Page 149 of Heartless Beloved

A hand comes to slap his away. “Do you want another broken wrist?” Peach scolds him. “You guys areexes. Stop hitting on her.”

I smile at my friend, saying a silent thank you.

“I don’t see her boyfriend anywhere,” Chester shrugs.

My drink suddenly tastes bitter. My boyfriend isn’t my boyfriend anymore.

“The guy already almost killed you. You don’t want to know what he’ll do if he sees your hands on her again,” Ella teases.

“Killed me.Right,” he snorts. “And what about my hands? What’s he going to do if he’s not here, huh? What if I put my hands like this?” He presses both his palms against my chest, and I roll my eyes.

I open my mouth to tell him to move them, except another voice comes from behind me.

“Then I break every single one of your fingers.”

I startle when I feel a possessive hand at the back of my neck. Looking up, I catch the daggers Xi is throwing at Chester.

“He’s joking.” I force a chuckle out of me and glance around at all my friends.

“No. I’m not. Alex, I need to talk to you, privately.” His indifferent tone reminds me of everything I hate about him.

I force a smile, even as his tugging at the back of my neck doesn’t leave me much choice anyway. “I’ll be back in a minute,” I tell everyone as he hauls me away.

“She won’t,” he throws as we leave.

Going through the entirety of the ground floor, he takes me down the stairs and into the basement. It’s a gigantic game room that must be out of bounds tonight because no one is here. He closes the door and locks it behind him before turning to me.

I’m alone with Xi in a locked room.

Instantly, the temperature of my body rises. I’ve spent every single night this week touching myself to the thought of the depraved things this man does to me.

“What did I say about the party, Alexandra?” His voice takes that shade of darkness that makes my lower stomach flutter.

Standing my ground, I cross my arms over my chest. “Well,youdidn’t say anything. Apparently, you need a messenger to tell me not to go to a party. What the hell did you think? We’re broken up, Xi. I have no reason to listen to you. I don’t care what you want me to do or not.”

“I told you to do something, and you refused. You know what happens after that.”

“No.” I stomp my foot. God, how old am I?

He chuckles and licks his lower lip. “Get on your knees.”

“What?” Uncrossing my arms, I take a step away from him.

“I told you to make the right choice while you still had one. The clock has stopped ticking, Alex. Game over.”

“I don’t…I…we’reover.”

“I think I already told you how I felt about that. Now get on your knees and start thinking of how you’re going to apologize for disobeying. I want to see some tears with your sorry’s.”

Shaking my head, I put my arms in front of me as he steps closer.

“Don’t…Xi, we’re at a party.”

He’s wearing black jeans and a black t-shirt today rather than his usual cargo pants. My eyes go to his belt as he unbuckles it. I notice he’s still wearing the bracelet I made for him, which annoys me. “What-what are you doing?”

“I suggest cutting your losses and doing what you’re told.” He slides the belt out of its hoops and my eyes widen.

“Xi…” My hips hit the pool table behind me, my bag falling off my shoulder as I freeze. The last thing I want right now is to end up on the table while he’s advancing toward me with his belt.

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