Page 54 of The Sweetest Revenge

"It's the only plan I have right now."

They both nodded.

"You want us to leave with you?" Journey caught my eye, her lips twitching.

I shook my head. "No, I think I'm going to make it an early night. Honestly, I'm exhausted."

"Just let us know when you're leaving," Mila shouted over the music as we strolled through the entryway into the dark living room.

"Hey, baby." EJ's voice cut through the bass, bringing with it the sharp smell of beer and cologne. My skin crawled at the pet name, one of the many unwanted "perks" of belonging to the football team.

I spun to face him, muscles aching from holding my fake smile. "Hey!" The false cheer in my voice made my throat hurt.

"You want a drink?" He was already holding a red cup.

Journey caught my eye, her lips pulling into a mischievous grin. "We're going to go mingle." Traitor. She melted into the crowd before I could grab her sleeve, leaving me stranded in EJ's orbit.

"No," I offered a polite smile. There was no way in hell I was taking a drink from anyone after what happened last time. "I'll get one later."

EJ leaned closer, his breath hot against my ear, and my stomach curled. "You wanna get out of here and go up to my room and?—"

My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I reached back, pulling it out. The screen lit up with an unknown number. "Sorry, E." I stepped back, creating space between us as I raised the phone. "I need to take this."

EJ's jaw tightened, but he backed away with a practiced casualness. "Come find me later." He disappeared into the crowd, and my shoulders finally relaxed.

"Hello?"

Bass thundered through the floorboards as I shouldered past sweating bodies. The line crackled—empty static or careful breathing, I couldn't tell.

"Hello?" I wedged into the bay window alcove, pressing one palm against my free ear.

The music pulsed around me, but the phone line remained dead silent. My reflection stared back from the dark window as I tried again: "Anyone there?" The line hummed, empty but somehow expectant.

Sighing, I pulled the phone from my ear and looked at the screen again. The call timer kept ticking up: 1:42, 1:43, 1:44.

"Okay, last chance, and I'm hanging up." A huge part of me hoped it was Sam, and we had a poor connection, but it was probably a stupid prank call.

I disconnected the call, hit my last called number again, and listened to it ring until Sam's voicemail picked up.

I hit the end-call button, and frustration burned in my chest. "Fuck," I muttered. My best friend was dead, and her brother thought I was responsible because of something this freaking girl said, and now I can't get a hold of her to say it to my freaking face. "Ugh."

A familiar cologne wrapped around me half a second before he did, and my spine stiffened.

"Something wrong, princess?" Zaiden's breath ghosted across my neck.

"What do you want?" I tried to step forward, but his arm snaked around my waist, palm spreading across my stomach. The party seemed to disappear, leaving us and the darkness beyond the window.

My heart slammed against my ribs as his grip tightened. "You're not supposed to be here." The words came out in a whisper, fear closing around my throat. "What the fuck are you doing here?"

If Zaiden was there, that only meant one thing. He was there to ruin my life just a little more.

"You shouldn't be here." I shoved at his arm, but he didn't budge. "You need to leave."

His lips brushed the shell of my ear. "It's time to repay the favor."

The heat of his breath sent chills raging over my body, but his words made my stomach clench because there was no way he was talking about the favor I was thinking about. "What favor is that?" I shoved at his arm again, and he released me.

The steady thrum of music seemed to fade, replaced by the sound of my own ragged breathing. "The one where you get on your knees for me." His chest vibrated against my back, his words reverberating through my ribcage. "And take this dick like the good girl we both know you can be."

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