Page 75 of Boys Who Taint

“Don’t leave me hanging with a hard-on, Freckles,” he yells after me. “It’ll be a pricy mistake.”

I raise my middle finger just as high as his goddamn hard-on was for me.

CHAPTER 18

Aspen

“Are you okay?”

I look up and stare right at Grey, who’s got his hand on my shoulder. “Huh, what?” I mutter.

“You’ve been staring out the window for the past ten minutes. Did you even hear one thing the teacher said?”

I glance back and forth between him and the teacher a few times, trying to catch my bearings. Then I clear my throat. “Um, no. Sorry.”

I’ve been obsessed with figuring out who Ghost is, and I'm also trying to find a way to get rid of Levi without losing my sanity in the process.

Could my Ghost be Apollo? Or was he just playing with me?

Grey rips a piece of paper from his notebook. “It’s okay. I took notes for you.” He smiles as he tucks them underneath my hand. “I know you’ve been having a hard time.”

I smile back. “Thank you. You’re a lifesaver.”

He’s so sweet. Sweeter than I could ever imagine, and I don’t know what I did to deserve a guy like him. The fact that we found each other during our darkest times is a blessing in disguise.

“Don’t mention it.”

Everyone around us is already getting up. Seems class is over, and I missed nearly half of it.

“Hey, wanna go grab a bite somewhere?” I ask.

“Yeah, sure, why not?” Grey replies, packing up his stuff. “Actually, I know this amazing place, Fi’s Cups and Cakes, they’re the best in town when it comes to sweets. And I could use a pick-me-up.”

I lean on the palm of my hand. “You read my mind.”

He winks. “Maybe I can.”

Apollo

I stepinto the bakery and am immediately nauseated by the amount of sweet sugar entering my nose. Disgusting.

I’d normally never come here, but my sis’s birthday is coming up, and Cecelia adores the cupcakes here, so I figured why the hell not. Beats having to pick from a gazillion perfumes and makeup brands. What the hell is the difference between mahogany and wood anyway?

“Thank you for waiting, what can I get you?” the cashier says as I stare at the menu.

“Uhh … what’s the sweetest stuff you’ve got?” I ask. “Gimme what you think is best for a birthday. Six of ’em. It’s a surprise.”

I don’t really care. However, a conversation in the back of the shop catches my ear, and I can’t help but turn around to listen in because I’m fucking nosy. And who doesn’t like a bit of gossip?

Whoever says they don’t is lying.

And my, oh my, the gossip does not disappoint.

Because none other than Aspen Caruso and Grey Whatever-the-fuck-his-name-is are sitting on a love-booth seat in the back of the shop, eating some red heart-shaped cake together like they’re having …

“A date?” I murmur to myself as a wretched smile appears on my face. “Interesting.”

“That’ll be fifteen dollars,” the cashier says. “Here you go.”

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