the phone in the first place—to forget about his asshole side.

And hewasan asshole. Even Zara and the rest of the prosecution team told me I wasn’t that bad. IknowI wasn’t bad at all, actually, and didn’t deserve to be humiliated in front of the entire class.

I didn’t deserve to be told,“I’m not just disappointed—I’m unimpressed.”

So now, I pick up my notebook and stand.

Kayden’s eyes follow my movements, remaining as still as a frozen lake. “Where do you think you’re going?”

“Leaving, as you instructed.”

“Quit the toddler tantrum and sit down.”

“I’m good. The lecture isn’t holding my interest anyway.”

“Carson. I said. Sit down.” His voice booms in the hall.

I glare at him and make a beeline to the door.

This is the first time in my life I’ve left in the middle of a class, but fuck him, really. He’s been a pain in the ass since the start of this case. No matter what I’ve said or done, he’s only criticized and disrespected me. Maybe I would’ve let that go before, but now that I truly hate his disapproval, it’s causing a deeper pain in that fucking part of my chest.

“I expect you in my office after class, Carson,” he says when I’m by the door.

I tilt my head in his direction. “No, thanks.”

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