Page 34 of Kiss Me in the Dark
“Hey, Lexi,” the guys chime in, casual as ever.She rounds the couch and climbs onto Fox’s lap like she’s done it a hundred times before.Arms drape around his neck.They kiss again, deeper this time, and I feel my face flush.
Why the hell am I still watching this?
“Guys, get a room!”Carter laughs, but he doesn’t sound annoyed.If anything, he’s enjoying the show.
Lexi pulls back and giggles like a little girl.“I missed you so much, baby,” she says, loud enough for everyone to hear, then plants a trail of kisses down his neck.“I can’t wait to do so many bad things to you.”
I swallow hard.
She whispers something in his ear and lifts her shirt just enough to flash him—just for a second.Fox smirks, biting his lip, clearly enjoying the attention.And I—
I can’t breathe.
“Okay, you two are giving me afucking boner,” Carter groans, tossing his head back in mock agony.
I rip my gaze away, my cheeks burning.My hands tighten around the edge of the counter as I try to focus on literallyanythingelse.Blaze catches my eye from across the room and raises a brow, smirking like he knows exactly what I’m feeling.
I turn away quickly, pretending to be busy… with nothing.
Lexi grabs Fox’s hand and tugs him to his feet, leading him toward the hallway.Her laugh echoes as they disappear, his hand on her waist, her body pressed close.I don’t need to guess what’s coming next.
The knot in my stomach twists tighter.
It’s not jealousy.
Itcan’tbe jealousy.
It’s just—frustration.
Yeah.Frustration.
Fox is rude, arrogant, insufferable—andwaytoo attractive for his own good.The kind of guy you’re supposed to hate and yet can’t stop looking at.And unfortunately, I keep looking.
As the hallway swallows them, I exhale a long, quiet breath and lean heavier against the counter, heart pounding.
I need to stop letting him get under my skin.
Before it’s too late.
9
Unwanted Distractions
Idoodleabsentmindedlyinmy notebook, my earbuds blaring Miley Cyrus, hoping the music would drown out my thoughts.But no matter how loud it plays, I can't escape them.Lately, my mind’s been consumed by one irritating thing—Fox.Not in a healthy, “he’s just my annoying roommate” way, but in a twisted, confusing way that makes my skin crawl and my stomach knot at the same time.
My mind keeps circling back to Fox.It's infuriating.I'm constantly thinking about him, and not in the ways I should be.The last time we "talked" — well, if you can call it that— was when I tried smoking for the first time and immediately regretted it.Fox had insulted me like usual, making a snide remark about me being a girl for coughing like an idiot.Since then, it's been more of the same: He barely acknowledges my existence, only grunting or tossing insults my way whenever something trivial annoys him.
The worst part of it all?He’s still throwing out those casual insults.“Stupid,” “idiot,” “dumbass”—all over things that a normal person wouldn’t care about.Things like leaving my shoes by the door or forgetting to turn off a light.It’s like he’s going out of his way to remind me how little he respects me.But as much as I hate it, I’d take those digs over the thing that’s been haunting me lately: his sex life.
For the past week, his new girlfriend—Lexi, another blonde in his seemingly endless lineup—has been over almost every night.The two of them are like animals, loud and unapologetic.Lexi's moans echo through the apartment, and Fox's deep groans follow like a constant, tormenting background noise.
It's driving me insane.Every night, I lie in bed, my headphones on, trying to block it out, but it never works.Their noises bleed through the walls, taking over my thoughts until all I can think about is Fox's voice.And they’ve been loud.Really loud.It’s like they don’t even care that I’m just a wall away, trying to ignore their moans and groans.But I can’t.It’s not just Lexi’s high-pitched moans that bother me; it’s Fox’s deep groans that get under my skin.They’re distracting.Erotic, even.And that’s where the problem starts.
And not just his voice.I hate to admit it, but lately, it's more than that.It's his body, his presence, the way he moves.His voice, those deep groans that are meant for someone else, have started to seep into my mind in ways I can't control.I've caught myself imagining those sounds, not with Lexi, but with me.It's pathetic.It's embarrassing.And I hate myself for it.
I hate that I can’t stop thinking about him.I hate that when I hear his groans, my mind drifts to thoughts of him making those sounds because of me.It’s ridiculous, insane even, to think about Fox that way.He’s straight.He’s a total asshole.And yet… here I am, fantasizing about him.
What’s wrong with me?
