Page 18 of Boys Who Taint

He picks up his tray. “I’m done.”

“C’mooonnn! Can’t we just sit and talk like normal people?” I quip.

“No,” Levi replies and marches off to the bin, but without checking his surroundings.

And lo and behold … Aspen Caruso is right there, trying to get rid of her trash too.

With a smug grin, I watch them both freeze.

“Oh, sorry,” Aspen mutters. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Same,” Levi replies, then immediately turns around again.

He can’t even talk to her without completely turning to stone—cold-hearted bastard.

“Wait.” Aspen suddenly grabs his wrist, and it actually makes him stop in his tracks.

Interesting. Very … interesting.

I chug back the energy drink I bought and keep my eyes glued like it’s a goddamn K-drama on television. And I don’t even watch that corny stuff, but damn, I certainly get the appeal.

“Please,” Aspen pleads, “talk to me.”

Levi abruptly retracts his arm and looks at her like he wants to pick her up and throw her into the bin too for even daring to touch him.

Ouch.

How’d it get so frosty between those two?

Oh wait, I remember.

Her sister is dead because of him.

Levi

Feelingher touch for the first time in weeks is like touching death and begging to be killed just for the chance to keep holding on.

But I can’t.

I fucking can’t, and I won’t.

“Don’t,” I growl.

Aspen frowns, confused. “It’s been weeks.”

The hurt reflected in her eyes doesn’t go unnoticed, but I can’t break now. “And?”

She lowers her gaze. “I don’t want to lose you too.” She tucks her dyed red hair behind her ear, showing off the many earrings she got in addition to the ones she already had.

My eyes scan her oval face, those pink lips and button nose, because another freckle has grown right there on her cheek that I’m sure she didn’t have the last time I saw her.

Seventy-two in total now.

Without thinking, I bring my finger up to her face and touch it.

“What are you—” She swats my finger away in shock.

“Another freckle,” I say with a muted voice.

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