Page 22 of Between Passion and Revenge: Part One

Money.

But when Rainn died suddenly, I wasn’t just the spare. I needed to stand in shoes that I had no idea how to walk in.

Riale could just fucking be Riale.

“What’s mine is mine, Riale. I’m not backing down from this. If I have to take this shit all the way to Hell to prove I’m better than Lakeland and that Ideservethis, then I’ll do it. I don’t care.”

Riale blinks slowly a few times, clearly absorbing my words. Then, as if coming to a conclusion, he rises and says, “Whatever you say. You know I’ve got your back.”

I tilt my chin up in acknowledgment.

“Anyway. No more alcohol for you. Go to bed, kid. I’ll see you in the morning.”

Riale takes a long, final drink from his beer and tosses the empty glass in the recycling before heading to his apartment across the hall.

In the silence, I look at the rest of my bottle, lifting it to assess how much remains.

Nearly empty.

For some reason, it feels like a metaphor for my entire fucking life, and I don’t like it.

Pouring the beer down the kitchen sink, I drop it in the recycle bin and move through the three-thousand square foot apartment, checking all the lights and outlets and ensuring everything is in its place. As I do so, some of the anxious tension in my chest settles.

By the time I reach my bed, I feel calm.

Well, as calm asIcan be without my go-to tools.

I’m unsure why I’m not calling up any of the girls I hooked up with last month.

Oh, you know why.

And just like that, Shae Rivers’ face is right in front of me, andalsojust like that, I’m all bricked up.

“Fuck,” I groan, falling backward into the bed.

I have a laundry list of things I could and probablyshouldfocus on right now, but all I can think about is Shae and how she looked standing in the middle of the quad. How she smelled when I got close to her and?—

“God-fucking-damnit,” I grind out, unable to do anything else but grab my dick and start stroking it.

What the hell am I going to do about Shae Rivers?

Because if there’s one thing that can’t happen, I can’t let anything distract me from my mission.

Not even her.

5

SHAE

It’s probably overkill to have the fruit and snack plate, but if there’s one thing I know, getting college students to invest any time in anything requires food.

Build it, and they will come—but with Jarlsberg cheese, pepperoni, and Cool Ranch Doritos.

“You need anything else?” Yenn bounces up to me, flicking her long locs over her shoulder. Yenn and her boo for the month, Alicia, have fixed the loose chairs into a circle, and one of them placed the printed agendas on each seat. At least Alicia is more helpful than her last hookup, Darien, who sat in the corner for the last meeting, playing Candy Crush on his cellphone.

With the sound on high.

Unfortunately, I’m sure Yenn’s new relationship will last about as long as these strawberries will stay fresh.

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