Page 27 of Nightmare

She sighs heavily and goes back to her coffee, not saying anything else about it. She didn’t actually answer my question, but I’m not worried. She knows damn well if I found out she let another guy put hands on her, I’d find him and cut his fucking dick off.

Just as I’m picturing it, the dipshit waiter approaches us again, bouncing his eyes between us both as if he’s never seen two people covered in paint and dirt and bruises before. I set Violet’s coffee down on the table and turn her face toward mine, kissing her right in front of him because I can’t not do it. It’s just a natural instinct for me—this need I have to claim and own and protect her.

“I’ll be good,” I say quietly, and she lets out one of those sexy little laughs I love so much, her lips moving against mine.

“As if you know the meaning of the word.”

“Can I get you anything else?” the guy interrupts us, nervously shifting from foot to foot, and I swear to God I’m not imagining the way he keeps trying to make eye contact with Violet, like he thinks she’s a hostage who needs saving from me or some shit.

As if this scrawny fucker thinks he could do anything about it.

When I do nothing but sit here and stare him out, silently daring him to look at her again, Violet takes pity on the guy and puts him out of his misery. “Just the check, please.”

He scurries off with a nod, and I kiss her one more time, running my fingers through her hair as I relax back into my seat and look toward the main door. It’s busy in here this morning, just like it is every Sunday, the staff running around like crazy trying to get everybody their food. I recognize a few people and a couple of the kids from the party last night, but none of our friends have shown up like they usually do the morning after.

“Where is everyone?”

“Fuck knows where Tryst and Andie are,” Violet answers with a knowing little smirk, dipping her finger into the leftover syrup on her plate and licking it off. “I haven’t seen Nova since she bailed on us last night. And I didn't see Phoenix at all.”

I blink at hearing my twin sister’s name. I haven’t really thought about her since I’ve been back—I’ve been too focused on Violet—but now that Vi mentions her…

“Nova was at the party?” I ask, and she nods as she swallows another sip of her coffee.

“We picked her up on the way, but she disappeared as soon as we got there.”

My brows dip, and I take the new phone I bought yesterday out of my back pocket, tapping her number and pressing it to my ear. She doesn’t pick up the first time, or the second, so I keep trying, losing patience and bouncing my knee beneath the table.

“Jesus, what?” she finally answers, like the loving little shit she is.

“Where the fuck are you?”

“None of your fucking business.”

I raise a brow at that, chuckling to myself when I realize she’s perfectly fine. “Don’t you wanna see me now I’m home?”

“Not really.”

I’m about to say more, but then she hangs up on me, and I pull the phone away from my ear to frown it. “Bitch.”

Violet laughs into her mug, and I wait for her to finish the rest, tossing some cash down once she’s done and pulling her up to stand.

“Let’s go.”

“Where?” she asks, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“I wanna fuck you again before I drive you home.”

CHAPTER 12

VIOLET

By the time we get to Atticus’s mom’s house, I’m dead on my feet and in desperate need of a hot shower. I’m pretty sure he’s thinking the same thing, but not to get ourselves clean. He’s got that look in his eye—the one that says he wants to dirty me up again.

No one answers the front door when he knocks, so he takes me around the porch to the back of the house, urging me to climb through the open kitchen window.

“You gotta be kidding me,” I whisper-yell. “Atty, that window is tiny.”

“So are you.”

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