Page 14 of Velvet Thorns
“Thank you.”
It's colder than I expected, and I pull my coat tighter as I slide into the back seat of the car. The second the door clicks shut, my nerves hit me. All the boldness I felt earlier starts to flicker out and die, and before I can sink into a full-blown panic, I grab my phone and FaceTime Lianna.
She answers within seconds, wearing a black satin robe that hangs off one shoulder, holding a full glass of red wine in her hand.
“I’ve been waiting for you to call!” she says, her eyes practically popping out of her face. “Holy hell, look at you. Shit, you don’t even look like you.”
“Thank God,” I say, adjusting the camera slightly. “Where are you?”
“I’m at Isaac’s.” My eyebrows shoot up, though she can’t see it under my mask. “Yeah, I heard that silence,” she says, smirking into the camera. “I went back to see if that night of wild sex was a one-off. And yes, I know my rule is never fuck the same guy twice, but I’m making an exception. Just once. You know, for science.”
“You mean for dick.”
“Same thing.”
“I’m literally right here,” a guy’s voice grumbles off-screen.
“Oh, stop,” Lianna fires back, waving a hand. “Like you’re not about to have the best night of your life, thanks to this little test.”
Although, let’s be honest… if a man ever spoke to a woman the way Lianna just spoke to him, he’d be burned at the stake before sunrise.
“Oh god, I miss you,” I say, a laugh slipping out despite the nerves starting to twist in my gut. “I’m seriously tempted to turn around and come home.”
“Absolutely not,” Lianna snaps, pointing her wine glass at the screen. “You’ve got this. Tonight is the night you stop thinking about that cockdongle. You move forward completely. No morelooking back or rewinding your trauma. He doesn’t get that power anymore.”
“Yeah, you’re right.”
“Break his heart.”
“First of all, he doesn’t have one. Second, I don’t think he ever actually gave a shit about me, but I can still try and tear his ego to shreds.”
“That’s my girl. Right—Isaac’s had a hard-on this entire conversation, so I need to sit on him now. Love you.”
“Really?” I hear him mutter in the background, but honestly, I’m not even surprised. Nothing Lianna does shocks me anymore. She lives on chaos and orgasms and is unapologetic as fuck about it.
“Love you too,” I say, smiling as the call ends.
Suddenly, I’m alone again, staring at my reflection in the dark window of the car.
Five minutes later, we pull up to the hotel where the reunion is being held, and as the car rolls to a stop, thunder rumbles low in the distance, followed by a sudden rush of rain slamming against the windshield.
God, I need a drink.
Even the thought of alcohol right now turns my stomach, but I need something to take the edge off.
I climb out of the car, head high, heels slipping slightly on the wet pavement as I move fast toward the entrance. The rain’s coming down harder now, and cold needles bite against my skin. I take one last breath before marching my feline ass up the steps, through the revolving doors, and straight to the front desk to collect my room key.
Tonight is going to be a fucking disaster, and I’m going to make it beautiful.
Chapter 4
SHANNEN
The ballroom swallowsthe light like it's hungry for it. It's pitch black, save for the occasional flicker of lightning through the towering windows—dramatic as hell, maybe even a little cliché, but there’s something darkly erotic about it. The music pulses low and heavy, making the floor vibrate under my heels. Almost everyone here is wearing a mask, pretending to be someone they’re not, and it’s perfect.
People are clustered together, laughing with friends—probably with the same people who once made my life a fucking nightmare—but I don’t recognize any of them. Not really. Most of their faces are hidden, and even if they weren’t… I never cared enough to remember them.
Except for one.
