Page 71 of Soul So Dark
“What for? It seems that you’re already prettyfriendlywith someone else.” Then she narrows her eyes. “What’d she whisper while she was hanging all over you, Alex? Did she tell you that she was in the restroom that one day, when she and her friends were talking about Evie and Colson?”
Jordy was there with Jamie?
“Did she tell you all about it before shekissedyou?” Dallas says through clenched teeth.
I just stare at Dallas, her blue eyes shining more vibrant than ever while she burns holes through mine.
“How long were you watching?” I finally ask.
“What?” she squints up at me with disgust.
“Did you see me kiss her?”
“No,” she seethes. “I didn’t want to look at you anymore. Just like I don’t want to look at younow.”
“Cool, cool,” I nod. “So, youdidn’tsee me kiss Jordy. Just like youdidn’tsee me dump her ass onto the floor right after you decided you hated my guts.”
Dallas doesn’t answer, only continues to glare up at me. After a few seconds of silence, I step closer, leaning down until my nose brushes hers. Then I turn and look at the side of her face.
“Rude.”
She’s not about to admit that she was wrong, so I don’t press her on it. Instead, I grab a beat-up black metal chair that’s shoved haphazardly in the corner and slide it in front of the door. I take a seat, planting my boots on the tile in front of her. She looks me up and down suspiciously.
“Don’t be scared, Dallas, I’m theniceone, remember?” I nod at her black leather purse hanging from her shoulder. “You still have what I gave you?”
She shoots me another dubious look before slowly sliding the bag off her shoulder. Then she unzips it and pulls out the clear plastic bag, still sealed at the top.
Her face relaxes the longer she turns it over in her hands. “Where did you find them?”
I hold my hand out until she gently places the bag full of yellow Haribo bears into it.
“You can find anything on the Internet,” I smile. “But I’ll make you a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“Play a game with me and I’ll let you out of here.”
She rolls her eyes. “Yeah,OK.”
“It’s very simple, Dallas. If you eat five of these bears, I promise I’ll get up and you can leave here to loathe me for another day.”
She hesitates, glaring at me with that hateful little look of hers.
I tear open the top of the bag. “Come on, I know they’re your favorite. We’re past pretending they’re not.”
“Fine,” she sighs, thrusting her hand out.
I place one of the yellow bears on the top of my knee and she begins to reach for it.
“Don’t—” I snap, “use your hands.”
She freezes for a moment before slowly raising her eyes to meet mine.
“It’s very simple,Mariposita,” I whisper with a smile that all but guarantees she’ll be plotting my murder by the time I let her out of here.
Dallas squints up at me and then slowly crouches down and plucks the bear off my knee with her teeth. I reach into the bag for another as she chews, and as soon as she swallows it, I balance another on top of my belt buckle. When she sees it, she shoots me a warning look.
I respond with one of my own. “Play the game, Dallas.”
