Page 101 of Dance of Ruin

“That’s agreatdress,” Brooklyn remarks.

My brow furrows at the weird tone in her voice.

“Umm…thanks,” I say, trying to suss out why she’s looking at me so strangely. “I really love that blue on?—”

“The burgundy goes well with those fuckingsex marksall over you,” she cackles.

Well, there goesthatgrand hope.

Instantly, she, Milena, and Evie are all in my face.

“Oh. My.LORD,” Milena gushes. “She’s right! Girl, you’ve got bruisesall over.”

My face heats instantly. “I donothave?—”

“Oh, come on!” she laughs. “Your neck, your arms…” I yelp as she yanks my dress up an inch, showcase more purple marks on my thighs.

“Likeyou guysdon’t get banged up at rehearsal?”

Brooklyn snorts. “Banged up? Yeah. Walking around all bow-legged like I got my insides rearranged?Not so much.”

She and Milena crack up as I curl in on myself in a ball of pure mortification.

“So?” Milena beams at me, wrapping an arm around my shoulders.

“So…what?”

“Details!” she giggles. “What? How? When? Where? Most importantly?—”

“Who?!” Brooklyn finishes for her, loudly.

“None of your business!” I blurt.

Milena grins from ear to ear. “Which part?

“Any and all of it,” I groan.

“Here—I think you need this more than me,” Evelina says, passing me the flute of champagne she’s somehow managed to steal back from Milena. Her brows furrow in concern as her eyes sweep over me. Then she looks at our friends. “Guys, stop it. This isn’t funny.”

Brooklyn smirks. “No, no, false. This isveryfunny. Andveryintriguing.”

Evelina’s brow worries. “No, I mean…” She glances furtively at me, then looks back at the other two. “Like, abuse isn’t a joke.”

I frown. “Hold on, what?”

Eveline shifts a worried look to my thigh, pointing to the bruise from Nico’s thumb visible as my dress rides up a little. “Naomi, is someone hurting you?”

Oh. My. God.

For a second, there’s stunned silence. Then Brooklynloses it, snorting a laugh and cackling as she falls backward across the booth seat.

“Oh, sweet, sweet Evie,” Milena sighs, a sympathetic grin on her face as she turns and lays a hand on Evelina’s shoulder. “Honey, when a boy and a girl have funny feelings for each other, and they want toexpressthose feelings physically?—”

“Sometimes a girl just wants her hair yanked and her ass spanked!” Brooklyn crows.

My face turns bright red. Poor Evelina’s might be even worse. Her jaw drops, her eyes bulging wide as she turns to stare at me. “Oh,” she croaks, her mouth snapping shut. “Oh, okay…” she mumbles. “Yeah, I… I get it now.”

“Love ya, Evie,” Milena giggles, hugging our shocked friend.

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