Page 22 of Sold to the Devil
He's right. In Mattheo's eyes, I belong to him. He made that clear the other day. Having other guys' eyes on me will definitely drive him crazy. After all, Enzo flirted earlier and told him to fuck off, and he's his friend.
“Okay, so all eyes on me, I get it,” I nod. “So what? What do I do if a boy flirts with me?” I frown.
“If you think he's cute, flirt back.” My cousin shrugs, as if it's obvious. Then she turns to Tom and gives him a warning look. “But you'll have to behave yourself too, Tommy boy. You won't be allowed to kick their ass.”
My eyebrows raise in disbelief. Why would he do that? Tom rolls his eyes and clenches his jaw before nodding. That seems to satisfy my cousin.
“Do you have any sexy dresses?” She turns to me. She sighs as I shake my head. “Well, come on, let's go to my dorm. You will just have to borrow one of mine.”
We leave my dorm, and Tom waves at us as he heads toward his room. Nancy and I leave building G and go to building F, as I'd guessed, then enter dorm number '58'. She closes the door behind us, and I glance sadly at the empty bed in her room.
I wish I were her roommate, not Mattheo's. She gives me a light squeeze on my shoulder and a small smile before rushing to her closet. She starts pulling out dresses so I can try them on before choosing the right one.
“I'll do your makeup afterward. Your usual makeup won't do tonight, darling. I know you like it light, but you'll love the change. I promise.”
I nod and sit on her bed, waiting for her to give me the green light to try on the dresses. Her words to Tom continue to swirl around in my mind, I start playing with my fingers, wondering whether or not to ask her.
“What's wrong, honey?” She asks softly.
“It's just... Why did you say Tom had to behave so well tonight?” I bite my lower lip nervously as I look down and she giggles, amused.
She comes to sit next to me on the bed and takes my hands in hers.
“He likes you, baby.”
“No, that's not true.” I answer immediately, my brows furrowed in confusion.
“Yes, it is. Otherwise, why would he have threatened his own brother not to hurt you? There's also the fact that he's holding your hand as if he's afraid you'll disappear if he lets go. Or how he looks at you as if you're the most beautiful girl he's ever seen. He likes you, Aelys.”
I don't know what to say. Is she right? Sure, he always intertwines our fingers whenever he holds my hand, but that's what friends do.
Right?
“Look, pay attention to him tonight, okay? If he doesn'tlook at you like all the other boys will, I'll admit I was wrong. Okay?”
I nod, sure she's wrong. After all, my fiancé's brother can't possibly have feelings for me other than friendship.
Right?
CHAPTER 10
Aelys
After three long hours, I'm finally ready for the party. Nancy used a magic healing cream on my neck, making the bruise Mattheo left almost completely disappear. We still had to put makeup over it because it was too big to disappear entirely, even with the help of magic.
My hair has been curled and cascades down to the small of my back. Thankfully, I still have natural makeup on, but I wear eyeliner, green eyeshadow, and blush in addition to my usual mascaraand lipstick.
After trying on several dresses, we finally settled on an emerald green one. It's strapless and hits mid-thigh. It's not too short, which makes it perfect for me. Plus, it fits like a glove, hugging my body like a second skin. My heels are black and aren't too high either, as I don't like wearing them. I put my wand in the holster on my thigh and wait for my cousin to get ready.
She chose a burgundy dress that is shorter than mine, stopping just below her buttocks with a neckline that drops between her breasts. Her makeup matches her dress, much more conspicuous than mine. Her red heels are very high, and I wonder how she can walk in them without twisting an ankle. Her short black hair is a little wavy because she let it dry naturally.
She looks sexy.
She takes my hand and leads me out of the dormitory, then out of building F, toward the main building. Several students are already heading there as well, peals of laughter echoing through the courtyard. We follow a group toward the faction common room where the music is deafening. Flashes of light illuminate the dancing students and the air smells of smoke and alcohol.
Nancy leads us to a table converted into a bar for drinks and asks me what I want. I shrug, unsure of what to choose, and she fills me a cup with a clear liquid I can't quite identify.
“Vodka,” she informs me, “it’s strong, but I think it’s exactly what you need, baby.”
