Page 12 of Tainted Hearts

“You're looking at the newest scholarship student at Angelic Academy.” Frankie leans back in her chair, placing her arms on the rests. She looks like a queen.

“Really?” Leo asks. “Are you going to be staying in the dorms too?”

“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes. “I really don’t want to.”

“You can stay here if you want. I’m guessing Abby’s dad sent you here because all of the bullshit going on with my dear old pops,” Zed scoffs.

“He doesn’t trust Michael. And as much as he knows Abby can handle herself, he’s not taking any chances.”

“Can you two not talk about me like I’m not here,” I grumble. Frankie’s eyes flash with guilt.

“Sorry.”

“And excuse you for just inviting a woman I’ve never met to stay at your house with you,” I growl, spinning around to face Zed, glaring at him.

“I bet you're so hard right now.” Frankie laughs.

“What?” I look between the two of them like they’ve grown new heads.

“So hard,” he confirms with a growl while rocking my ass against his growing cock.This is weird, but also arousing.

“What is happening right now?” Leo asks, sounding amused.

“It’s okay, Princess. You have nothing to worry about when it comes to me and your boy. He’s like a brother to me. I have zero interest in him other than being his friend. And to answer your earlier question, I met Zed, what? About five-ish years ago?”

“Sounds about right,” Zed mutters, sounding like he does not want Frankie to continue.

“I’d come topside, mostly for the parties. It was before I started working for the King’s guard. At one party, I ran into our boy here.” She looks at Zed with a Cheshire Cat grin that has him groaning, sinking back into his seat.

“And what happened?” I ask, finding myself interested, especially if Zed seems so embarrassed about it.

“Well, he hit on me of course,” she snorts. “He gave me all his best fuck-boy moves.”

“Really?” I ask him, raising a brow.

“I’m not proud of my past before you,” Zed grumbles. “You met my ex.”

“Don’t remind me,” I snarl, making his lips twitch.

“His poor ego was hurt when I told him that he didn’t have what I was looking for. But the effort was cute.”

“Whatever,” Zed says. “If you liked dick, I totally would have gotten you to go home with me that night.”

“Whatever helps you sleep at night, Rock Star.” She laughs.

“After she shot me down, we got a few drinks and ended up spending the whole night talking. And that’s how our friendship started. Frankie became one of the most important people to me. Then the bitch had to go get her dream job, and I haven’t seen her since.”

“Sorry, babe.” She gives him a sad smile. “If I had a heads up, I would have come to say goodbye.”

“If she meant so much to you, why haven’t you mentioned her before?” I wonder, because the way he’s talking about her, that’s something that should have been brought up by now.

“Because...” He blushes. God, he’s blushing. It’s so cute. “Thinking about her made me sad.” The last word is so low it’s hard to hear.

“What was that?” Frankie asks, but by her tone she heard him. Vampire hearing and all.

“I said, thinking about you made me sad, okay?” he growls. “You were my best friend, my person, and I never let anyone get close who wasn’t family. And you just left.”

Frankie’s face drops, all humor and playfulness gone. “I know, and I’m sorry. If I could have kept in touch, I would have.”

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