Page 96 of Hate So Deep

Simultaneously disappointed and relieved, I’m just ready to relax and enjoy my night.

Now that the cat is out of the bag and my dad left my mom, Colt’s been cool toward me since I met him and even his girlfriend, Finn, couldn't break through the wall.

It’s fine. I get it. I don’t have much use for him either. We’re not destined to be besties, that’s for sure.

Still, the chill in the air at home ever since Dad left is unbearable and as Buck descends further into his rage and Mom acts like a fucking ice cube, it’s all I can do to think of reasons to escape.

The party is in full swing when we enter and after making our way to the drinks, Caro taps me on the arm.

“Rocket’s here,” she says, and I glance over my shoulder.

He pulls up a pretty smile, and I take in the loop through his lip with a little thrill. When did he get that?

As soon as we approach, Caro veers off to another group and I stop by Rocket with a smile.

“Hey pretty girl,” he says.

“Hey,” I say.

“Where you been?” he asks, and I shrug.

“Around.”

I can’t exactly explain that I’ve been avoiding this house and the general vicinity because something broke inside of me the last time I was here, and Dirk blew me off.

“Glad you’re here now,” he says. “Wanna step outside?”

Although it’s damn near freezing outside, it’s almost unbearably hot within and I nod before saying, “Sure. I just need to go to the bathroom.”

“I'll be over there,” he says, nodding to the door.

“Okay.”

After pushing through the crowd, I enter the bathroom and do my thing before pausing in front of the mirror.

My dark hair lays around my shoulders in pretty curls while my green eyes pop against the dark makeup I applied but I can see the spark is missing and I don’t know if I can attribute that to my broken family or the weird loss I feel in the wake of Dirk’s cruelty.

Either way, I’m sailing through life and if I don’t figure out a direction, I may stall out.

Shaking my head of the melancholy thoughts, I open the door and pause because none other than Dirk stands on the other fucking side.

“Lauren,” he says, and I touch my throat.

“Dirk?”

Why is he here? He’s supposed to be gone.

Whatever. He’s here now and he looks fucking amazing.

While I swallow back drool and eye his glorious chest and those fucking pythons for arms currently flexed with his arms crossed, he runs that dark gaze down my body before pushing me into the bathroom and closing the door.

“You just don’t learn, do you?” he growls. “You can’t be here. You don’t belong. Stop fucking around and go.”

His words are like daggers to my already bruised heart, but I refuse to bend, to break for him.

“Why do you fucking care?” I hiss, shoving against his chest, which sidebar does nothing because the big lug is immovable.

“Don’t you get it?” he says, pushing me back until my hips are pressed against the sink. “You think this is a joke? Fun? Those people don’t care about you. They hate you.”

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