Page 30 of Beg for It
“Uh-huh, sure. Like I beli—Oh my God, are you okay? What happened?”
She twists my head to the side to stare at my neck.
Well, that didn’t last long.
“I’m fine.” I bat her hand away. “It’s nothing.”
“That is not nothing. It looks like someone mauled you.” She gasps, fear bleeding into her eyes. “Oh my God, did that guy do something to you?”
“What? No! No, no,” I rush to get the words out. “It’s…it’s part of the costume.”
“Huh?”
“Yeah. You know, I thought I’d go for something a little edgier than just sexy Alice.”
This must be one of the worst lies I have ever told in my entire life.
Michelle scans me from head to toe, taking in the slightly disheveled look. “I mean, I guess it does add a little something different.” Recognition lights up her face. “Wait. Is this that outfit you bought senior year? The one you had mailed to my place so your mom wouldn’t find it?”
“The very one.” I give her a twirl, fully aware that half my ass cheek goes on display in the process.
“You look hot.”
“Thank you.”
I loop my arm through hers and start walking us back the way she came, trying to ignore the slick that still coats my thighs. We almost bump right into Riley and Brett as we make it out of the mini maze.
“Whoa.” Brett steadies the two us with a hand on either shoulder. “Oh, you found her.”
“Sure did,” Michelle chirps. “Told you guys she’d be here.”
“You look smokin’, Blair.” He nods appreciatively at my outfit. “If we’d known this was how you dressed for parties, we probably would’ve tried harder to force you out all those years ago.”
I catch Michelle’s smile twitch ever so slightly out of the corner of my eye. God. Brett never freaking changes. It doesn’t matter how many times Michelle breaks up with him; he just can’t seem to understand the lesson to be learned. He is such a sleezy dude-bro at times.
“The fuck happened to your neck, Bear?” Riley growls.
I recoil, not just at the use of my old pet name, but also at his hand that reaches out to skim my skin. His jaw ticks at my reaction, hand curling into a fist before resting back at his side. Relief floods me at the disaster avoided. Even withoutPhantom’s warning, I don’t want Riley’s hands anywhere near me.
Of course, he is dressed up in a tiger onesie with the zipper lowered all the way to his waist. He just always has to have his abs on full display. Yet another man who doesn’t seem to change as the years go by.
My fingers skate over my collar bone, and this time, the lie comes out with a lot more confidence.
“It’s part of the costume.”
“Costume?” He scoffs. “You’re trying to tell me you drew those on?”
“Well, it’s not like she bit herself, Riley.” Michelle gives him a look as if to say,duh.
“No shit, Mich. I’m not an idiot. But if you believe the story she’s spinning, then you’re a few marbles shy of—”
“Brett,” she barks.
Her boyfriend elbows Riley like clockwork, their friendship taking a temporary backseat to his relationship.
“Drop it, bro.”
“Fine. Whatever. You’d have to be a freak to leave that kinda shit anyway.” He goes to push past us but stops momentarily when he reaches my side to lean down and add, “Have to be an even bigger freak to enjoy receiving it.”
