Page 48 of Vexing the Viper

"That's so damn cool." No, it's not. At least, it's not to me. But I don't tell him that. King wouldn't understand. He grabs my hand and kisses each of my knuckles before interlocking our fingers. "So, would you want to go to the Halloween Ball? Be my date?"

Closing my eyes, I don't know how to answer. Well, I know what I want to say, but I don't know how to say it. Even when Kovi brought it up earlier, my answer was an immediate no. Watching everyone celebrate being in their monster forms while I'm hiding in the corner. No, I don't want to do that. "Uh, I really don't want to go."

"Why not?" King asks, baffled, and pulling away from me.

"It's not my scene," I say, trying to get out of it without telling him the truth. I hate being this insecure about how I feel.

"It is your scene, though. The whole ball is to celebrate monsters. You're a monster."

Sitting up, I throw my legs over the side of the bed. "Yeah, I know I'm a monster. You don't have to remind me."

"I didn't mean anything bad by it, Niko. I just assumed you would want to celebrate your history and see all of your friends in their forms."

"Okay, well, I don't want to fucking go. Can you drop it already?"

King looks at me quizzically, and I instantly feel like shit. He puts his hands up in surrender and lays back down. "Got it," he whispers, turning over and cutting me off.

Fucking hell. Damn it.

I might have just fucked everything up.

22

KING

Standing on the field,I toss the ball back and forth with Sam, but my heart isn't really in it. My throws are weak, and my catches are even worse. Sam keeps tilting his head, and I know he wants to know what's going on with me, but he won't ask me while we're out practicing. He's going to corner me in the locker room and try to force it out of me.

But fuck.

I've been in a funk for the past two days. Niko and I aren't getting along that well, and we're both getting frustrated with each other. When I brought up the Halloween Ball, I was so damn excited about going. Niko said he didn't want his dad to know, but I figured us attending the ball would be okay, and I wouldfinallyget to show him off.

I've beenwantingto show him off the past few weeks. I thought I was okay with keeping us a secret, but I'm not. And I don't know how to tell him that, especially after how he reacted when I asked him to go with me.

I don’t understand why he doesn't want to go to the ball. It’s going to be all about monsterkind. The only thing that makessense to me is he doesn't want to be seen with me. All of the monsters on campus are going to be in their shifted form, and for many of us humans, we are going to be seeing them in full force for the first time.

And Niko is a monster. A monster who used to hate humans. Fuck. What if he still hates humans and that's why he doesn't want to be seen with me? What if he’s not serious about dating a non-monster, and he’s planning to dump me soon?

I must throw the ball a little too hard as Sam shakes out his hand when he catches it. Well, shit. Rolling my eyes, I huff. Now he's really not going to let it go. He shakes his hand out again and glares at me, and I turn around to avoid him. I'm not dealing with this drama right now. It's making me play like shit, and I can't risk hurting something or someone right before the fundraiser game. I wipe off my forehead and rush off the field and down the hall to the locker room. I barely make it to my locker when Sam rushes up behind me.

"What the hell, King? What's going on with you?"

Taking my hat off, I sift my hands through my hair before sighing. "Nothing."

Snatching my towel off the shelf, I tune out any words he's saying and storm to the showers, needing to calm down. Sam didn't do anything wrong, and it's not fair for me to direct my anger at him, so I need a moment to myself. Turning the water to burning hot, I step in, letting the steam surround me. I close my eyes, the water rushing over my body. I start to relax, but Niko filters into my mind, and I start getting upset all over again.

To be honest, I'm more sad than pissed. I'm upset at the fact he doesn't want to be seen with me in public. I'm pissed at the fact I knew he hated humans and I still let myself give in to him, and I'm scared he's going to tell me there was nothing between us. We are everything to me. Fuck, I hope we're still everything.

But, at the moment, I'm pissed and avoiding him like the plague.

I rest my forehead against the cool tile before jerking away realizing how disgusting the surface here must be. Ugh. After standing in the water for far too long, I finally decide to get out. Besides, I have a test today that I can't miss.

I stop short at my locker when I see Sam sitting there, waiting for me.

"Hey," he says, standing up and moving over to the side. "You might not want to talk, but I'm going to force you." He shrugs, pushing at my shoulder. "That's what friends do."

"Fine, but let me get dressed first." I sigh, dropping my head.

I put on my clothes slowly, trying to prolong the talk I know he wants. When there's no more clothes for me to put on, I plop down next to him on the bench. "Sorry for being so out of it."

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