Page 41 of Lust

Juliette sputters and nearly spits a mouthful of pancakes out as I laugh.

“He’s an idiot.” I smirk. “Just for the record, though, what exactly was he doing in your room? Did he really come to your room just to degrade you? That’s a new low, even for him.”

Rowena waves her hands at me. “God, it’s going to sound so boring compared to what you’ve both got going on in your imaginations. Especially you.” She points to Juliette. “He really did come to tell me that I was disgusting, then passed out on my floor. I left him with a glass of water and a couple of painkillers.”

“Boring!” Juliette rolls her eyes.

“I told you.” Rowena’s face lights up. “I might have kicked him a little. Anyway, enough about me. What about you, Quinn? How did the date with Remy go? You two hooking up again?”

Juliette rests her head on her hands and opens her eyes wide. “I forgot about that in all the excitement. I knew you shouldn’t have let that dreamboat go.”

“Dreamboat?” Rowena scoffs. “What is this? The fifties? He’s an asshole. He’s just marginally better at hiding it than Felix.”

“He is an asshole,” I agree, “But we had a good night and no…” I turn to Juliette. “I didn’t sleep with him. He does seem genuinely sorry for leaving me at the Shard.”

“I bet he is.” Juliette says digging into another pile of pancakes. “I mean Candice is superficially pretty, but she’s a complete bitch and everything about her is fake. I bet he hated doing the first trial with her.”

I grab one of the pancakes before Juliette eats the lot and pick a piece off. “He said he didn’t have sex with her in the second part of the trial.”

Rowena grabs an apple and takes a bite. “And yet, he’s so high up on the leader board.”

I sigh. I want to believe Remy, but Rowena’s right. I’ll never know the truth because his trial was one of the few that wasn’t broadcast. What can he really tell me that’s worse than my imagination? He said he didn’t touch her in the second part of the trial. If he said he didn’t help her in the first trial, I would probably judge him, anyway. I remember how awful it was before Dade helped me. The guy can’t win whatever he tells me. Plus, it’s hardly as though I pushed Dade away when he helped me. Hell, I’d have let pretty much anyone go to town on me to get some relief, Even Orlin. Especially Orlin going by the perfect scores he and Juliette are getting.

I look toward Juliette and raise my eyebrows. “Are you going to let us know what’s going on with you and Orlin yet?” I ask, changing the subject away from me and Remy. Before Juliette can answer, Noémi appears at our table. “Good morning, my leetle darlings. Eet’s time to announce ze second trial. No delay!”

Juliette grabs a handful of pancakes and gives me a wink as we all pile out after Noémi.

My heart lunges when I catch sight of Dade sitting at the far end of the couches. He looks sullen as always. Next to him, Orlin sits, staring ahead as though he’s lost his way. He’s wearing a shirt that he’s written “You’re all sinners” on in red ink.

Both of them look out of place, but it’s only Dade who looks miserable. I shouldn’t feel ashamed about going out with with Remy, but somehow it feels like I’ve cheated on Dade. I shake my head. I can’t think that way. Dade and I were a mistake. It never could have worked between us. As the thought runs through my mind, Dade glances over and catches my eye. Heat rises to my cheeks as I remember the look of agony on his face during the trial yesterday when I stood by and did nothing. Shame fills me as recall how I sat back and let him suffer in a way that I know he would never do to me. He hadn’t done it to me. Even though I’d accused him of murder, he still helped me when I was my most raw and vulnerable.

I can’t look away, but then a flash of orange passes between us. My eyes refocus on Candice pushing her way between Dade and Orlin on the sofa. As I watch, she leans into Dade and whispers something in his ear. He doesn’t smile, but he doesn’t push her away either.

“Looks like she’s getting her claws into your other boyfriend now,” Juliette says, nodding toward them.

“He’s not my boyfriend,” I mutter a little too quickly. I have no right to be upset about who does and doesn’t sit next to Dade. “He can sit with whoever he likes… even if it is a skanky bitch.”

“Quinn!” Rowena admonishes. “What happened to solidarity amongst sisters?”

“She tried to kill me,” I remind her. “And she’s not my sister.”

I’m saved from having to say anything else by Noémi talking. “Bonjour. Welcome back to ze contestants and welcome to everyone else.” She gestures to the people who have gathered to watch us. We’re really getting quite the fan base since our wet parts were broadcast in high definition for all to see.

“Ze second trial weel take place one week from today. After zat, we weel ‘old ze magnificent ball for all of you. I’m très excité.”

“You’re the only one,” Rowena mutters under her breath.

“Zat ees all.” Noémi announces. “You may go and enjoy your week.”

“Didn’t Noémi say the ball was to be themed on the Moulin Rouge?” Rowena whispers. She sounds a lot more excited than I feel.

“I guess so,” I reply.

She looks between Juliette and me, excitement bringing color to her cheeks. “Let me make your dresses I’ll coordinate them!”

“Make mine pink,” Juliette says, flicking her eyes towards Noémi’s retreating form. “I’m sick of Noémi monopolizing the color.”

I shrug. “I’ll take green, I guess. It will go with my hair.”

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